A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Rae

Wee

Oil prices are headed for their largest weekly rise in over

a year on Friday, spurred by escalating Middle East tensions

that have cast a pall over global markets ahead of the weekend.

Most equity indexes and stock futures were in the black, but

gains were capped as investors speculated that Israel could

imminently carry out retaliatory strikes on Iran.

Brent crude futures were set to gain around 8% for

the week - its steepest since February 2023, while U.S. crude

futures' 8.2% weekly rise would be the largest since

March last year.

Markets may have found some solace from U.S. President Joe

Biden saying he did not believe there is going to be an "all-out

war" in the Middle East. However, he did previously indicate

that the U.S. was discussing strikes on Iran's oil facilities as

a response to Tehran's missile attack on Israel.

Notwithstanding oil's recovery from a low base and prices

reverting to levels seen only a month ago, world stocks and

investors' risk appetite are beginning to feel the pressure.

Should geopolitical tensions persist and oil prices continue

to rise, investors may need to reassess their inflation

forecasts.

The risk of a widening conflict in the Middle East is likely

also keeping Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on his toes,

and perhaps had some part to play when he said the U.S. central

bank would likely stick with quarter-percentage-point interest

rate cuts moving forward.

The last thing he would want is for the Fed to ease policy

too quickly only to see a resurgence in inflation.

Of course, resilience in the U.S. economy is also the more

obvious - and less worrying - reason to go slower on rate cuts.

September's nonfarm payrolls report takes centre stage later

in the day, though recent data showing continued strength in the

labour market and impressive services sector activity implies

there is little to be nervous about heading into the release.

The day will also see a slew of speeches from European

Central Bank policymakers and one from Bank of England's

(BoE)chief economist Huw Pill.

It remains to be seen whether Pill could strike the same

dovish tone as his boss Andrew Bailey, who said the BoE could

move more aggressively to cut interest rates if inflation

pressures continue to weaken.

In some good news elsewhere, U.S. East Coast and Gulf

Coast ports began reopening on Thursday night after dockworkers

and port operators reached a wage deal to settle the industry's

biggest work stoppage in nearly half a century.

Key developments that could influence markets on Friday:

- U.S. nonfarm payrolls report (September)

- Bank of England's Huw Pill speaks

- Speeches from various European Central Bank policymakers

(Editing by Jacqueline Wong)