The Week Ahead (17-21 Feb): Jet2, Miners, Banks

It was another eventful week in the markets, with inflation back in the spotlight and rate-cut hopes dimming. U.S. consumer prices came in hotter than expected, rising 0.5% in January—the biggest jump in nearly 18 months. That puts the annual inflation rate at 3.0%, reinforcing the Federal Reserve’s stance that it’s not in a hurry to start cutting interest rates.
The inflation surge was broad-based. The concern now is that this isn’t just a seasonal blip—there’s a real risk that inflation pressures could stick around for longer than expected. Markets initially didn’t take the news well, but quickly recovered.
Across the Atlantic, European markets had a very strong week. The STOXX 600 hit an all-time high, buoyed by strong earnings from Heineken and ABN AMRO in the Netherlands. Germany’s leading index, the DAX, also continues to defy all expectations, surging more than 12% year to date.

The European markets are seemingly shrugging off the looming US tariff threats, but this could introduce fresh uncertainty in the coming weeks. Back home, we have inflation figures and unemployment statistics to look forward to next week.

Economic Calendar

Monday 17th13:30United...