China and oil still affect the stock exchanges. Crude oil falls again as rumors about an agreement between the producing countries to cut production lose strength. The WTI dropped 5,15% to 31,89 dollars a barrel. Brent crude dropped 4,17% to 34,49 dollars a barrel. In China, manufacturing activity contracted in January, reaching its lowest level since 2002. Asian stock markets reacted accordingly: Hong Kong -0,45%, Shanghai -1,78%. In Japan, the Nikkei rose by 1,98%, still benefiting from the boost from the BoJ's decision on negative rates which arrived on Friday.
The Ftse Mib drops 0,92% but holds 18 thousand points. Similar drops for the other European markets: London -0,44%, Frankfurt -0,52%, Paris -0,65%. In Europe, the price lists are also conditioned by the data on the PMI manufacturing index which fell to 52,3 points in January from 53,2 (final reading).
Today in the annual European Parliament debate on the ECB's budget, President Mario Draghi confirmed a possible reconsideration of the Eurotower's moves in early March. On the hot topic of the bail in, Draghi said that we need to "better harmonize the rules on bail-in and ensure “that confidence in the security of deposits is equally high in all member countries of the euro area by creating a European Deposit Insurance Scheme”. On Brexit, on which the negotiations are getting underway, Draghi argued that it is necessary to anchor London in the EU but that the Eurozone must integrate more, while he also acknowledged that "the risks of a slowdown are growing". A meeting of European and British diplomats took place this afternoon to define the scenario for the meeting of heads of state and government on February 18-19 in the Belgian capital.
WALL STREET, RECORD OF MONEY TO POLITICS
Overseas, however, the race for the White House is getting into full swing. If for some observers the outcome of the elections will not change the investment scenario much, Wall Street has entered the challenge on the spot. The first report published by the Federal Election Commission, the oversight commission on American elections, shows that Republicans and Democrats are getting more money from bankers and investors than ever before. In particular, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, the so-called Super Pacs, political action committees that support a candidate, but are not directly linked to him and therefore can raise unlimited funds, received more than a third of donations from sector managers of financial services.
Meanwhile, the indices are traveling in the red today with the Dow Jones losing 0,44% and the S&P500 0,37%. The macro data didn't help, which in any case turned out to be above expectations. The manufacturing ISM rose to 48,2 points in January from 48 in December, slightly above expectations. But Markit's January US manufacturing PMI rose slightly to 52,4 points in January from 51,2 points in December. In December, consumer spending in the United States remained unchanged from a month earlier while personal incomes increased by 0,3%. The euro-dollar exchange rate rose by 0,58%.
THE GLASSES FALL OFF. THE POPULAR BANK RUNS
In Piazza Affari, sales mainly affected Luxottica which left 5,73% on the ground due to the repercussions of the sudden resignation of the managing director Adil Khan. Outside the Ftse MIb, Safilo also did badly, collapsing by 12,14% after the data. The company communicated that preliminary sales in 2015 amounted to 1,279 billion euros, with an increase of 8,5% at current exchange rates, but in line with the 2014 figure calculated at constant exchange rates.
Returning to the blue chips, the worst are Saipem rights -4,48%, Bmps -3,85%, Unipol -3,67% and Mediobanca -3,12%. Telecom -2,79% after the news that Ofcom, the authority that regulates the British communications market, is preparing to issue an opinion against the merger in England between two telephone companies, 3 and O2.
Purchases reward Banco Popolare +5,99%, in the wake of expectations for the merger with Bpm +1,20%. Cnh Industrial +2,96%, Mediaset +2,08%, Atlantia +1,95%, Ferragamo +1,54%. The other banks were weak: Ubi -0,14%, Unicredit -0,85%, Intesa -2,14%.
