Newsquawk

Good morning to our US followers!! - The Trump Administration is reportedly considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported, citing sources. - Crude edges higher amid the US plans to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. - European equities give back earlier gains following the Axios report; SMCI nose-dives pre-market amid a probe. - DXY trims some of Thursday's losses as crude futures continue grinding higher—G10s are broadly lower against the USD. - Fixed income under pressure as energy drives yields higher; Gilts underperform as markets fully price 3 rate hikes by the BoE. - Looking ahead, highlights include Canadian Retail Sales (Jan), PPI (Feb). Speakers include ECB's Nagel, Fed's Bowman and Waller. Credit Rating Update with Scope Ratings/Morningstar DBRS on France.

Happy Friday all! - The US Pentagon is considering sending more troops to the Middle East, according to Politico sources who stated the size and scope of additional deployments are still evolving. - Saudi officials see the base case for oil to rise to USD 180/bbl if the disruptions persist until late April, according to WSJ. - APAC stocks were mostly subdued but with downside limited as the region reacted to the recent oil swings, deluge of central bank meetings and mixed geopolitical headlines, while conditions were thinned with the absence of Japanese participants due to the Vernal Equinox holiday. - European equity futures indicate a higher cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.7%, after the cash market closed with losses of 2.1% on Thursday. - Looking ahead, highlights include German PPI (Feb), UK PSNB (Feb), Canadian Retail Sales (Jan), PPI (Feb). Speakers include ECB's Nagel. Credit Rating Update with Scope Ratings/Morningstar DBRS on France.

Good morning to our US followers!! - Iran's armed forces said Iran's retaliation against attacks on its energy infrastructure is not yet complete, SNN reported; any repeat of such attacks will lead to a far stronger retaliation against the enemy, enemy infrastructure and that of their allies. - US President Trump said Israel violently lashed out at Iran's major facility and that the US did not know about the attack, while he said there will be no more attacks by Israel on South Pars; added that the US will retaliate by massively blowing up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field if Qatar's LNG is attacked again. - FX mixed amid the central bank bonanza; SNB, Riksbank and BoJ all left rates unchanged, as expected, while the BoE and ECB await. - Crude surges as attacks in the Persian Gulf threaten long-term damage to major energy facilities. - European equities suffer as Energy continues to surge; US equity futures follow suit, Micron slips after increasing capex plans. - Fixed income weighed on energy upside and hawkish Chair Powell. - Looking ahead, highlights include US Initial Jobless Claims (Mar/14), Atlanta Fed GDP, New Zealand Trade Balance (Feb), BoE & ECB Policy Announcements. Speakers include ECB's Lagarde. Supply from the US. Earnings from FedEx.

Morning all! - US President Trump said Israel violently lashed out at Iran's major facility and that the US did not know about the attack, while he said there will be no more attacks by Israel on South Pars. - US President Trump said the US will retaliate by massively blowing up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field if Qatar's LNG is attacked again. The Fed left rates on hold as expected in an 11-1 vote split, while dot plots were largely unchanged, with little reaction seen. - Fed Chair Powell noted how the Fed will not look through energy-induced inflation lightly and stated that rate hikes in the future were discussed, but caveated that it is not the base case for the vast majority. - BoJ kept its short-term interest rate unchanged at 0.75%, as expected, with the decision made by an 8-1 vote as Takata dissented and voted for a 25bps hike. - APAC stocks declined as the region took its cue from the losses stateside; European equity futures indicate a lower cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 1.7%. - Looking ahead, highlights include UK Jobs/Average Earnings (Jan), US Initial Jobless Claims (Mar/14), Atlanta Fed GDP, New Zealand Trade Balance (Feb), Riksbank, SNB, BoE & ECB, Policy Announcements. Speakers include BoJ's Ueda, SNB's Schlegel, Riksbank's Thedeen & ECB's Lagarde. Supply from Spain, France & US. Earnings from FedEx & Alibaba.

Good morning to our US followers!! - Israel attempted to assassinate Iran's Intelligence Minister Khatib overnight, Jerusalem Post reported, citing an Israeli official, but is still awaiting the results of the target. - Iran's Foreign Minister said Iran will target US forces wherever they assemble, including near urban areas. Iran fired retaliatory missiles towards Tel Aviv for the killing of Larijani. - European equities gain, Banks benefiting from a delay in capital requirements; US equity futures follow peers. - Mostly flat FX trade heading into the FOMC; CHF narrowly lags ahead of tomorrow’s SNB. - Crude continues to dictate macro sentiment; Gold rotates around USD 5,000/oz. - Fixed income firmer amid energy downside ahead of key central bank announcements. - Looking ahead, highlights include US PPI (Feb), New Zealand GDP (Q4), BoC, Fed & BCB Policy Announcements. Speakers include BoC's Macklem & Rogers, Fed Chair Powell & NVIDIA (NVDA) CEO Huang. Earnings from Micron.