Global Markets Weekly
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WEEKLY SUMMARY: S&P 500 index down 6 weeks in a row

It was another volatile week in Wall Street as the S&P 500 recorded losses for the sixth week in a row - the longest negative stretch since 2008. Investors appeared to grow increasingly skeptical that the Fed will be able to achieve a “soft landing” for the economy. At its low point on Thursday, the S&P 500 was down nearly 18% from its peak, well into correction territory but just above the -20% performance threshold that typically defines a bear market. US equities pared losses on Friday, helped by a rally in Tesla after Elon Musk tweeted that his deal to buy Twitter—partly funded by sales of a portion of his stake in Tesla —was “on hold.” On Wednesday, US inflation data weighed on sentiment as headline numbers fell back a bit from March’s pace but not as much as expected, rising 8.3% y/y versus consensus estimates of around 8.1%. The smaller-than-expected decline in consumer inflation caused a brief jump in the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield on Wednesday, but it ended sharply lower for the week as a whole and fell back below 3.0%. Shares in Europe rebounded from earlier weakness to finish higher, despite ongoing concerns about inflation and ECB’s Lagarde hinting at potential rate increase in July. Chinese stocks rallied as a fall in covid cases and reassuring comments from the securities regulator lifted investor sentiment. Cryptocurrencies crashed on the back of the Terra-USD stablecoin implosion, further suggesting a strong risk-off environment.