Squawk Box Europe Express

Wall Street is in the red and Asian markets follow suit after a week of hawkish messaging from the world’s largest central banks. We hear from BNP Paribas chairman Jean Lemierre who says that rate hikes are the price to pay need to rein in inflation. New Twitter owner Elon Musk surveys users whether he should step down as CEO of the social media platform. Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried reverses his decision to fight U.S. extradition efforts where he faces allegations of wire fraud and money laundering.

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Global equities see sharp sell-offs following this week’s rate hikes in the U.S. and Europe with warnings of more to come. All three major U.S. indices as well as the STOXX600 slump to their lowest level since November. Both the ECB and BoE push rates up by a further 50bps but say that rate increases will continue into 2023. In Brussels, EU leaders agree on more aid to Ukraine and how to respond to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. However, a corruption scandal engulfing the European Parliament continues to deepen. We hear exclusively from the CEO of shipping titan MSC, Soren Toft, who says his firm is ready to capitalise on a predicted import/export recovery from China following Beijing’s relaxation of its zero-Covid policy.

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Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell lifts rates by 50bps and signals that the hiking path will continue into 2023, with its terminal rate up above 5 per cent. Investors now await the ECB and BoE to follow the Fed’s moves amid faint hopes that inflation may have peaked. In China, industrial production growth slumps in November while retail is down by almost 6 per cent as the countries zero-Covid restrictions continue to hamstring the economy. As EU leaders meet in Brussels to respond to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, we hear from Estonian PM Kaja Kallas who says competition rules cannot simply be ‘thrown out of the window’.  

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Founder and former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is denied bail in the Bahamas as he faces criminal charges over the collapse of the crypto exchange. Prosecutors have called it called it the largest embezzlement in U.S. history. Meanwhile rival exchange Binance have denied fears of contagion in the sector despite, according to crypto analytics firm Nansen, seeing $3bn of withdrawals within 24 hours. U.S. inflation data for November comes in lower than expected pushing Wall Street marginally higher. Investors now expect a 50bps rate hike from the Federal Reserve later today. And in Brussels, EU energy ministers fail yet again to compromise on a cap on gas prices with another meeting scheduled for next week.

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Sam Bankman-Fried is arrested in the Bahamas and faces extradition to the United States, with prosecutors expected to charge the former poster boy of the Crypto industry with wire and securities fraud. U.S. equities kick off a crucial week of central bank decisions and economic data on a high, with investors hoping for a softer inflation print stateside today that could set the tone going into 2023. China and Hong Kong continue to ease Covid restrictions, dropping their state-mandated mobile tracking apps as the region continues to unwind some of the world's strictest curbs. EU Energy Ministers prepare to meet in Brussels for crunch talks on a gas price cap as the bloc is warned about potential shortages next winter.

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U.S. markets post their worst weekly performance since September, ahead of a busy week - with U.S. CPI data and a slew of central bank rate decisions in focus. Hong Kong's Hang Seng leads losses in Asia, with tech and property stocks under pressure. Crude climbs after Russia's Vladimir Putin threatens to turn off the taps to Europe, while a cold snap hits the continent and puts its energy security to the test. European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili is suspended from her party, after Belgian police detain 2 MEPs and seize €600,000 in cash in a series of weekend raids.

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Prices at China's factory gates fall for the second straight month, and consumer inflation slows on weak demand, while Asian stocks take heart from Beijing's easing of Covid curbs. The S&P snaps a five-day losing streak and part of the yield curve sees its deepest inversion since 2001, as investors eye producer price data for clues into the Fed's rate hiking path. U.S. regulators sue to block Microsoft’s $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard over concerns it would harm competition in the gaming space. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is warned he could be subpoenaed to testify on Capitol Hill next week, as the SEC calls on public companies to disclose their crypto exposure amid fears of further contagion.

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ECB staff discuss strike action after rejecting a below-inflation pay offer, as the central bank's own survey shows price pressures are set to rise next year. Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumps on local media reports authorities are considering a further easing of Covid measures, with tech stocks leading the charge. China's president Xi Jinping starts his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia in a bid to boost ties with the region. The S&P 500 posts its fifth straight negative session as rate concerns cloud the outlook, while consumer borrowing climbs.

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China relaxes Covid measures, removing the need for negative test results before travel and allowing home quarantine. U.S. equities slide, with the S&P 500 posting its fourth straight day of losses while JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon tells CNBC falling consumer wealth could spark a downturn. NBC News projects Raphael Warnock will win a crucial run-off race in Georgia, giving the Democrats an ouright majority in the Senate and delivering a blow to former President Donald Trump. And, Meta slides as the company threatens to pull news from Facebook, as its ad model reportedly comes under pressure in Europe.

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The Dow slumps nearly 500 points, after stronger than expected services data stokes fears the Federal Reserve may continue hiking rates until it triggers a recession. Tesla shares reverse even as the carmaker denies reports its planning to slash its Model-Y production at its Shanghai factory, after reporting record Chinese sales in November. Beijing officials continue to ease Covid restrictions amid a report China could announce ten new easing measures as soon as tomorrow, after last month's historic demonstrations. And Italy's Finance Minister adds to the chorus of calls for a European response to America's Inflation Reduction Act.

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