S&P futures are little changed at 6am ET, trading at 2347.55 and paring an earlier 0.4 percent drop, on the back of the USDJPY ramp which for the second day in a row has emerged alongside the European open, just as the key 110 support level appears in danger, soothing concerns about the Fed's balance sheet reduction and "some" Fed officials warning that stocks have gotten expensive.

The S&P plunged in the last 90 minutes of trading on Wednesday led by banks and energy companies. While Asian stocks fall in early trading, European bourses rebounded from session lows alongside the S&P and USDJPY. In Europe, media, bank and insurers lead the decline but have since cut their losses as the market's attention shifts to the upcoming summit between Trump and Xi.

Ahead of Mar-A-Lago meeting, central banks remained the dominant theme for markets on Thursday, with traders troubled by the prospect of a shrinking Fed balance sheet and the euro briefly tumbling then recouping much of its losses after Mario Draghi reaffirmed ECB monetary policy. Specifically, the ECB's President warned Thursday that it was too early to reduce the bank's massive monetary stimulus, despite signs of strength in the eurozone economy, and pushed back against suggestions that the ECB might raise interest rates soon. Top ECB officials have sent out mixed messages in recent days on whether the central bank is ready to wind down sweeping stimulus measures such as its EUR2.3 trillion ($2.5 trillion) bond-purchase program and subzero interest rates. As a result, market expectations for an ECB rate hike in one year have declined sharply over the past two weeks.

Investor expectations that the ECB could raise the cost of borrowing as early as January 2018 had increased after Draghi’s March 9 press conference. Governing Council members from Austria’s Ewald Nowotny to the Netherlands’ Klaas Knot and Italy’s Ignazio Visco, as well as Executive Board member Benoit Coeure, had voiced to different degrees openness to a change in sequencing.

As has often been the case, Draghi's commentary was quickly defused by comments from the Bundesbank's own Jens Weidmann who said “given the prospect of a continuous, robust economic recovery in the euro area and an increase in price pressure, the discussion on when the Governing Council should consider monetary policy normalization and how it could adjust its communication accordingly in advance is legitimate."

Weidmann adds that “there is agreement within the Governing Council that an expansive monetary policy stance is currently appropriate” yet one can “be of different opinions about the correct degree of monetary policy expansion. I could have imagined a less expansive monetary policy, especially as many economic indicators are developing positively.”

The currency impact was as follows:

Europe's Stoxx 600 Index headed for its first retreat in three days as S&P 500 futures steadied. Treasury yields pared some of Wednesday’s drop, which was triggered by the Fed's warning it would reduce its balance sheet before year end, damping the need for interest-rate hikes.

As Bloomberg notes, the Fed minutes did little to alter market views on the bank’s assessment of the economy, but the discussion on shrinking the $4.5 trillion balance sheet later this year underscored prospects for a drop in global liquidity. The message once again contrasted with that of the central bank in Europe, where Draghi said on Thursday “continued support for demand remains key.”

"Most portfolio managers think equities are the most overbought in 20 years and so anything that creates some kind of concern, well, it is an excuse to take profits," said Pictet Asset Management's chief strategist Luca Paolini. He was referring to minutes of the Fed's last meeting that showed most of the U.S. central bank's policymakers thought it should begin trimming its $4.5 trillion balance sheet later this year, earlier than many had expected.

Some Fed members also "viewed equity prices as quite high relative to standard valuation measures," a rare comment on asset levels that also caught investors off guard.

“If near-zero rates and central bank buying of bonds have been the fundamental driver of global capital towards higher-yielding assets, then reversing both parts of this can’t be helpful,” Kit Juckes, a global strategist at Societie Generale, wrote in a note. “Which is how markets have reacted overnight.”

Broader sentiment had also been bruised overnight when U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said there was no consensus on tax reform and it would take longer to accomplish than healthcare.

