Squawk Box Europe Express

Asian stock markets and US Futures begin the week in the red, after the Dow posts its worst weekly performance since the middle of March. This as Chinese industrial output in May misses expectations as Beijing is forced to lock down more than 10 neighbourhoods following a Coronavirus outbreak at a local market, raising fears of a second wave in the country. In the U.S., infections also spike in the southern states of Florida, Alabama and South Carolina where record number of new cases a reported for a third day in a row. In Europe months of travel restrictions are eased and borders are reopened as EasyJet prepares to launch its first flight since March from Gatwick.

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The worst moves since March... The Dow Jones falls by almost 7 per cent, breaking a three-week winning streak. The broad market sell-off means all the major U.S. averages suffer their worst performance in three months. The losses are led by the energy and technology sectors, with the biggest five tech names losing a collective $270bn in market value in just one day. The huge reversals have been prompted by a resurgence in U.S. Covid-19 cases amid a second spike. The IMF has estimated that global governments have already spent $10tn in fighting the pandemic. But, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tells this channel that the damage from a second economic shutdown is unthinkable. And following the death of George Floyd, President Trump is set to sign an executive order to invest more in law enforcement and improve policing standards, while Apple pledges $100mn to improve racial justice.  

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Lower for longer…the U.S. Federal Reserve promises to keep rates near zero until at least 2022 to support the economic recovery in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, with chair Jerome Powell emphasising that policymakers are “not even thinking about thinking about raising rates.” The central bank has also issued its first economic forecasts since the outbreak, saying the U.S. economy could contract by 6.5 per cent this year. The Dow and S&P both dip after an unsteady Wednesday session with Asian indices and U.S. futures also trading firmly in the red. The Nasdaq diverges again, closing above the milestone 10,000-point mark for the first ever. In M&A news, Just Eat takeaway gobbles up its U.S. rival GrubHub in a $7.3bn all-stock deal. In Hong Kong, internet giant Netease sees its shares rally during its first trading session as Chinese companies face greater scrutiny over their U.S. listings. And in the wake of racial tensions in America, Amazon has frozen police use of its facial recognition technology.

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Big tech breaks out… FAANG stocks help the Nasdaq briefly pass through the 10,000-point mark for the first time, while the Dow suffers its worst day in three weeks, snapping a six-day winning streak. Investors focus on the Fed, as the central bank prepares to release its first economic forecasts since before the pandemic. Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman tells CNBC he believes that the worst of the Coronavirus fallout for the U.S. economy has now passed but warned the government not to be over-confident following the recent market rally. Chinese producer prices fell at their steepest rate in four years in May, which has raised the prospect of further easing by the PBOC. And in Hong Kong, HSBC comes under fire from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who has accused the lender of ‘kowtowing’ to Beijing and investor Aviva says it’s also concerned about its support for a controversial new security law.

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U.S. markets surge with the Nasdaq closing at a record high and the S&P 500 turns positive for 2020 as investors wait on this month’s Federal Reserve rate decision. Veteran hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller tells CNBC that the current market rally and Fed moves caught him by surprise. President Trump has announced that he will not defund police departments after Democrats called for law enforcement reform in the wake of the alleged killing of George Floyd. In energy news, Saudi Arabia has said that it will no longer cut additional oil supplies following the latest OPEC+ one-month extension. And BP is set to slash 10,000 jobs despite rising oil demand.

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Something to work on… Asian markets rise on an unexpected jump in U.S. employment but questions linger over whether misclassifications kept the unemployment rate lower in May. In energy news, oil rallies following an OPEC+ agreement to extend output cuts. Chinese exports for May fall unexpectedly, while imports plunge in their sharpest decline in four years. Protests continue across the U.S., with Washington D.C. seeing the largest Black Lives Matter demonstration to date. And in the UK, British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair make a legal challenge against the government’s 14-day Coronavirus quarantine policy.

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Big Bazooka…Italian bond yields fall after ECB President Christine Lagarde announces an almost €600bn extension to its pandemic support package in order to help offset the sharp growth contraction throughout the eurozone. In Asia, markets edge higher as U.S. averages break a four-day winning streak. Unemployment in the States, however, is set to near 20 per cent in today’s jobs report. We hear exclusively from Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida, who says that the shock of the Coronavirus outbreak will serve to accelerate tech changes within the autos sector. And we are live at Lingfield Race Course in Surrey as horse racing – worth £4bn yearly to the British economy – becomes the first major sport to restart following the UK lockdown.

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Markets undeterred… the S&P 500 posts its longest winning streak since February. This, despite the ongoing unrest across the U.S., as well as divisions over the response within the White House. The ECB is reportedly ready to expand its asset purchase programme as the central bank looks set to release gloomy growth projections for the eurozone. Meanwhile, Berlin announces a €130bn stimulus package to help kickstart consumer demand and bolster Germany’s economy. In energy news, Saudi Arabia and Russia look set to agree on extending oil output cuts for a further month but compliance issues mean OPEC is yet to confirm today’s producer meeting. Tensions simmer between the U.S. and China after the Trump administration blocks Chinese carriers to the country in a bid to pressure Beijing into lifting its own ban on U.S. airlines. 

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U.S. tensions continue with the Pentagon moving 1,600 troops to the Washington D.C. area in anticipation of more violence following the police killing of George Floyd. The U.S. government launches a probe into nine countries which are threatening to impose digital taxes on tech firms. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has warned that the U.S. will “take appropriate action to defend U.S. business”. In luxury news, LVMH is reportedly reconsidering its $16bn takeover of U.S. jeweler Tiffany, prompting shares to sink almost 10 per cent. In China, service sector growth has roared back, with the PMI hitting its highest level for a decade. However, unemployment also continues to rise. And in the UK, sterling rises on reports that London will compromise with Brussels on trade rules ahead of upcoming Brexit talks but concerns remain over financial access to continental markets.  

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President Trump vows to send in the army should state governors fail to quell the violent protests raging across U.S. cities following the police killing of George Floyd. Some Facebook employees stage a virtual walkout, demonstrating against the social media platform’s failure to act on President Trump’s “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” post. In Hong Kong, CEO Carrie Lam hits out at Washington, accusing it of double standards over its reaction to its own protests, while S&P hints at downgrading the territory. And in the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly set to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the final round of Brexit talks.

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