SQUAWK BOX, THURSDAY 2ND MAY, 2024

Chinese manufacturing figures beat expectations but retail and house price figures disappoint, exposing the country’s two-speed economic recovery. U.S. stocks rally with the Dow breaching the 40,000-mark briefly before falling back towards the close. ECB board member Isabel Schnabel plays down the chance of back-to-back rate cuts. The central bank’s vice-president Luis De Guindos tells CNBC the forecast beyond June is murkier. And in Hong Kong, shares in HSBC tumble on reports that its largest shareholder, Ping An Insurance, is considering reducing its stake in the lender.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

All three major U.S. indices rally to fresh highs as inflation Stateside comes in softer than expected. Core prices make their smallest gains in three years. Berkshire Hathaway reveals insurance and security giant Chubb is the mystery bet in its May 13F filings, causing shares to surge in extended trade. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells CNBC exclusively he is standing firm on the Rafah offensive despite disagreements with the U.S. Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing with both sides seeking to strengthen strategic ties.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

U.S. producer prices come in hotter than expected ahead of today’s CPI data. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says that rates will have to remain elevated for longer. Magnificent 7 stocks help push the Nasdaq to a new record high. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai tells CNBC colleagues Stateside that A.I. still has a lot of momentum for the company. U.S. President Joe Biden slaps China with $18bn of new tariffs, targeting EVs, solar cells and steel. We hear exclusively from the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, Mark Gitenstein, who says Biden is sending a clear message to Beijing. And Swiss eyecare group Alcon posts a record profit for the first quarter with CEO David Endicott telling CNBC the company maintains a robust pipeline.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Dow’s eight-day winning streak is over as inflation concerns persist and U.S. producer price data is released later today. This ahead of tomorrow’s key CPI print. The meme stock craze is revived from a single post on social media with GameStop short positions reportedly losing close to $1bn in yesterday’s session. In commodities news, AngloAmerican shares fall more than 2 per cent in London after the miner turns down an improved $34bn takeover bid from rival BHP. OpenAI unveils both a new A.I. model as well as a desktop version of ChatGPT as it seeks to secure its position as market leader in generative artificial intelligence.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Dow posts its best week of the year – its eighth straight session in the green ahead of this week’s U.S. inflation data release. In China, consumer inflation is on the up but credit demand shrinks for the first time since 2017. Russian President Vladimir Putin reshuffles his cabinet, ousting defence minister Sergei Shoigu and installing a civilian economist in his place. Israel orders residents of Rafah to evacuate the city as the Gaza death toll reaches 35,000. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tells NBC News that Washington requires more clarity on an exit and post-war strategy from Israel.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Dow surges by more than 300 points, climbing for seven consecutive sessions. Softer than expected jobless claims data is once again fueling speculation of rate cuts later this year. In London, the BoE keeps the interest rate steady in a 7-2 split of the MPC. Markets have no upped their bets of a cut in June. BoE Governor Andrew Bailey tells CNBC the central bank’s judgments will not be swayed by the upcoming UK general election. Chinese EV maker Zeekr prices its New York listing at the top of its range. The IPO could be the biggest listing of a Chinese company Stateside in almost three years. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu defies President Biden’s warnings not to invade Rafah and says the country will fight on alone if necessary.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chinese trade data beats expectations in April to show signs of stabilisation as demand improves both home and abroad. British chip designer ARM sees shares tumble almost 9 per cent in after-hours trade following gloomy revenue guidance which has fueled concerns of a slowdown in A.I. demand. President Joe Biden warns Israel the U.S. will pause weapons deliveries if the IDF invades Rafah. Markets are split ahead of the BoE rate decision later today over a potential rate cut forecast for June.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Theme park concerns weigh on Disney shares which tumble 10 per cent despite streaming service Hulu posting its first quarterly profit since launching in 2019. Social media platform Reddit sees its shares pop up by more than 15 per cent in extended trade, helped along by stronger-than-expected ad revenues as it posts its first results since going public. Chinese social media giant TikTok sues the U.S. government, saying that a potential ban of the app in America would violate the First Amendment. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tells our colleagues Stateside that he remains purchasing or investing in the business. Global debt soars by up to $1.3tn to a fresh record high of $315tn in Q1.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

UBS posts a $1.8bn beat in Q1 on both the top and bottom lines. The Swiss lender says its integration of Credit Suisse is on track. In Spain, Banco Sabadell rejects rival BBVA’s €12bn takeover bid for significantly undervaluing the bank as well as its growth potential. Chinese president Xi is hosted by French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris but sticks to a familiar diplomatic line, meeting in talks with Macron and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen. And in the Middle East, Hamas agree to a ceasefire, but Israel rejects the deal which it says falls short of its demands, with the IDF targeting eastern Rafah.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Berkshire Hathaway’s cash pile balloons to $189bn. Warren Buffett uses the company’s AGM in Omaha, Nebraska to signal how it should be run once he passes. Wall Street closes the week in the green following a weaker-than-expected jobs print. This raised hopes that the Federal Reserve may consider cutting interest rates soon. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris on the first leg of his European tour. His host, President Emmanuel Macron is to press him on trade relations and Ukraine support. And in the UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak admits to the challenges facing the Tory party following a bruising third-place finish in last week’s local elections. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.