Squawk Box Europe Express

U.S. President Joe Biden confirms he will visit Israel on Wednesday while Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stressed the need for aid to reach the Gaza Strip where the humanitarian crisis is worsening. Optimism over corporate earnings help push the Dow to its best session for a month ahead of earnings from Goldman Sachs and BofA later today. Chinese property giant Country Garden could default on a dollar bond as it nears the end of a 30-day grace period to pay a $15m coupon. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing to solidify his ‘no limits’ partnership with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. And in crypto news, asset manager BlackRock denies reports that U.S. regulators have approve its application for a spot Bitcoin ETF. 

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President Biden warns the Israel-Hamas war could escalate into a wider regional conflict and cautions Jerusalem against re-occupying the Gaza Strip. The S&P 500 posts its second week in the green while geo-political tensions sees Brent move back up past $90 per barrel. Kicking off Q3 earnings season, U.S. banking giants JP Morgan, Citi and Wells Fargo all beat on top and bottom lines. Asset manager BlackRock sees its first net outflows since early 2020 but CEO Larry Fink remains bullish about the future. In Poland, the ruling Law & Justice party wins the general election but falls short of a majority with former European Council president Donald Tusk eyeing a path to a coalition government.

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U.S. markets end a four-day streak in the green, dragging Asian equities lower as a result as stronger-than-expected inflation re-ignites concerns that rates will remain elevated for longer. Debt distress was a focus at the IMF/World Bank Meetings in Marrakech yesterday. World Bank President Ajay Banga tells a CNBC panel that trying to predict interest rates is ‘soothsaying, future-telling’. September consumer inflation in China flatlines and manufacturing prices fall for a twelfth consecutive month. Israel issues a warning to all Gaza City residents to leave the city for southern regions of the Strip ahead of significant military ground offensives. And in Washington, Louisiana Republican Representative Steve Scalise withdraws his bid for Speaker of the House, prolonging the impasse to a second week.  

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September’s FOMC minutes show officials grappling with volatility which highlights uncertainty for the U.S. economy. We hear from Bundesbank president Joachim Nagel who insists Germany is not the ‘sick man of Europe’, making a sharp distinction between its current economic situation and the early 2000s. All three U.S. indices post their fourth straight day of gains ahead of today’s crucial inflation print. In Israel the two main political parties form an emergency war government with Prime Minister Netanyahu vowing to wipe Hamas out. Footwear firm Birkenstock underwhelms on its Wall Street debut, coming in at $1.7bn below its planned listing price.  

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Asian markets hit a two-week high on the back of the largest drop by the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield since mid-July. We are live at the IMF meetings in Marrakech where ECB Governing Council board member Robert Holzmann tells us that any additional economic shocks could prompt one or two more interest rate increases. Israeli armed forces are launching a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip with the combined death toll of the conflict reaching 2,100. President Biden has condemned the Hamas attack, pledging unwavering support to Israel. South Korean chip giant Samsung beats Q3 profit expectations despite an 80 per cent dip for the quarter. Meanwhile LVMH misses sales forecasts as high inflation and soaring rates weigh on consumer purchasing power. 

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Global equities stage a turnaround as investors brush off concerns in the Middle East, while U.S. bond yields slide after dovish Fed comments fuel speculation the tightening cycle is close to done. Meanwhile, Hamas threatens to kill hostages as Israel orders a complete siege of the Gaza Strip, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing the campaign is “just getting started”. International condemnation pours in as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accuses Russia of trying to exploit the Israeli crisis. Ukraine's deputy central bank governor tells CNBC the West needs to band together in support of Ukraine. And Country Garden fails to repay an international loan - accelerating a liquidity crisis as the Chinese property giant warns it's unlikely they will be able to meet all remaining debt obligations.

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Hundreds of people are killed as militant group Hamas launches a surprise attack on Israel - in the deadliest day of violence in the country for 50 years. Oil prices jump, but in an exclusive interview Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister tells CNBC that OPEC's ability to stabilise prices should not be underestimated. U.S. job growth smashes expectations in September, nearly doubling forecasts - pushing bond yields to a 16-year peak and fuelling fears over a ‘higher for longer’ interest rate environment. And Metro Bank strikes a deal - announcing a new £325 million capital raise and almost double that in debt refinancing - as the embattled British lender shores up its balance sheet.

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IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva says the global economy is holding up, ahead of next week's Annual Meetings – while calling for structural reforms in Germany. On Wall Street, attention turns to September’s non-farm payrolls report, with analysts expecting 170k new jobs to have been created – slightly lower on the month. EU leaders gather in Granada, pledging more support for Ukraine. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola urges allies to step up, telling CNBC the bloc can't do it alone. Elsewhere Exxon Mobil is reportedly in advanced talks to buy Pioneer Natural Resources, in a deal worth as much as 60-billion dollars, as the U.S. energy giant wades deeper into the shale space. And we delve into the troubles at Metro Bank after shares plunge on reports the U.K. challenger bank is looking to raise £600 million in capital, or sell a significant chunk of its mortgage book.

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The sell-off in global bonds takes a breather after a U.S. private sector jobs report sees its slowest pace of growth since January 2021. Crude prices stabilise after their biggest one-day drop in more than a year, as demand concerns weigh, and Saudi Arabia and Russia extend voluntary production cuts. Republican hopefuls jockey for position in the race to replace House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. German defence contractor Renk pulls its IPO at the 11th hour, citing a "clouded" market environment. And opening statements begin in the Sam Bankman-Fried trial, over alleged fraud in the collapse of crypto firm FTX.

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The Dow turns negative for the year as hot jobs data fuels speculation the Fed will keep rates higher for longer, while the 10-year yield hits its highest level since August 2007. Negative sentiment spills into Asia, sending major equity markets into the red with Japan's Nikkei dropping to a 4-month low. U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is ousted, putting the gavel up for grabs as he becomes the first lawmaker in history to be removed from the post. And Novartis officially spins off its generic drug division Sandoz today, in a move the Swiss pharma giant's CEO says will allow the firm to focus on its core business.

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