European equity markets are expected to start the year in positive territory. The Eurostoxx 50 opens at 4,298.41 points (-0.18%), the CAC 40 at 7,153.03 points (-0.28%), the DAX 40 at 15,884.86 points (+0.21% ) (Close December 30), the FTSE 100 at 7,384.54 points (-0.25%), the SMI at 12,875.66 points (-0.39%), the AEX at 797.93 points (-0 .29%), the BEL 20 at 4,310.15 points (-0.12%), the IBEX 35 at 8,713.80 points (+0.46%), the DJIA at 36,338.30 points (-0.16 %), the Nasdaq at 15,644.97 points (-0.61%), the S&P 500 at 4,766.18 points (-0.26%) and the Nikkei 225 at 28,791.71 points (-0.40%).

With regard to exchange rates, the variation compared to the close in New York indicates that the EUR/USD appears at 1.1341 (-0.28%), the EUR/JPY at 130.77 (-0.11%) and USD/JPY at 115.32 (+0.18%).

In this first session of the year 2022, investors will be attentive to the final figures of the PMI index of the manufacturing sector in France in December.

European equity indices should open higher on Monday for the first session of 2022, pending the publication of the PMI indices for the manufacturing sector in the euro zone and the United States. At 7:25 a.m., the CAC 40 futures contract gained 12 points, or 0.2%, according to data from broker IG Markets. The DAX 40 contract was up 33 points, or 0.2% as well. The London Stock Exchange is closed Monday for the New Year festivities. Over the whole of 2021, the CAC 40 gained 28.9%, the DAX 30 gained 15.8% and the FTSE 100 appreciated by 14.3%.

Wall Street closed in the red for the final session of a year that took U.S. indexes to record highs, on the heels of an economic rebound sparked by the vaccination campaign and stimulus measures. The Dow Jones index fell 0.2% on Friday to 36,338.30 points. The index posted an increase of 18.7% over the whole of the past year. The broader S&P 500 index closed down 0.3%, at 4,766.18 points, but rose 26.9% last year, its best annual performance since 2019. The S&P 500 broke records closing 70 times in 2021, or more than a quarter of trading sessions, according to Dow Jones Market Data. The Nasdaq Composite for its part fell 0.6% on Friday, to 15,644.97 points, to end the year with a gain of 21.4%. In Asia, the main indices are moving in scattered order in restricted exchanges on Monday, with financial markets closed in several countries, including China and Japan. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange's Hang Seng index fell 0.8% at the end of the session, while in Seoul, the Kospi index gained 0.3%.

Yields on US Treasury bonds fell on Friday in the final session of 2021, in thin volumes due to New Year celebrations. Yields rose through 2021 as investors tried to gauge the durability and intensity of the inflationary spurt triggered by supply issues and labor shortages, associated to a rebound in demand. The yield on the ten-year Treasury note, the market's benchmark, ended the year at 1.514%, compared to a level of less than 1% at the end of 2020. It achieved its strongest rise last year. annually since 2013.

The euro retreated Monday morning against the dollar, in low trading volumes, due to public holidays in several countries, including China, Japan and the United Kingdom. At 7:25 a.m., the euro lost 0.3% to 1.1341 dollars.

Oil prices rose Monday morning on some optimism about the demand outlook as investors believe the global economy will be able to absorb the fallout from the Omicron variant of Covid-19. At 7:15 a.m., the March North Sea Brent contract was up 62 cents, at $78.40 a barrel. The February contract on Nymex-listed light sweet crude (WTI) was up 61 cents to $75.82 a barrel. In 2021, oil prices recorded their strongest annual increase since 2009, at the end of a year marked by a rebound in demand and a decline in inventories. Brent jumped 54% in 2021 and WTI soared 59%.