European equity markets are expected to open higher ahead of US inflation figures. The Eurostoxx 50 opens at 4,281.54 points (+0.99%), the CAC 40 at 7,183.38 points (+0.95%), the DAX 40 at 15,941.81 points (+1.10%) ), the FTSE 100 at 7,491.37 points (+0.62%), the SMI at 12,709.71 points (+0.89%), the AEX at 782.35 points (+1.19%), the BEL 20 to 4,271.23 points (+0.48%), the IBEX 35 to 8,755.90 points (+0.56%), the DJIA to 36,252.02 points (+0.51%), the Nasdaq to 15,153 .45 points (+1.41%), the S&P 500 at 4,713.07 points (+0.92%) and the Nikkei 225 at 28,765.66 points (+1.92%).

Regarding exchange rates, the change from the close in New York indicates that EUR/USD opens at 1.1376 (+0.04%), EUR/JPY at 131.19 (+0.09%) and USD/JPY at 115.33 (+0.03%).

European equity markets are expected to continue their rise on Wednesday after comments by the Federal Reserve (Fed) Chairman, who said the US economy no longer needed the monetary support it had been provided by the US central bank all along. of the health crisis. However, the increase could remain limited before the publication of inflation figures in the United States in December, expected at 2:30 p.m. (Paris time). Around 7:40 a.m., the CAC 40 futures contract gained 54 points, or 0.8%, according to data from broker IG Markets. The contract on the DAX 40 took 107 points, or 0.7%, and that on the FTSE 100 won 47 points, or 0.6%.

Inflation should remain at a high level in the first half, estimated Jerome Powell. If it remains higher than expected for longer than expected, the Fed may have to raise its rates for an extended period, the leader warned. Inflation in the United States reached 6.8% over one year in November, a level not seen in nearly 40 years, and could have accelerated further in December. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal anticipate a 7% year-on-year jump in consumer prices last month. In this context, Wall Street ended in the green Tuesday after a volatile session. The Dow Jones Index (DJIA) gained 0.5% to 36,252.02 points, and the broader S&P 500 index gained 0.9% to 4,713.07 points. The Nasdaq Composite rose 1.4% to 15,153.45 points.

In the wake of the American indices, the main stock markets in Asia progressed on Wednesday. The Nikkei index closed up 1.9% in Tokyo. The Hang Seng index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange gained 2.6% at the end of the session and the Shanghai Composite took 0.8%. Producer and consumer price inflation in China slowed in December from the previous month, helped by lower oil prices and Beijing's efforts to secure supplies of raw materials and in food products, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday. The producer price index rose 10.3% year on year in December, after rising 12.9% year on year in November. Economists polled by the Wall Street Journal had expected producer prices to rise 11.2% in December. Meanwhile, the consumer price index rose 1.5% year on year last month, after rising 2.3% in November, the National Bureau of Statistics said. Economists were anticipating inflation of 1.6% in December.

Yields on U.S. Treasury bonds continued their decline Wednesday morning, after ten- and 30-year bonds posted their biggest declines in weeks on Tuesday following Jerome Powell's congressional hearing. The yield spread between two- and 10-year bonds and between five- and 30-year bonds narrowed on continued concerns about the US economy.

The euro rose against the dollar on Wednesday, as Jerome Powell's remarks helped the markets regain their appetite for risk.

Crude oil futures were little changed on Wednesday after West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the U.S. light sweet crude, hit its highest closing level in about two months, buoyed by tensions in the supply and the hope that the Omicron variant will not derail global demand. WTI's advance on Tuesday was also partly due to forecasts of a further drop in US oil inventories last week. Around 7:30 a.m., the March North Sea Brent contract was down 8 cents to $83.64 a barrel. The February WTI contract was up 5 cents to $81.27 a barrel.