Stocks mixed, dollar firms as rate-hike fears resurface

The dollar has firmed on prospects of more US rate-tightening. ©AFP

London (AFP) - Stock markets traded mixed Monday as last week's optimism gave way to renewed worries that central banks may have to wait longer than expected to end their policy of raising interest rates.

After the Paris CAC 40 reached a fresh record-high at 7,552 points, profit-taking set in and the French index was flat in early afternoon deals.

The dollar firmed on prospects of more US rate-tightening and oil prices slipped.

While cooler inflation is said to have eased the pressure on the European Central Bank and peers such as the Federal Reserve and Bank of England to keep raising borrowing costs, consumer prices remain elevated.

"I don't think all of the rate hikes have worked their way through the system and it looks as though the Fed is going to continue to tighten," warned Frances Stacy, at Optimal Capital Advisors.

"I don't think we're completely out of the woods yet," Stacy added following data Friday showing a sizeable drop in US retail sales.

Marty Dropkin, of Fidelity International, meanwhile noted that "the banking industry's vulnerabilities are a sign of a tighter monetary policy environment, which will lead to even tighter financial conditions.

"We remain cautious on global equities and anticipate increasing volatility as top line pressures worsen in the coming months as labour and financing costs rise and other cyclical indicators become weaker."

This comes despite forecast-beating earnings from US banking titans last week that eased concerns about the sector after last month's turmoil that saw three regional lenders go under.

Elsewhere, traders were keenly awaiting the release of Chinese growth data Tuesday that provides the first snapshot of how the economy has fared without painful zero-Covid restrictions.

Analysts polled by AFP expect an average of 3.8 percent year-on-year growth in January-March.