An explosive week is coming for the markets. There are 5 reasons

Next week's markets promise to be explosive for 5 reasons.
As the curtain is about to fall on 2023, a complex year between record rate rises and skyrocketing geopolitical tensions, the central banks themselves are preparing to exit the scene with one last performance.
The three main banking institutions, the Fed, the ECB and the Bank of England, are meeting and the wait is all for any indications on what to expect next year: is cutting rates really the option on the table? Furthermore, the spotlight remains on China and its obstacle course to boost so far disappointing growth.
Bitcoin and oil are also among the hot topics of the week.
In this context, there are at least 5 reasons to carefully watch stocks and other assets in the coming days, with potential surprises ahead.
1.
What will the Fed decide? The Fed is now the hot topic for the markets and the meeting on 13 December could give valuable indications on the rate cut in 2024, which all investors are waiting for.
At this meeting, the decision to leave the cost of borrowing unchanged at 5.5% appears obvious.
Traders will be focused on comments from Chairman Jerome Powell that could indicate when the Fed might look to cut rates after 525 basis points of hikes since March 2022.
Additionally, macroeconomic projections will be updated.
Projections that the Fed is poised to begin cutting rates in early 2024 have helped fuel the rally in stocks and bonds, sending the S&P 500 to a new closing high for 2023 and pushing Treasury yields higher at 10 years closer to 4%.
Finally, US inflation data for November released next Tuesday could give markets another jolt.
October's consumer price index reading remained unchanged, for the first time in more than a year.
read also US recession in 2024? What can happen in the markets 2.
Central bank day December 14th will be a key date for the markets: it will be central bank day.
The Swiss National Bank, the Bank of Norway, the Bank of England and the European Central Bank will meet on that day.
Everyone except the Norwegians is inclined to leave rates on hold.
With markets pricing in five Fed and six ECB cuts next year, the focus is on how policymakers, still unable to declare victory over inflation, will deal with mounting market pressure to get ahead of the curve.
a decrease in the cost of money.
Lagarde will be listened to with great interest during the press conference.
Not only for the updated projections on GDP and inflation, but also on possible indications for 2024.
The governor's words can influence the markets.
3.
Where is China going? China's economy continues to send mixed signals about its health, even as policymakers gather for crucial closed-door meetings to lay out the 2024 agenda.
Government advisers told Reuters they will recommend recovery of the 5% growth objective, but also greater incentives to achieve it.
So far, the measures taken have mostly been insufficient and the confidence of consumers and factory managers has proven fragile.
Beijing needs a shock recipe to fill the void left by the real estate market crisis, according to experts.
Retail sales data on December 15 will provide a significant update, after data in recent days showed a surprise contraction for imports – suggesting subdued domestic demand – even as exports recovered.
The real estate sector remains the big unresolved issue, however, and was at the center of Moody's decision to cut the outlook for China's debt rating – a move that has impacted Chinese capital markets all week.
4.
Bitcoin, will the rally last? Bitcoin is rising again.
It hit $44,490 last Tuesday, its highest level since April 2022.
The threshold is where it was before the collapse of high-profile cryptocurrency firms such as TerraUSD, Three Arrows Capital, Celsius and FTX.
The gains are fueled by hopes that the United States may approve applications for a spot bitcoin ETF, analysts say, as well as investors betting on Fed rate cuts next year.
However, these results are far from guaranteed, and JPMorgan called Bitcoin's rally “overblown.” Meanwhile, cryptocurrency advocates appear unconcerned by the US Treasury's warning of consequences for the industry if companies fail to stop and report the flow of illicit funds.
5.
The oil ballet, rise or fall in prices? 2023 could end with falling oil prices.
The signs have already emerged in recent days.
Oil benchmarks are headed for a seventh consecutive weekly decline on concerns about a global supply surplus and weak Chinese demand, although prices recovered ground on Friday 8 December after Saudi Arabia and Russia called for other OPEC+ members to join the production cuts.
read also The price of oil drops.
The reason surprised everyone Fueling the market downturn, Chinese customs data showed that crude oil imports in November fell 9% from a year earlier as high inventory levels, weak economic indicators and the slowdown of orders from independent refiners have dampened demand.
In the United States, production remained near record highs of more than 13 million barrels a day, U.S.
Energy Information Administration data showed on Wednesday.
This latter figure is surprising and could ruin Saudi plans for the cuts necessary to raise prices.