Dear Reader,

Today's overview of economic news and market action

• There was a busy flow of macro data yesterday
• In the Eurozone, Q1 GDP numbers surprised to the upside of expectations
• Meanwhile, in the US, wage growth numbers were stronger than forecast
• Currency-wise, the dollar has been in the ascendancy over the past 24 hours
• EUR/USD opens this am at the midpoint of $1.06-1.07, GBP/USD is sub-$1.25
• Ahead today, the key macro event is the Fed meeting conclusion this evening

Tide Turning for the Eurozone Economy?

This week’s macro data provided further evidence that the US economy is beginning to slow from the rapid pace of growth seen in 2023. The 1.6% rise in GDP in Q1 was well below the market consensus of 2.4%, and reflected a broad-based slowdown in both domestic spending and net exports.

ECB signals June rate cut on the cards

As widely anticipated, the ECB’s Governing Council meeting for April saw the central bank maintain its key deposit rate at 4%. It marked the fifth consecutive policy meeting that the ECB has kept rates unchanged. There was “consensus” rather than unanimity within the Governing Council on the decision.

PMI fell to 49.6 in Mar. The slight decline reflected a fall in new business and output and a sharp drop in sentiment. Meantime, inflationary pressures in the sector continued to build