Bassanese Bites-Breather

May 26, 2024--Global markets-week in review
After four consecutive weekly gains, global equities took a breather last week with the S&P 500 inching ahead only 0.03%. Firm US service sector data and "high for longer" Fed rhetoric saw traders take profits in both the bond and equity markets after recent gains.

Probably the main highlight in a data-light week was the strength in the US services sector PMI. The S&P US service sector index blew past market expectations, rising to 54.4 from 51.1. Also concerning was a lift in input costs. The result ran counter to a run of recent softer reports for employment growth and retail sales. Overall, the US economy remains firm, though whether this necessarily implies inflation will prove stubbornly firm remains to be seen.