Markets have risen in recent months in part on speculation fiscal stimulus would boost U.S. growth and inflation. "Trump's agenda is falling to pieces," said Pictet's Paolini. "And that is probably the main concern (for stock market investors)."

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index fell 0.2 percent after closing little changed on Wednesday. Futures on the S&P 500 were modestly in the green adter declining 0.4% earlier in the session.

The whiplash in sentiment saw Japan's Nikkei hit its lowest since early December.Australia's index also lost 0.5 percent. Shanghai .SSEC made marginal gains as a private survey of China's service sector showed activity expanded at its slowest pace in six months in March.

"We were hit by a bucket of cold water," said Norihiro Fujito, senior investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. "Signs that the Fed could pare its balance sheet are shocking enough, but the mood was exacerbated as the Fed touched upon stock valuations, which is very rare."

Today the focus turns to President Trump’s two-day meeting with China President Xi Jingping at Trump’s estate in Florida. There don’t appear to be any scheduled press conferences just yet but it’s worth keeping an eye on the headlines as the next two days progress. Clearly North Korea will be a subject near to the top of the agenda. Importantly though the meeting is the start of a new China-US bilateral relationship so the rhetoric which follows from the leaders will be closely scrutinised and debated one would imagine.

Topping the agenda at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida will be whether he makes good on his threat to use U.S.-China trade ties to pressure Beijing to do more to rein in its nuclear-armed neighbor North Korea. Nerves were not helped when U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift said any decision on a pre-emptive attack against North Korea would be up to Trump.

Investors also remain focused on health care and tax policy in Washington, with House Speaker Paul Ryan saying the chances for a vote on a revised repeal of Obamacare this week were dwindling. Ryan also said tax reform could take longer, Reuters reported.

The Bloomberg Dollar Index returned to gains as gold and oil pared declines and the euro was little changed.

Initial jobless claims data due.

Market Snapshot

• S&P 500 futures little changed at 2,346.00
• STOXX Europe 600 down 0.5% to 378.30
• MXAP down 0.8% to 146.21
• MXAPJ down 0.7% to 479.56
• Nikkei down 1.4% to 18,597.06
• Topix down 1.6% to 1,480.18
• Hang Seng Index down 0.5% to 24,273.72
• Shanghai Composite up 0.3% to 3,281.01
• Sensex down 0.4% to 29,865.57
• Australia S&P/ASX 200 down 0.3% to 5,856.29
• Kospi down 0.4% to 2,152.75
• German 10Y yield fell 0.5 bps to 0.253%
• Euro down 0.09% to 1.0653 per US$
• Brent Futures unchanged at $54.36/bbl
• Italian 10Y yield fell 0.5 bps to 1.976%
• Spanish 10Y yield rose 2.4 bps to 1.644%
• Gold spot down 0.1% to $1,254.65
• U.S. Dollar Index little changed at 100.58

Top Overnight News

• Unilever Revamps to Protect Independence After Kraft Bid
• It’s Fed Versus Market as Traders Bet Balance Sheet Slows Hiking
• Cohn Said to Back Wall Street Split of Lending, Investment Banks
• House Speaker Ryan Meets With Finance Executives at Capitol
• Trump’s Tax Overhaul Keeps Congress Waiting as Questions Pile Up
• Trump Warns Syria Poison Gas Attack Goes ‘Beyond Red Lines’
• Deutsche Bank Said Near Full Takeup for $8.5 Billion Offer
• Euro Declines as Draghi Sees No Need for ECB to Change Course
• BlackRock Is ‘Tactically Adding’ to South African Bond Holdings
• HNA Said to Be in Advanced Talks for $1 Billion CWT Takeover
• Costco March Comp. Sales Beat Estimates
• Gartner Sees Higher Mobile Device Spending on Chinese Upgrades
• Ford to Introduce Two New Electric Vehicles to China
• GM India Says Continues to Progress Toward Sale of Halol Plant
• Barrick Says Shandong to Buy 50% of Veladero Mine for $960m
• Google Invests in INDIGO Undersea Cable in Southeast Asia

