European stock markets are expected to rise, in the wake of Wall Street gains. The Eurostoxx 50 opens at 3,806.74 points (-0.83%), the CAC 40 at 6,500.35 points (-0.74%), the DAX 40 at 14,556.62 points (-0.66%), the FTSE 100 at 7,598.93 points (-0.12%), the SMI at 11,534.18 points (+0.04%), the DJIA at 33.180.14 points (+0.80%), the Nasdaq at 12,175.23 points (+0.94%), the S&P 500 & Agrave; 4,160.68 points (+0.95%) and the Nikkei 225 to 28,163.80 points (+0.79%).
As for the exchange rate, the change compared with the close in New York indicates that EUR/USD at 1.0685 (-0.21%), EUR/JPY at 142.25 (+0.20%), and USD/JPY at 133.16 (+0.41%).

European equity markets are expected to open higher on Wednesday, in the wake of Wall Street gains the day before, while investors continue to assess the risks of inflation and rising interest rates. At 7:30am, the CAC 40 futures contract earned 20 points, or 0.3%, according to data from the broker IG Markets. The DAX 40 contract was up 40 points, or 0.3%, and the FTSE 100 contract was up 16 points, or 0.2%. Wall Street closed in the green on Tuesday after another volatile session. The Dow Jones Index (DJIA) won 0.8%, at 33,180.14 points. The expanded S&P 500 index rose 1% to 4,160.68 points. The Nasdaq Composite ended up 0.9%, at 12,175.23 points.

In Asia, the main indices present a mixed picture on Wednesday. In Tokyo, the Nikkei index gained 0.9% at the end of the session, while the Japanese economy contracted at a slightly lower pace than initially estimated for the quarter ended at the end of March. The world's third-largest economy, after the United States and China, contracted by 0.5% at an annualized rate in the first quarter, according to revised data released by the government on Wednesday. At the same time, the Hang Seng Index on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange won 2%, supported by video game publishers following the granting of new licenses by the Chinese authorities, a first in several months. In contrast, the Shanghai Composite Index fell by 0.4%.

US Treasury bond yields rose on Wednesday morning, with the ten-year bond rate hovering around the 3% threshold. This rate has been stuck within 50 basis points since the beginning of April, as investors struggle to measure the consequences of the global monetary tightening. The market also continues to assess the inflation outlook ahead of the publication of the consumer price index in May in the United States, scheduled for Friday.

The euro fell against the greenback on Wednesday amid rising US Treasury bond yields, which reinforces the attractiveness of dollar-denominated interest rate instruments. The decline in US stock futures is also weighing on risk appetite. The greenback could rise further in the short term if ECB President Christine Lagarde is not as restrictive as expected after the Governing Council meeting this week, Westpac strategists write in a note.

Oil futures continued to rise on Wednesday morning, buoyed by signs of improving demand. At 7:15am, the August North Sea Brent contract won 58 cents, at $121.18 per barrel. The July contract for mild mild crude oil (WTI) listed on Nymex was worth 73 cents, at $120.14 per barrel.