Powell, Stress Test, EU Leaders Summit: 5 Keys Things to Watch this Thursday

By Laura Sanchez

Investing.com – The markets will once again be watching Fed Chairman Jerome Powell today. He is not expected to bring anything new beyond what he said yesterday.

The Fed’s bank stress tests will be published.

There is also the EU Leaders Summit.

Oil prices fall.

Cryptocurrencies move lower this morning.

These are the five factors that investors should take into account when making their decisions today:

1. Powell speaks again; Fed stress tests

This Thursday Jerome Powell, chairman of the US Federal Reserve (Fed), is set to appear before the House Financial Services Committee.

In addition, the Fed will publish the results of its bank stress tests.

2. EU Leaders Summit

The European Union holds its leaders’ summit where the main agenda will be the economic situation, high inflation, the upcoming interest rate hike of the European Central Bank (ECB), and the forecasts of some experts about a probable recession.

3. Crypto stagnant

The cryptocurrency sector continues to be stagnant in the case of its main assets. Bitcoin is trading at $20,000 and Ethereum at $1,000.

4. Asia and the U.S. stock market

Positive signs today in the main Asian indices. Nikkei rose 0.1%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 1.3%, and the Shanghai Composite gained 1.6%.

On Wall Street, the market ended yesterday in the red, almost flat. The S&P 500 (-0.13%), Nasdaq (-0.15%) and Dow Jones (-0.15%) closed lower.

5. Macroeconomic data

Among the main macroeconomic references in Europe, the ECB economic bulletin, and a series of manufacturing, composite and services PMIs in France, Germany, the UK, and the Euro zone will be released.

In the US too, PMIs will be released, as well as natural gas storage data.

Follow the day’s events on our economic calendar: https://uk.investing.com/economic-calendar/