Economic releases in the next 24 hours: How will they affect global markets?

Holiday – New Zealand – National Day: Although February 6 is a national holiday in New Zealand and the financial markets may be closed, this is not expected to have a significant global effect on the stock markets. The lack of trading in New Zealand may lead to lower liquidity in some currencies or stock indices, but no significant global reaction is anticipated.

BoE Interest Rate Decision (Feb): The Bank of England (BoE) is expected to reduce the interest rate to 4.50% from 4.75%. This decrease could be interpreted as a signal for monetary policy easing, which could support short-term growth in stock markets. Lower interest rates typically lead to lower borrowing costs and higher investment sentiment, increasing demand for stocks, particularly in sectors dependent on capital expenditures and consumer spending.

Initial Jobless Claims: The number of initial jobless claims in the US is expected to be 214,000, a slight increase from the previous value of 207,000. Although this may be seen as a signal of slight weakening in the labor market, the values remain relatively low, suggesting that the economy remains stable. The stock markets may not react drastically, but there could still be some nervousness about a potential cooling of the labor market.

S&P Global Construction PMI (Jan): The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for construction is expected to rise slightly to 53.5 from 53.3 in January, indicating moderate growth in the sector. This may support positive expectations for economic recovery and could impact construction companies and industries related to construction, while also boosting optimism about the overall economic climate. Stocks in these sectors may benefit from the positive news.