European equity markets should attempt a rebound, Brent exceeds 130 dollars a barrel. The Eurostoxx 50 opens at 3,505.29 points (-0.20%), the CAC 40 at 5,962.96 points (-0.32%), the DAX 40 at 12,831.51 points (-0.02% ), the FTSE 100 at 6,964.11 points (+0.07%), the SMI at 11,057.06 points (-1.32%), the AEX at 656.74 points (-1.84%), the BEL 20 at 3,672.45 points (-0.27%), the IBEX 35 at 7,783.40 points (+1.82%), the DJIA at 32,632.64 points (-0.56%), the Nasdaq at 12,795.55 points (-0.28%), the S&P 500 at 4,170.70 points (-0.72%) and the Nikkei 225 at 24,717.53 points (-0.30%).

With regard to exchange rates, the change from the close in New York indicates that EUR/USD opens at 1.0861 (+0.05%), EUR/JPY at 125, 42 (+0.17%) and USD/JPY at 115.49 (+0.13%).

Vivendi and Elis present their annual results on Wednesday. On Tuesday evening, McPhy announced on Tuesday evening that it expects sustained growth in its turnover in 2022, after the delays in projects which led to a deterioration in its results in 2021. The world number one in cosmetics L'Oréal has his side announced the temporary closure of all its stores in Russia and said it was considering additional measures in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Major European equity markets are expected to open higher on Wednesday as investors regain some appetite for risk despite soaring commodity prices. At 7:35 a.m., the CAC 40 futures contract gained 130 points, or 2.2%, according to data from broker IG Markets. The contract on the DAX 40 gained 297 points, or 2.3%, and that on the FTSE 100 rose by 101 points, or 1.5%.

The United States on Tuesday decreed an embargo on Russian oil and gas in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which led to a new surge in the price of these raw materials. The United Kingdom plans to stop importing Russian oil by the end of the year. The European Union has so far not followed this movement, with some Member States heavily dependent on Russian hydrocarbons.

Worried about the repercussions of the war in Ukraine for the global economy, Wall Street ended lower on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Index (DJIA) lost 0.6% to 32,632.44 points, thus recording its fourth consecutive session of decline. The broader S&P 500 index fell 0.7% to 4,170.70 points. At the same time, the Nasdaq index, rich in technology stocks, fell 0.3% to 12,795.55 points. In Asia, the main indices lost ground on Wednesday. In Tokyo, the Nikkei index closed down 0.3%. The Hang Seng index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange yielded 1.8% at the end of the session and the Shanghai Composite index gave up 2.1%.

China's producer prices rose at their weakest pace in eight months in February, official data showed on Wednesday, leaving room for the central bank to ease monetary policy to support demand. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the producer price index rose 8.8% year on year in February, compared to a rise of 9.1% in January. These data are in line with the forecasts of economists interviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

Yields on US Treasury bonds continued to rise Wednesday morning. In addition, rating agency Fitch announced overnight Tuesday to Wednesday that it was downgrading Russia's long-term rating from "B" to "C" to reflect its view that a sovereign default would be imminent. Fitch placed Russia's rating on review with negative implications on March 2.

The euro gains ground on Wednesday against the dollar and the pound sterling. The euro/pound pair could continue to experience large fluctuations due to the uncertainties surrounding Ukraine, Danske Bank indicates. "We believe the currency pair will remain volatile in the near term as war and sanctions are difficult to predict," the bank said.

Oil prices continued their ascent on Wednesday morning, with Brent rising above $130 a barrel. On Tuesday, prices rose nearly 4% after the United States announced an embargo on imports of Russian crude. The United States imported 670,000 barrels a day of petroleum products from Russia in 2021, but should be able to replace those volumes by sourcing from other countries and changing inputs to its refineries, ANZ analysts say. . As of 7:25 a.m., the May contract for Brent North Sea crude was up $3.36, or 2.6%, at $131.33 a barrel, while the April contract for light sweet crude (WTI) quoted at Nymex took $2.64, or 2.1%, to $126.34 a barrel.