Asia equity markets traded negative following a similar downbeat US close amid weakness in the energy sector and in the wake of the Fed minutes, which showed that the Fed discussed normalization of the balance sheet and that some officials viewed stock prices as quite high. ASX 200 (-0.5%) suffered from losses in the financial sector, while Nikkei 225 (-1.4%) was the laggard in the region on JPY strength as USD/JPY failed to maintain 111.00. Hang Seng (-0.7%) and Shanghai Comp. (+0.1%) were mixed as participants digest the latest Chinese Caixin Services and Composite PMI figures which printed at 6-month lows, but remained in expansionary territory. 10yr JGBs traded marginally higher amid a subdued risk tone in stocks, while today's enhanced liquidity auction super-long JGBs drew greater interest with the b/c increasing from prior. Chinese Caixin Services PMI (Mar) 52.2 (Prey. 52.6); 6-month low. (Newswires) Chinese Caixin Composite PMI (Mar) 52.1 (Prey. 52.6); 6-month low. PBoC refrained from conducting open market operations for the 8th consecutive day.

Top Asian News

• Mobius Says China Stocks Are Too Expensive After Tech-Led Surge
• Hongqiao Tycoon Sought China Help on Auditor Talks, Short Seller
• Yum China 1Q Rev. Beats Est.; Shares Rise
• South Korea Tests Long-Range Ballistic Missile, Yonhap Reports
• ADB Keeps 2017 Growth Forecast for Developing Asia at 5.7%
• Japan Stocks to Watch: Yamato, McDonald’s, Honda Motor, Toyota
• China Bear Has Change of Heart on Bet for New Business Cycle
• Yes, Axis Bank Shares Overshoot Analyst Targets; Hedging Cheap

European equities initially traded with a risk-off bias following the decline in US and Asian bourses after the FOMC minutes showed that members were concerned over the strength in stock markets as some participants viewed equity prices as "quite high". While the minutes also showed that officials were split on whether higher inflation warranted faster hikes now or a more gradual pace. As such,financial names have been hardest hit across Europe, while the weakness in crude futures has weighed on the energy sector. The flight to quality trade has been felt in credit markets, with bond yields trending lower this morning. However, the gains in Eurozone bond prices have been curbed by supply from Spain and France. In terms of how the supply was digested, both were received well by the market with French paper managing to survive any political concerns in the region as the usual buyers managed to step up to the plate as expected.

Top European News:

• German Factory Orders Recover as Economic Momentum Strong
• EU Steelmakers Win 5-Year Tariffs on Chinese Hot-Rolled Coil
• These ’Anomalous’ Spreads Show the ECB Distorting Bond Markets
• Vlieghe Says Faster U.K. Inflation Alone Won’t Nudge Him to Hike
• Seadrill at Mercy of Day Traders as Biggest Funds Dump Stock
• German Banks Call for ECB to Scale Back Bond Purchases This Year
• Vivendi Said to Seek Two-Thirds of Telecom Italia Board Seats
• Amundi Sees Stock Bulls Return to Europe as France Concerns Fade
• PPG May ‘Slightly’ Increase Its Bid for Akzo Nobel, KBC Says

In currencies, the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index added 0.1 percent at 10:45 a.m. in London following a 0.1 percent drop Wednesday. The euro erased earlier gains to trade little changed. The South African rand regained some ground after recent declines to trade 0.1 percent higher. USD/JPY has again tested down into the low 110.00's, but we continue to run into buyers ahead the figure, and will likely do so as long as the key 10yr yield holds off 2.30%. This will rest on Wall Street to a notable degree, with European bourses modestly lower so far this morning. We have also seen EUR/JPY dip under 118.00 again, but the recovery looks temporary as does the pullback off the EUFt/USD lows this morning, where sub 1.0650 has been retested. We have the ECBinutes later today, but president Draghi has already reassured the market that there further evidence/confidence required before altering the current monetary policy stance, but the EUR dip was short lived. This impact on EUR/GBP also, testing down to 0.8500 but holding off the figure and rebounding sharply to suggest some sizeable buy orders ahead. Cable is caught between 1.2400 and 1.2500 as a result, but the tight trade in GBP near term is perhaps also reflective of the lack of gauge in UK-EU negotiations to come.

