US ISM, income, spending, and inflation data out on 1 March could however potentially move the needle on financial markets.
I continue to expect a 25bp Fed hike in March but acknowledge that this is a low conviction forecast at this stage.
In France, the latest headline-grabber is that veteran centrist politician François Bayrou announced on the evening of 22ndFebruary that he had opted not to run for the presidency. He will instead lend his support to Emmanuel Macron, the independent centrist candidate of the En Marche! Movement.
This should have come as little surprise but markets still reacted positively, with in particular French bond yields sliding lower.
The justification for this admittedly modest market reaction is that Bayrou’s electorate will now transfer its votes to Macron, in turn increasing the probability of Macron coming ahead of François Fillon and making it to a second round run-off against Marine Le Pen.
There is some logic to this argument, as recent polls suggest. Moreover, the relatively inexperienced Macron may benefit from Bayrou’s familiarity with the ins-and-outs of campaigning gained over three previous presidential election bids.
But there is also some evidence that Fillon, the Republican candidate, may benefit from Bayrou’s decision and it is simply too early to predict with confidence whether Macron or Fillon will make it to the second round.
The bottom line is that Bayrou’s decision has increased the odds of Macron and to a lesser extent Fillon making it to the second round and further decreased the odds of Le Pen winning in the second round against either Macron or Fillon.
Meanwhile, time is running out for Socialist Party candidate Benoit Hamon to secure a second round place.
