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Key events: Canada - Building Permits (MoM) (Mar) USA - FOMC Member Mester Speaks Global equities surged on Friday, driving European stocks to new record highs amid robust corporate earnings and expectations of imminent central bank interest rate cuts. Despite signs of decelerating US economic growth, the dollar managed to edge higher.

Key events: Eurozone - European Central Bank Non-monetary Policy Meeting USA - Crude Oil Inventories USA - 10-Year Note Auction On Tuesday, the S&P 500 managed to secure a modest gain, supported by a decline in Treasury yields, as investors grappled with a multitude of corporate earnings reports, notably including disappointing subscriber growth figures from Disney.

Key events: USA - Average Hourly Earnings (MoM) (Apr) USA - Nonfarm Payrolls (Apr) USA - Unemployment Rate (Apr) USA - S&P Global Services PMI (Apr) USA - ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI (Apr) USA - ISM Non-Manufacturing Prices (Apr) Thursday saw the S&P 500 closing on a positive note, with the tech sector leading the gains, while investors continued to analyze a multitude of corporate earnings ahead of the significant monthly jobs report scheduled for Friday.

Key events: Eurozone - Eurogroup Meetings Eurozone - ECB's De Guindos Speak Friday saw a robust rally in the S&P 500, marking its best week since November, driven by upbeat earnings reports from tech giants Microsoft and Alphabet, reigniting investor confidence in the AI-driven tech sector. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 153 points, or 0.40%, while the S&P 500 surged 1%, and the NASDAQ Composite, led by tech stocks, soared 2%. With a gain of 2.7% for the week, the S&P 500 ended a three-week losing streak.

Key events: USA - FOMC Member Kashkari Speaks UK - BRC Retail Sales Monitor (YoY) (Mar) The S&P 500 ended the day flat on Monday, experiencing swings between gains and losses as cautious trading prevailed ahead of the latest inflation data and the start of the first-quarter earnings season later in the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped by 11 points, or 0.03%, while the S&P 500 edged down by 2 points, or 0.04%. Conversely, the NASDAQ Composite rose by 5 points, or 0.03%.

Key events: USA - JOLTs Job Openings (Feb) USA - FOMC Member Bowman Speaks USA - FOMC Member Williams Speaks USA - FOMC Member Mester Speaks USA - FOMC Member Daly Speaks The second quarter kicked off with a hesitant start for the S&P 500 on Monday, as soaring Treasury yields tempered bullish sentiment following a surprising uptick in manufacturing activity, highlighting the robustness of the economy and dampening expectations for imminent Federal Reserve rate cuts.

Key events: USA - S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI (Mar) USA - ISM Manufacturing PMI (Mar) USA - ISM Manufacturing Prices (Mar) As the new quarter kicks off, Asian markets prepare to embark on a promising trajectory, bolstered by indications of a gradual easing in US inflation data last Friday and positive macroeconomic figures from China over the weekend. Notably, both the manufacturing and service sectors exhibited an uptick in the closely monitored PMI prints.

Key events: UK - GDP (QoQ) (Q4) UK - GDP (YoY) (Q4) USA - GDP (QoQ) (Q4) USA - Initial Jobless Claims USA - Chicago PMI (Mar) Wednesday saw the S&P 500 achieving a new record closing high, supported by a decline in Treasury yields in anticipation of a speech by Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller later in the day, which investors hoped would provide insights on inflation trends.

Key events: USA - NY Empire State Manufacturing Index (Mar) USA - Michigan Consumer Sentiment (Mar) Eurozone - ECB's Lane Speaks On Thursday, the Dow closed lower, halting a three-day winning streak, as investor sentiment took a hit from reports indicating higher-than-expected inflation and signs of a slowdown in consumer activity. The S&P 500 declined by 0.2%, the NASDAQ Composite fell by 0.3%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.4%, representing a decrease of 137 points.

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