Markets have taken on somewhat of a calmer tone in part due to hopes that discussions between the US and Russia will find some form of solution to the recent escalation of tensions in Ukraine. The nearing of European Central Bank and Bank of England policy decisions today and the US jobs report on Friday have also led to inaction and range trading in markets. Consequently US equities ended flat overnight while risk appetite improved.
Meanwhile, investors are continuing to ignore poor US data attributing it to the weather, with a weaker than forecast February ADP private sector jobs report (139k versus 155k consensus) and February ISM non manufacturing survey (51.6 versus 53.5 consensus), registered overnight. Notably the Fed’s Beige Book repeatedly highlighted the weather impact on US data. Clearly weaker data is not being seen as changing the path of Fed tapering over coming months.
ECONOMETER 
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