European stocks may open flat to slightly lower on Monday as investors react to mixed comments from Federal Reserve officials. <\/p>\n
Fed vice chair for supervision Michael Barr said on Friday officials are likely at or near the end of their tightening campaign. <\/p>\n
San Francisco Fed president Mary Daly said policymakers aren’t certain inflation is on a path to their 2 percent target.<\/p>\n
Boston Fed President Susan Collins said the U.S. central bank must be patient and resolute, and she wouldn’t take additional firming off the table.<\/p>\n
U.S. futures struggled for direction after the S&P 500 capped its third straight weekly gain \u2014 the longest run since July.<\/p>\n
Asian markets<\/span> traded mixed, with Japan’s Nikkei average slipping into red after hitting a 33-year high.<\/p>\n Chinese and Hong Kong markets advanced after China’s central bank left benchmark lending rates unchanged at a monthly fixing. <\/p>\n The dollar extended declines and the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield hovered near a two-month low on dovish Fed bets. <\/p>\n Investors widely believe that the Federal Reserve will refrain from raising interest rates over the next several months before cutting rates in mid-2024.<\/p>\n Gold held steady while oil extended Friday’s rally on the buzz that OPEC+ is considering deeper cuts at the 26 November meeting in Vienna.<\/p>\n In the Middle East, media reports suggest that Israel and Hamas are nearing an agreement on the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. <\/p>\n Trading in the U.S. may remain subdued this week due to the Thanksgiving Day holiday on Thursday. <\/p>\n Nonetheless, reports on durable goods orders, existing home sales and weekly jobless claims may still attract attention along with the minutes of the latest Fed meeting.<\/p>\n