In commodities, WTI crude erased an earlier drop to trade little changed at $51.17 a barrel; data on Wednesday showed U.S. output rose for a seventh week and inventories expanded to a fresh record. Gold fell 0.2 percent to $1,253.38 an ounce.Commodity markets have much to contend with amid the political backdrop, heightened by the meeting between respective presidents Trump and Xi Jinping. Nevertheless, fresh hopes of Chinese demand continue to bolster base metals near term, with Copper edging higher but tentatively so as USD2.70 nears. On the day, Zinc is outperforming, but few specific drivers to point to with the overhang of the 'above. Oil prices have managed to stabilise after the surprise DoE build reported yesterday, having dipped below USD51.00. A tentative recovery as yet. Precious metals continue to move with Treasuries, and in line with this, risk sentiment adds some support which ties in with the dip in US yields.

Looking at the day ahead, we will get the latest ECB minutes followed by US data which includes the latest weekly initial jobless claims report. The other important event today is the earlier mentioned meeting between President Trump and China President Xi Jinping.

US Event Calendar

• 7:30am: Challenger Job Cuts YoY, prior -40.0%
• 8:30am: Initial Jobless Claims, est. 250,000, prior 258,000
• 8:30am: Continuing Claims, est. 2.03m, prior 2.05
• 9:30am: Fed’s Williams Speaks on a Panel in Frankfurt
• 9:45am: Bloomberg Consumer Comfort, prior 49.7

DB's Jim Reid summaries the overnight wrap

Where did it all go wrong for US equities last night after a strong session before the last 2 hours? Well the FOMC minutes and comments from House Speaker Ryan seemed to turn a +0.76% gain to a closing -0.31% loss in the S&P 500. The sections of the minutes that concerned the market were “some participants viewed equity prices as quite high relative to standard valuation measures” and also that “prices of other risk assets, such as emerging market stocks, high yield corporate bonds, and commercial real estate, had also risen significantly in recent months”. The more talked about subject in the market leading into the minutes was what Fed officials were thinking about the balance sheet debate. The minutes revealed that “provided that the economy continued to perform about as expected, most participants anticipated that gradual increases in the federal funds rate would continue and judged that a change to the committee’s reinvestment policy would likely be appropriate later this year”. Meanwhile the discussion around fiscal policy suggested that stimulus expectations have been pushed out by some officials to 2018 which matches what the Fed’s Evans had said last week. Indeed the minutes showed that “participants continued to underscore the considerable uncertainty about the timing and nature of potential changes to fiscal policies as well as the size of the effects of such changes on economic activity”. The text then went on to say that “however, several participants now anticipated that meaningful fiscal stimulus would likely not begin until 2018” and that in light of this “about half of the participants did not incorporate explicit assumptions about fiscal policies in their projections”.

Meanwhile the Ryan comments emerged in a Reuters article in which he was quoted as saying that tax reforms will take longer to accomplish than the repeal and replacement of Obamacare. Ryan also said that “the House has a (tax reform) plan but the Senate doesn’t quite have one yet” and “so even the three entities aren’t on the same page yet”. Separate to this Ryan also confirmed that the House will not reach a deal on healthcare before the start of the two week break with a Congressman official also confirming that “we are going to go home tomorrow without a deal”.

