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| - Europe's stocks wavered Wednesday in early deals as dealers mulled easing coronavirus lockdown measures, ahead of GDP data and an interest rate decision in the United States. London's benchmark FTSE 100 index advanced 0.4 percent to 5,980.68 points and Frankfurt's DAX was flat at 10,799.85, while the Paris CAC 40 fell 0.2 percent to 4,561.48 compared with Tuesday's close. "There is still growing unease about what the overall economic damage (from the COVID-19 pandemic) will be once the dust settles," said Scope Markets analyst James Hughes. "Today will see an indication of this as we get the release of a preliminary GDP reading." The US growth data is expected to show the world's top economy contracted in the first three months of the year. In addition, the Federal Reserve will end its latest policy meeting, with traders looking to see if it has any more words of comfort for markets after pledging financial backstops to banks, businesses and local and state governments. "Of the two events, the GDP has more market moving potential," said City Index analyst Fiona Cincotta, adding that the Fed were not expected to move on rates. "Q1 US GDP will shed some light on how badly the coronavirus crisis hit the US economy," she noted. "There were only two full weeks of lock down included in Q1. A worse than forecast GDP reading will stoke fear in the markets that the Q2 numbers will be even worse." rfj/wdb
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