Wall Street futures were pointing to a positive open on Monday, as global markets advanced after markets fell to two lows last week on worries of faster inflation and rate rises in the U.S.
U.S. markets looked set to start the week in positive territory, giving a reprieve to investors after markets last week saw their worst period in two years. Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 mini futures surged early in the European session. The DJIA has an implied open of 312 points and the S&P 500 is expected to add about 30 points when markets open at 7:42 am EST.
However, this week could continue to be volatile as investors await two important readings of U.S. inflation, including the consumer price index due out on Wednesday. Median forecasts are for consumer price inflation to slow a little to 1.9% in January from a year earlier.
Investors will also have to digest earnings from big-cap names such as Action Alerts Plus holding PepsiCo (PEP) and Coca-Cola (KO) .
Twenty-First Century Fox (FOXA) shares surged in premarket trading, gaining 2.07% with an implied opening of $36.47, on reports that Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) is contemplating reviving its pursuit of Fox after its bid for the company's entertainment assets was turned down despite being more than 15% higher than that of eventual buyer Walt Disney Co. DIS, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation.
Ford Motor Co. (F) shares were up 1.61% in premarket trading, expected to open at $10.70, after the carmaker said it plans to ramp up production of the Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, the automaker's full-size SUVs. The company is spending $25 million at its plant in Louisville, Kentucky -- in addition to $900 million in previously announced investments -- on robots, data analytics systems and other technology to produce 25% more big SUVs than the company had originally planned.
European markets rebounded on Monday, after last week suffering their worst losses since the Brexit vote in June 2016.
London's FTSE 100 gained 1.23% to 7,179.46. France's Cac 40 gained 1.37% to 5,149.01 and Germany's Dax was 1.68% higher at 12,311.19.
Investors, however, will likely be focused on Tuesday's U.K. inflation reading. It is expected that CPI inflation fell from 3% in December to 2.9% in January.
Barclays plc (BCS) were marginally higher in London, changing hands at 193.98 pence after the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office charged the bank over a $3 billion loan given to Qatar as part of a side deal linked to its emergency fundraising in 2008.
"Barclays does not expect there to be an impact on its ability to serve its customers and clients as a consequence of the charge having been brought," the company said in a statement.
Asian markets were firmer on Monday, with mainland China's CSI 300 gaining 1.29% and South Korea's Kospi up 0.91%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 0.16%. Japan's markets were closed for a holiday.
Here is what you must know this week, via Morning Jolt.