European equity markets are expected to decline slightly at the opening. The Eurostoxx 50 opened at 4,174.54 points, up 0.32%, the CAC 40 at 6,816.96 points (+0.53%), the DAX 30 at 15,761.45 points (+0.11%), the FTSE 100 at 7,122.95 points (+0.04%), the SMI at 12,176.30 points (-0.19%), the AEX at 767.82 points (-0.05%), the BEL 20 at 4,302.82 points (+0.22%), the IBEX 35 at 8,879.00 points (+0.48%), the DJIA at 35,208.51 points (+0.41%), the Nasdaq at 14,835.76 points (-0.40%), the S&P 500 at 4,436.52 points (+0.17%) and the Nikkei 225 at 27.820.04

With respect to the exchange rate, the change compared to the close in New York indicates that EUR/USD opened at 1.1759 down 0.03%, EUR/JPY at 129.62 (-0.01%), and USD/JPY at 110.23 down 0.01%.

No macroeconomic indicators are to be published in France on Monday. The business agenda is also empty.

European equity markets are expected to open lower on Monday, penalized by a sharp drop in oil and metals prices, while investors are questioning the policy of the US Federal Reserve (Fed) after the release of encouraging US employment figures on Friday. At 7:15am, the CAC 40 futures contract fell 9.5 points, or 0.1%, according to data from the broker IG Markets. The DAX 30 contract fell by 24.5 points, or 0.2%, and the FTSE 100 contract lost 17.8 points, or 0.3%. The 1.2 trillion dollar infrastructure investment plan wanted by US President Joe Biden passed a series of hurdles in the Senate on Sunday and is expected to be easily adopted by the upper house of the US Congress in the coming days. Eighteen Republican senators joined the Democrats in the various procedural votes.

The bill may have a more difficult path in the House of Representatives. The Speaker of the Lower House, Nancy Pelosi, indicated that she would only submit the text for debate if the Senate also passes another 3.5 trillion dollar bill on climate and poverty alleviation. The New York Stock Exchange finished higher overall on Friday, allowing the S&P 500 and Dow Jones indices to set new historical records, after good statistics on job creation in the United States in July. For its part, the Nasdaq Composite, which is rich in technology stocks, fell by 0.4%, held back by the rise in bond yields. All three indices gained ground again throughout the week. In Asia, most markets rose again after opening in the red. China's trade balance figures, released over the weekend, were lower than expected, as the threat of the rapidly spreading Delta variant of the coronavirus persists. At the end of the session, the Hang Seng Index rose by 0.9% in Hong Kong and the Shanghai Composite also gained 0.9%. The Tokyo Stock Exchange is closed on Monday for a Japanese holiday. Goldman Sachs lowered its third-quarter growth forecast for China to 2.3% by 3.5 percentage points, as the spread of the variant prompted Chinese authorities to tighten restrictions on travel and

The yield on the ten-year U.S. Treasury bond closed higher, at 1.303%, on Friday, supported by strong U.S. employment figures and progress in Covid-19 vaccination. Nonetheless, returns are unlikely to reach their February highs, believes Eric Souza, portfolio manager at SVB, as concerns about inflation should ease over time. According to Deutsche Bank, long-term Treasury bonds remain expensive despite the fall in prices on Friday. Comparing the market value with its own model, the bank notes that the spread is at its highest level since 2008. The benchmark return “remains low taking into account fluctuations in other variable market elements.”

The euro was almost stable against the dollar and the yen on Monday morning. The greenback does not change much against the Japanese currency. The dollar maintained the ground gained on Friday after the announcement of good employment figures in the United States. CBA cautions, however, that U.S. consumer price statistics for the month of July, due on Wednesday, could be a test for the strength of the greenback if they show that inflation is moderating

Oil prices fell sharply on Monday morning, exacerbating Friday's pullback, as concerns grow about the rise in new Covid-19 cases in China, which could weigh on demand prospects, AmBank Research believes. The upsurge in the epidemic in China has overshadowed signs of strong demand elsewhere, the bank adds, noting that road traffic in the United States seems to have returned to 2019 levels, while gasoline deliveries in Spain have also risen above pre-pandemic levels. At 7:15am, the October North Sea Brent contract lost 1.30 dollars, at 69.40 dollars per barrel. The September contract for sweet light crude (WTI) listed on Nymex sold 1.34 dollars to 66.94 dollars