Stock markets in Europe are broadly higher this morning and the IBEX 35 has gained the most ground.
The Spanish government has dissolved the parliament in Catalonia, and has announced a snap election in December. According to the opinion poll that was published in El Mundo, the Catalan separatists might lose their majority in the region.
HSBC shares are down 1.28% after the bank posted a 1.8% decline in adjusted pre-tax profits for the third-quarter. First the first nine months of the year, profits are still up 8%. It is worth pointing out that one-off costs like making a loss on the sale of its Brazilian business led to the company registering a small decline in profits. Stripping out exceptional costs, the finance house saw profits soar by 448%. Revenues for the three month period were up 2%, and its operation in Asia is still performing well. Shares in HSBC have been moving higher since early 2016, if the manages to clear 772p – the 2013 high, it could pave the way for a rally to 850p.
UK homebuilders like Persimmon, Berkeley Group, Redrow and Barrett Development are in the red after Barclays were cautious about the sector. The bank believes that the government’s initiatives to fix the housing market may be ineffective, as that has often been the case in the past. Keep in mind the Bank of England (BoE) are holding a meeting on Thursday, and there is a good possibility rates could be hiked which may prompt traders to exit the sector.
GBP/USD is higher on the day as there is a broad sell-off in the US dollar. In September, UK mortgage approvals and consumer credit came in at 66,230, and £1.6 billion respectively – both topped analyst’s estimates.
EUR/USDhas clawed back some ground after a poor finish last week. On a year-on-year basis, the Spanish economy grew by 3.1%, it remained unchanged from the previous report. The annual inflation was 1.7% - in line with expectations, but a slight dip from 1.9% last year. The weak consumer demand, is one of the main reasons why the European Central Bank (ECB) need to keep some stimulus in place.
We are expecting the Dow Jones to open 34 points lower at 23,400, and we are calling the S&P 500 down 5 points at 2576.
At 12:30pm (UK time): the US will announce the personal income and consumption figures for September, and the consensus is for 0.4% and 0.8% respectively. The core personal consumption expenditure (PCE) index will be released at the same time, at it is anticipated to remain steady at 1.3%.
Lowes, Edison Industries, and CNA Financial will announce their quarterly results today.
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