PMI Data In Focus Ahead Of Tomorrow’s Jobs Report

 | Sep 01, 2016 03:46AM ET

European equity markets are expected to open a little higher on Thursday, with the FTSE rebounding from Wednesday’s declines helped by a similar rebound in oil prices overnight.

Brent and WTI crude tumbled on Wednesday following the release of the EIA crude inventory data which reported a larger build in oil stocks than markets expected. The move wasn’t helped by the resurgence in the dollar over the last week which has chipped away at commodities, as markets responded to rate hike warnings from numerous Fed officials.

Gold has been hit quite hard by the change in rate expectations over the last week and we’re now seeing pressure building on its $1,300 support, after it fell to a two month low yesterday. Prices appear to have stabilised over the last 24 hours but that is only likely to last as long as the corresponding stabilisation in the dollar.

As far as I’m concerned, markets are still under-pricing the possibility of a rate hike this year, with September still only at 24%, despite numerous warnings, and December at 54%.