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Europe turns to ECB after U.S. inflation scare

Traders were bracing for a volatile European Reserve bank conference on Thursday, after persistent U.S. inflation numbers had set off the biggest global market selloff in months and left Japan's yen at a 34-year low.

Euro and bond dealerships were feeling especially nervous ahead of the 1215 GMT ECB decision and 1245 GMT interview after Wednesday's surprise U.S.

figures

had actually sent the dollar on its greatest tear in over a year against the single currency by quashing hopes of near-term Fed rate cut.

Europe's bourses had sagged in line with MSCI's primary international index in early morning trading, with concentrate on whether ECB chief Christine Lagarde strengthens expectations of a June

cut

that would open up a major wedge with the Fed.

Bond markets were still struggling, after the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield - the main motorist of worldwide borrowing costs - had shot back above 4.5% in its greatest everyday leap because September 2022.

It was now sitting at 4.55% while Germany's 10-year bond yield - the European standard - was up fractionally at 2.45%, after increasing 6 bps on Wednesday although that was a. small change compared to the 18 bps leap experienced by Treasury. traders.

The key motorist now stays U.S. rates, Amundi's Co-Head of. Emerging Markets/Fixed Income Sergei Strigo said, pointing to. Treasuries ploughing up through the 4.5% level again.

The concern is whether we are going to stay with these. levels or are going to go higher.

For ECB watchers, the bank has actually kept rates stable since. September but has currently signalled that cuts are entering. view, with policymakers awaiting a couple of more comforting wage. indicators before pulling the trigger.

The currency bloc is now in its 6th straight quarter of. financial stagnation and the labour market is starting to soften,. an obvious contrast to the U.S. economy which continues to grow. robustly.

While there are limits to just how much ECB policy can diverge. from the Fed over time, there is nothing to stop the ECB from. cutting first or setting its own rate of cuts early on in the. alleviating cycle, Deutsche Bank's Jim Reid stated.

Nevertheless he likewise pointed to how markets cut the possibility of. an ECB cut by June back because the U.S. data shock. It was at. around 75% on Thursday, below 91% on Tuesday.

Also at the Bank of England, it fell from 74% to 56% on. Wednesday Reid included, from 78% to 53% for the Bank of Canada and. for the Reserve Bank of Australia it went from 25% to 21%.

INTERVENTION CAUTION

U.S. stock futures were pointing down again. after Wall Street had actually fallen around 1% on Wednesday. The tick up. in Treasury yields guaranteed they remained at their highest levels. considering that November.

Overnight in Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific. shares outside Japan slipped 0.4%, paring some. earlier losses, while Japan's Nikkei dropped 0.35%.

It was the beleaguered yen that was the main focus though,. after the roaring greenback knocked the Japanese. currency to a 34-year low of 153.24 per dollar.

It eased up somewhat to 153.05 yen as the threat of government. intervention potentially looms big now. Japan's top currency. diplomat, Masato Kanda, alerted on Wednesday that authorities. would not dismiss any steps to react to disorderly. exchange-rate moves.

It is essential for currency rates to move stably showing. financial principles, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. included on Thursday when asked about the yen's slide.

It may look like an over-reaction to a U.S. inflation miss. of less than a tenth of a portion point, however the heated March. customer cost update has jolted markets into questioning any U.S. interest rate cut before the November election.

In commodities, metal rates were resistant in the face of a. strong dollar while oil held gains after advancing more than 1%. following an Israeli strike that eliminated three boys of a Hamas. leader, fuelling concerns that ceasefire talks may stall.

Brent dipped 0.5% to just above $90 a barrel, and. U.S. crude inched down to $85.70 per barrel. Gold costs. gained 0.2% to $2,338.79 per ounce to keep them near this. week's record high.

(source: Reuters)