European equity markets should gain some ground at the open. The Eurostoxx 50 opens at 4,188.81 points (+0.80%), the CAC 40 at 6,733.69 points (+0.71%), the DAX 40 at 15,542.98 points (+0.46% ), the FTSE 100 at 7,204.55 points (+0.20%), the SMI at 12,056.21 points (+0.14%), the AEX at 812.97 points (+0.66%), the BEL 20 at 4,217.69 points (+0.49%), IBEX 35 at 8,906.40 points (-0.42%), DJIA at 35,677.02 points (+0.21%), Nasdaq at 15,090.20 points (-0.82%) the S&P 500 at 4,544.90 points (-0.11%) and the Nikkei 225 at 28,547.87 points (-0.89%).

With regard to exchange rates, the variation from the close in New York indicates a bullish trend. The EUR/USD is displayed at 1.1661 (+0.12%), the EUR/JPY at 132.55 (+0.27%) and the USD/JPY at 113.68 (+0, 15%).

European equity markets are expected to trade slightly higher at the open on Monday, despite a mixed session in Asia, where China imposed new restrictions on travel to some regions in response to a spike in Covid infections. -19. Around 7:20 a.m., the CAC 40 futures contract gained 14.2 points, or 0.2%, according to data from broker IG Markets. The contract on the DAX rose 16 points, or 0.1%, and that on the FTSE 100 took 15.5 points, or 0.2%. In the United States, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said on Sunday that she was confident in the ability of parliamentarians to agree this week on a framework for the Biden plan of social reforms and in favor of and pass another infrastructure package worth around $1 trillion before current highway funding expires on October 31.

The New York Stock Exchange ended in mixed fashion on Friday, with the Dow Jones signing a new all-time high while the technology sector was weighed down by disappointing announcements from Intel and Snap, the parent company of the social network Snapchat. The Dow Jones Index (DJIA) ended up 0.2%, at 35,677.02 points, to exceed its previous record which dated back to August 16. The S&P 500 index, which had set a new closing record on Thursday, fell 0.1% to 4,544.90 points. At the same time, the Nasdaq index, rich in technology stocks, dropped 0.8% to 15,090.20 points. The indices have been supported in recent days by the good quarterly results published by companies, which have relegated to the background fears linked to inflation and supply difficulties. Over the week, the Dow Jones index gained 1.1% while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq took 1.6% and 1.3% respectively. In Asia, major stock indices posted a mixed performance on Monday, with investors focusing on the resurgence of Covid-19 cases in China's 11 provinces. “Strong measures can be expected to contain the spread of the virus, which could put a brake on growth,” says IG. At the end of the session, the Nikkei index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange yielded 0.9%. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange's Hang Seng climbed 0.1% and the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.4%.

The yield on the 10-year US Treasury bond rose Monday morning. At 7:15 a.m., it stood at 1.647%, against 1.636% on Friday evening. On Friday, long-dated US bonds saw their yields decline after Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman Jerome Powell signaled that the US central bank was ready to start scaling back its monthly asset purchases. The central banker also warned that inflation is likely to remain high in 2022.

The euro appreciated Monday morning against the dollar and the yen. The greenback and the Japanese currency are weakening against the other G10 currencies, while the rise in most Asian equity markets supports risk appetite. News of the resurgence of coronavirus infections in China could, however, prompt investors to be cautious this week, warns UOB.

Oil prices rose Monday morning, with the price per barrel of light crude oil (WTI) trading at new highs since 2014, buoyed by the easing of travel restrictions, a slow recovery in U.S. crude production and the forecast for greater energy demand for the holiday season. As of 7:20 a.m., the December North Sea Brent contract was up 67 cents, at $86.20 a barrel. The same-maturity contract on light sweet crude oil (WTI) listed on the Nymex took 77 cents, at 84.53 dollars a barrel.