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Investing.com - European stock indices were mixed on Monday, starting the new week in a cautious manner ahead of the release of key U.S. inflation data in the wake of the rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
The DAX index in Germany dropped 0.4%, the CAC 40 in France slipped 0.3% and the FTSE 100 in the U.K. rose 0.1%.
Fed policymakers, inflation release key
Global markets took some positive cues from record-high closes on Wall Street last week following the Fed’s interest rate cut, but this rally has cooled Monday amid uncertainty over the future path of interest rates.
There are two more Fed meetings left this year and traders are currently pricing in 44 basis points of easing.
Fed policymakers John Williams, Thomas Barkin and Stephen Miran are due to speak at separate events on Monday, while speeches from Raphael Bostic and Michelle Bowman, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell in particular, will be in focus on Tuesday.
These comments, as well as upcoming economic data, will be crucial in determining investor sentiment in the near term.
The U.S. personal consumption expenditures price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, comes out on Friday, and the August release is expected to show a slight increase to 2.8% from the annual figure of 2.6% seen the prior month.
Back in Europe, a flash estimate for eurozone consumer confidence in September is due later in the session.
China leaves interest rates unchanged
Elsewhere, the People’s Bank of China decided to leave its benchmark loan prime rate unchanged for the fourth month in a row, as expected.
Investors are also focusing on the ongoing trade dialogue between the U.S. and China, with the two reaching consensus on the U.S. operations of TikTok last week.
Additionally, companies will have to digest the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown, this time on H-1B visas.
The proclamation, which came into effect on Sunday, requires companies to pay $100,000 to obtain the visas necessary for new employees entering the U.S..
Ericsson receives eight-year deal
In the corporate sector, Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson (ST:ERICb) said it has received an eight-year deal, worth around $1.3 billion, to supply 5G communications equipment to VodafoneThree’s UK mobile network.
In June, Vodafone (LON:VOD) and CK Hutchison (HK:0001) completed the merger of their U.K. operations, creating a new business called VodafoneThree and laid out plans to invest £11 billion ($14.8 billion) over 10 years to build one of Europe’s most advanced 5G networks.
Crude slips
Oil prices edged lower Monday, despite rising geopolitical tension in the Middle East as well as the potential impact of fresh European Union measures aimed at curbing Russia’s energy revenues.
At 11:53 ET, Brent futures fell 0.2% to $66.53 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures declined 0.3% to $62.24 a barrel.
Both benchmarks settled down more than 1% on Friday on worries about large supplies and declining demand.
However, the weekend’s news that four Western nations have recognised Palestinian state has added to jitters in the Middle East, a key oil-producing region.
Additionally, the European Commission on Friday proposed its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, which would impose penalties on traders, refineries, and petrochemical firms in third countries, including China, that breach existing rules on Russian energy imports.