Weekend. 🍻

UMich Consumer Sentiment (Prelim. - Apr): 77.9 vs. 79.0 exp. (prior 79.4)

1y inflation exps: 3.1% vs. 2.9% prior
5-10y inflation exps: 3.0% vs. 2.8% prior

*BRENT CRUDE HITS HIGHEST SINCE OCTOBER ON MIDEAST CONFLICT

Bill Gross to the PBoC...

*PBOC MAY START TRADING GOVT BONDS TO MANAGE LIQUIDITY:FIN. NEWS

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

*ISRAEL BRACING FOR POTENTIAL DIRECT ATTACK FROM IRAN IN DAYS

*BERNANKE SAYS BOE SHOULD CONSIDER `SCENARIO' FORECASTS

*BERNANKE SAYS BOE SHOULD CONSIDER ISSUING UK RATES FORECAST

*BERNANKE SAYS BANK OF ENGLAND'S FORECASTS NO WORSE THAN OTHERS

*BOE GOVERNOR BAILEY VOWS TO ACT ON ALL 12 RECOMMENDATIONS

Pimco - “If inflation starts to re-emerge then there’s a possibility that the Fed hikes instead of delivering any cuts,”

Fed's Collins sees 'in the range of two' cuts this year...so could be 1, could be 2, could be 3...essentially, has no clue...

Goldman now see four 25bp BoE cuts this, starting in June, with cuts to follow in Aug, Sep & Nov; see four further cuts in 2025, and another in 2026, taking Bank Rate to 3.00%

Taylor Wimpey the 2nd biggest mover...wonder if that order has been filled yet...

*CHINA TO TIGHTEN SUPERVISION OF STOCK MARKET TO CONTROL RISKS

*JAPAN 5-YEAR YIELD RISES TO 0.49%, HIGHEST SINCE APRIL 2011

And to send the EUR to parity…

*ECB'S STOURNARAS SAYS NOW IS THE TIME TO DIVERGE FROM THE FED

*UK DEC.-FEB. GDP RISES 0.2% 3M/3M; EST. +0.1%

A look ahead to what the BoE’s Bernanke Review may conclude

I’m off to resume praying that there’s no dot plot on its way…

pepperstone.com/en-gb/market-a…

*HANDFUL OF ECB OFFICIALS NEEDED EXTRA CONVINCING TO BACK HOLD

Stop asking for a pay rise folks…

*BOE'S GREENE: UK WAGE GROWTH IS STILL FAR TOO HIGH

JPM Desk - 'The bull case does not require any Fed cuts. With an economy growing at, or above, its potential you typically see positive earnings and positive revenue growth; that combination usually triggers a bull market, and this time is not different'

Post-ECB thoughts...