Stock markets tumbled on Friday to close a rollercoaster of a week on a down note. The end-of-the-week declines were sparked by underwhelming earnings results at the largest U.S. banks, as well as rising geopolitical tensions and ongoing concerns over the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy outlook.
This week, markets will focus on earnings, with this week’s releases spread between various economic sectors. This week should therefore provide a somewhat better outlook into the season than the results from the large banks. In addition, the Middle East conflict continues to draw attention, as increased tensions threaten to add to the upward pressure on oil prices. Crude has rallied over 20% this year, with the surge feeding into prices at the pump and overall inflation, putting further strains on consumers.
Investors will also closely monitor the incoming economic data,…
