Squawk Box Europe Express

President Emmanuel Macron loses his absolute majority in the French parliament to a leftist coalition and a resurgent National Rally. Germany has announced it will return to coal in a bid to secure energy supplies ahead of winter as Russia continues to cut gas output. Asian markets are in the red on the back of the worst weekly performance by the S&P 500 since March 2020. And Bitcoin claws back some losses following a sharp weekend sell-off which saw the world’s biggest cryptocurrency hit an 18-month low.

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U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell faces the House Financial Services Committee and admits that he had underestimated inflation. Lawmakers pressed the central bank chief on how he would respond should his aggressive rate hikes push the U.S. economy into a recession. Wall Street is set to break a three-week losing streak later today as a very volatile H1 comes to a close. EU leaders unanimously approve candidate status for Ukraine but European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen insists the process will not be rushed through. Inflation in Japan exceeds the BoJ’s expectations for the second consecutive month. Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son leads the investment titan’s AGM. He says that, despite pressure from London, chip maker ARM is most likely to list on the Nasdaq.

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U.S. Treasury yields achieve new highs while the S&P 500 sinks even further into bear market territory as investors anticipate more aggressive rate moves from the Fed. DoubleLine Capital’s Jeffrey Gundlach calls for a 200-bps interest rate hike while legendary investor Bill Ackman slams the U.S. central bank for losing control of inflation. We are live in Berlin at the world’s largest private equity event, SuperReturn International. Meanwhile in China, retail sales continue to fall but manufacturing picks up against expectation as Beijing authorities continue to rein the current Covid outbreak. And cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase sacks 18 per cent of its staff as a reported ‘crypto winter’ sets in for the sector.

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The S&P 500 hits back with its best day in June so far as Wall Street recovers from its worst weekly loss in 2 years. However, Asian markets don’t follow suit. South Korean stocks lead declines while the yen hits its lowest level in almost 24 years. Germany’s industry association, the BDI, has slashed its 2022 outlook and says a European recession is certain should Russia cut gas supplies completely. Meanwhile in the U.S., President Biden and Chevron CEO Michael Wirth spar over energy policy criticism. And in France, President Emmanuel Macron holds talks with rival parliamentary parties as National Rally leader Marine Le Pen says she was now entitled to key cabinet positions.

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The Federal Reserve hikes interest rates by a historical 75 bps in what is its most aggressive move since 1994. Chairman Jerome Powell has suggested that July’s FOMC meeting could result in a similar move should rampant inflation show no signs of abating. The markets react immediately, with the Dow and the S&P 500 breaking five-day losing streaks. Asian stocks follow suit and European equities are set to do likewise. The ECB touts a new ‘anti-fragmentation tool’ in a bid to quell the recent bond market turmoil. Reaction, however, is muted following the central bank’s emergency meeting yesterday. The SNB is also now under pressure, warning that Swiss bank assessment has deteriorated.

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