Daily Newsletter 3/7/25

What we watch before markets open

Good morning.

Jobs report

The U.S. jobs report for February is scheduled to be released today at 8:30 AM Eastern Time. This monthly employment report, also known as the Employment Situation Summary, is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on the first Friday of every month, unless there are scheduling conflicts. Here are the key expectations for the report:

1. Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP):

   • Economists predict an increase of 160,000 jobs in February.

   • This would be an improvement from January's 143,000 job gain.

   • Forecasts range from 100,000 to 300,000 new jobs.

2. Unemployment Rate:

   • The unemployment rate is expected to remain steady at 4.0%.

   • Some analysts suggest it might tick up slightly to 4.1%

ECB Rate Cut

The European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to lower its key interest rates by 25 basis points, effective March 12, 2025. The euro rallied following the announcemen…