Money Flows before the start of European trading

After the negative trade balance data in Asia, traders began selling shares and indices in the region recorded declines. This negative sentiment is also transmitted in Europe where investors are waking up from the red light on their monitors.

The Chinese government has published data showing that imports and exports for December are surprisingly falling, deepening worries that the world's second-largest economy is slowing its expansion, a clear result of the strained US-China trade relationship. China's trade surplus with the United States - closely monitored against a backdrop of the fierce trade war between Washington and Beijing - rose 17% over the previous year. According to Reuters, this is the highest figure since 2006. However, China's total trade surplus last year was the lowest since 2013, the agency said.

Indicative opening prices of European stock indices:
UKX: 8,883 -30 points
DAX: 10,810 -83 points
CAC: 4,740 -34 points

As the economic calendar of the Old Continent remains empty in today's session, stock movements will be driven by the fears of a slowing global economy and commercial rhetoric, which is invariably part of the trader's playbook. Later in the day is expected the testimony of Fed President Jerome Powell before the Senate, but for now it is not confirmed exactly how many hours it will happen.

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