European stock markets are expected to decline, penalized by the slowdown in economic activity in China. The Eurostoxx 50 opened at 3,703.42 points (+2.49%), the CAC 40 at 6,362.68 points (+2.52%), the DAX 40 at 14,027.93 points (+2.10%), the FTSE 100 at 7,418.15 points (+2.55%), the SMI at 11.6 50.42 points (+1.25%), the AEX at 694.13 points (+2.82%), the Nasdaq at 11,805.00 points (+3.82%), the S&P 500 at 4,023.89 points (+2.39%) and the Nikkei 225 at 26,571.93 points (+0.55%).

As regarding exchange rates, the change from the close in New York indicates that EUR/USD opens at 1.0398 (-0.14%), EUR/JPY at 134.08 (-0.36%) and USD/JPY at 128.95 (-0.21%).

European equity markets are expected to open lower on Monday, hurt by data indicating that economic activity slowed sharply in China in April. At 7:35 a.m., the CAC 40 futures contract was down 21 points, or 0.3%, according to data from broker IG Markets. The contract on the DAX 40 lost 40 points, or 0.3% also, and the one on the FTSE 100 lost 31 points, or 0.4%. China's industrial production also unexpectedly fell in April, by 2.9 percent year-on-year, following a 5 percent year-on-year increase in March. Economists were forecasting growth of 1%. In India, the government has announced that it will ban wheat exports, a move that will increase international inflationary pressures and weaken global food supplies already disrupted by the war in Ukraine.

In this context, Asian stock markets are trading in scattered order on Monday. At the end of the session, the Nikkei index gained 0.7% in Tokyo. The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong was close to balance, while the Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.3%. On Friday evening, Wall Street ended higher, thanks to cheap purchases in the technology compartment in particular. The Dow Jones Index (DJIA) gained 1.5% to 32,196.66 points, while the broader S&P 500 Index gained 2.4% to 4,023.89 points. The tech-rich Nasdaq 100 jumped 3.8% to 11,805 points. For the week as a whole, however, the main US indices suffered losses. The Nasdaq Composite lost 2.8%, lining up its sixth consecutive week of decline. The DJIA fell 2.1%, marking a seventh consecutive week of decline. The S&P 500 dropped 2.4%. Investors remain concerned about the strength of inflation, which is at a 40-year high in the United States.

U.S. Treasury bond yields rose sharply on Friday, including yields on maturities between five and 30 years, due to renewed risk appetite. However, two- and ten-year yields last week saw their biggest weekly decline since March.

The euro retreats Monday morning against the dollar. According to Westpac, the dollar's upward trend remains intact, with the Fed remaining resolutely restrictive while the eurozone faces an acute stagflationary situation and China is battling a new Covid-19 outbreak by imposing strict lockdown measures.

Oil futures are pulling back on Monday, with signs of slowing Chinese economic growth raising concerns for demand. At 7:25 a.m., the July Contract for North Sea Brent lost $2.25, or 2%, to $109.30 a barrel. The June light crude on light sweet crude (WTI) listed on the Nymex was down $2.12, or 1.9%, to $108.37 a barrel.