The latest from London: FTSE 100 drops on inflation worries

Inflation worries are surging again, with gas and oil prices soaring, while yields on U.S. ten-year Treasury bonds are slightly up. The Brent above $80 a barrel. Talks of an energy crunch are everywhere. The FTSE 100 fell 0.4% this morning.

Today, many central bankers are expected to speak, including Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Andrew Bailey from the Bank of England's and Christine Lagarde from the ECB. Bailey said yesterday that interest rates could be raised before the end of the year to curb inflation.

There are some good news, however, as the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said Monday in a statement that it would “safeguard the legitimate rights of housing consumers”, in reference to Evergrande, which looks likely to default on its debt.

Biggest movers on the FTSE 100 include Smiths Group, which is up 3.1% after it said that sales growth should be back to pre-coronavirus levels and confirmed the sale of its medical devices division.

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce and Sage fell the most.

 

Things to read:

Why Britain and France Hate Each Other (The Atlantic)

Fed official warns of ‘extreme’ market reaction unless debt ceiling raised (Financial Times)

Climate Policy Meets Cold Reality in Europe (WSJ)