European equity markets are expected to hesitate ahead of Brainard's hearing before Congress. The Eurostoxx 50 opens at 4,316.39 points (+0.81%), the CAC 40 at 7,237.19 points (+0.75%), the DAX 40 at 16,010.32 points (+0.43% ), the FTSE 100 at 7,551.72 points (+0.81%), the SMI at 12,670.47 points (-0.31%), the AEX at 790.44 points (+1.03%), the BEL 20 at 4,264.18 points (-0.17%), the IBEX 35 at 8,770.30 points (+0.16%), the DJIA at 36,290.32 points (+0.11%), the Nasdaq at 15,188.39 points (+0.23%), the S&P 500 at 4,726.35 points (+0.28%) and the Nikkei 225 at 28,489.13 points (-0.96%).

With regard to Exchange Rates, the change from the close in New York highlights that EUR/USD settled at 1.1446 (+0.03%), EUR/JPY at 131, 07 (-0.05%) and USD/JPY at 114.54 (-0.09%).

European equity markets are expected to be little changed at the open on Thursday, as investors seek to determine how fast the Federal Reserve (Fed) might tighten monetary policy to respond to accelerating inflation in the United States . Around 7:40 a.m., the CAC 40 futures contract gained 3.8 points, or 0.05%, according to data from broker IG Markets. The contract on the DAX 40 gained 7.5 points, or 0.05%, and that on the FTSE 100 advanced by 7.5 points, or 0.1%. After the announcement of inflation of 7% over one year in December in the United States, a level which had not been reached since 1982, several members of the Federal Reserve (Fed) estimated on Wednesday that the American central bank had to act to contain the surge in prices.

Wall Street ended higher on Wednesday. The Dow Jones Index (DJIA) gained 0.1% to 36,290.32 points. The broader S&P 500 index rose 0.3% to 4,726.35 points. The Nasdaq Composite, rich in technology stocks, gained 0.2% to 15,188.39 points. Investors' attention will remain focused on inflation and the Fed on Thursday as the December producer price index is expected in the United States. The hearing of Lael Brainard before the Senate Banking Commission will also be followed from 4:00 p.m. (Paris time). Philadelphia and Chicago Fed presidents Patrick Harker and Charles Evans are also due to speak during the day. In Asia, the main stock indices lost ground on Thursday. The Nikkei index closed down 1% in Tokyo, while the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's Hang Seng lost 0.1% at the end of the session. The Shanghai Composite index lost 1% at the same time.

Yields on US Treasury bonds fell on Wednesday after the announcement of inflation at a 40-year high in the United States in December. The yield on the ten-year bond, the market benchmark, ended Wednesday at 1.724%, according to Tradeweb, from 1.745% on Tuesday.

The dollar is struggling to appreciate further as expectations of higher interest rates in the United States are largely priced in, says Credit Suisse. Thursday morning, the euro was stable against the greenback at 1.1442 dollars. Besides the “already aggressive” positioning and bets on a 2022 rate hike, other issues are weighing on the dollar in the near term, including rising government bond yields outside the US and expectations strong global economic growth in 2022 that would reduce demand for safe-haven assets, the bank said.

Oil prices fell Thursday after ending the day before at their highest level in two months, as crude inventories in the United States fell for the seventh consecutive week. By 7:30 a.m., the March North Sea Brent contract was down 23 cents to $84.44 a barrel. The February WTI contract was down 22 cents at $82.42 a barrel.