Spreadex Market Update

FTSE and DAX brush aside woeful manufacturing PMIs to start March with a bang, whilst Barclays suffers severe full year hangover




Standing on the brink of contraction territory the UK’s manufacturing data fell to a 34 month low of 50.8 from the expected 52.3 (and the 52.9 seen last month); yet the FTSE managed to push on regardless, jumping over 50 points to a near 2 month high. The bulk of its growth is coming from the commodity stocks, Brent Crude’s $37 per barrel-eyeing rise and yesterday’s PBOC rate cut, allowing a largely green glow to emanate from both oil and mining sectors. The FTSE’s gains are all the more impressive given the fact that Barclays (with its dividend slashing, PPI provision swallowing, profit plunging full year report this morning) dropping nearly 10.5% as Tuesday continued.

Just like the FTSE the Eurozone indices brushed aside its manufacturing mayhem to post some muscular gains despite a year low of 51.2 for the region-wide figure. Perhaps the indices were lifted by a 4 year low unemployment rate number; perhaps the day’s woeful data is, unlike yesterday’s inflation figure, being taken as a guarantee of action from Mario Draghi and his ECB cronies next week. Either way the DAX and CAC galloped ahead this morning, the former nearing a 190 point rise with the latter jumping just over 1%.

Now it is up to the Dow Jones to ignore what is likely to be its own manufacturing disappointments, the Markit and ISM PMIs expected at 51.0 (its lowest point since November 2012) and 48.5 respectively. It does looks like the US index will keep up with the pace of its European peers, however, the Dow heading for a 150 point bounce at the open.

 

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