Latest Irish Life weekly markets update

Key talking points include:

• Global markets were mixed on the week, with US equities boosted by positive earnings from major tech companies while European equities retreated as expectations for further interest rate cuts from the ECB waned.
• The S&P 500 rose by 0.7% (MTD 1.9%, YTD 16.3%) while the Euro Stoxx 600 fell by 0.7% (MTD 1.3%, YTD 12.7%).

• This week, with the US Government still shut down, focus will be on private data releases including the ADP payroll report. In Europe, markets will look to PMI and consumer sentiment surveys whilst in the UK, the Bank of England is expected to leave rates unchanged at 4%.