Treasury yields had topped out at 2.382% for the 10y just prior to the minutes and Ryan comments yesterday before falling sharply into the close to end the day down 2.5bps at 2.336%. It was a similar story at the front end too with 2y yields ending the day down 1.8bps at 1.236%. The Dollar index finished more or less unchanged after paring a move higher of as much as +0.30% while Gold bounced all the way back after being down as much as -1.00%. The other big mover in the commodity complex was Oil where WTI Oil had at one stage traded as high as $51.88/bbl and over +1.50% higher intraday. However the latest EIA data revealed that crude stockpiles rose to another record high last week which sent Oil prices sharply lower with WTI back below $51/bbl this morning.

Today the focus turns to President Trump’s two-day meeting with China President Xi Jingping at Trump’s estate in Florida. There don’t appear to be any scheduled press conferences just yet but it’s worth keeping an eye on the headlines as the next two days progress. Clearly North Korea will be a subject near to the top of the agenda. Importantly though the meeting is the start of a new China-US bilateral relationship so the rhetoric which follows from the leaders will be closely scrutinised and debated one would imagine.

Ahead of that markets in Asia this morning appear to be largely following the lead from that weaker momentum into the Wall Street close last night. The Nikkei (-1.40%) has been the big mover this morning, not helped by a slightly stronger Yen (which has touched the highest since mid-November), while the Hang Seng (-0.50%), ASX (-0.62%) and Kospi (-0.53%) are also down. Bourses in China are however flat as we go to print. That is despite the Caixin PMI in China falling 0.4pts to 52.2 in March and the lowest level since September. US equity futures are also currently in the red.

Moving on. While the FOMC minutes and Ryan comments largely dominated the focus for markets yesterday there was also some important data to digest. Indeed helping to support the initial positive sentiment in markets was the March ADP employment report which revealed a significant 263k gain in private payrolls. That was well above the consensus forecast for 185k and although there was a 53k downward revision to the February reading the three month average has still risen to a healthy 259k which paints a positive picture ahead of payrolls tomorrow.

In contrast there was some disappointment in the ISM non-manufacturing print for last month which declined 2.4pts at the headline to 55.2 (vs. 57.0 expected) and the lowest since October while the final services PMI was also revised down 0.1pts to 52.8. In the details of the former the employment component tumbled 3.6pts to 51.6 which is actually the lowest reading since August while new orders dipped 2.3pts, albeit to a still solid 58.9.

Over in Europe the main focus was also on the final PMI revisions. The final services reading for the Euro area was revised down half a point to 56.0 which as a result saw the composite scaled back 0.3pts to 56.4. That softer services reading was largely as a result of a 1pt downward revision in France to 57.5 with Germany left unchanged at 55.6. In Italy the services PMI declined 1.5pts to 52.9 (vs. 54.3 expected) while in Spain the PMI came in at 57.4 and marginally down on February. All told our economists in Europe noted that notwithstanding the slight retreat in the reading the Euro area PMIs still suggest clear upside to their moderate growth forecasts in Q1. Indeed they note that the data points to growth of 0.6% to 0.7% qoq versus their 0.3% to 0.4% projection which reflects more mixed hard data of late. For completeness the services PMI in the UK yesterday was solid at 55.0 for March which represents an uplift of 1.7pts. That helped the FTSE 100 to close up +0.13% while the Stoxx 600 finished +0.02% after paring gains into the close.

Staying with Europe for a second, it’s worth noting the comments from ECB Governing Council member Weidmann yesterday. In an interview with Die Zeit, Weidmann said that it is getting closer to a time when the ECB should “not have the foot pressed down on the gas pedal, but to lift it slightly”. The article also suggested that Weidmann would welcome bond purchases stopping in one year and that the economic recovery in the Euro area is robust and will continue. So fairly hawkish, although not too dissimilar to the timing implied by the ECB. Interestingly there was no comment or mention about depo policy which has been more topical of late.

Looking at the day ahead, this morning in Europe it’s fairly quiet with factory orders data in Germany the only release of note. ECB President Draghi is also due to speak in Frankfurt at 8am BST when he makes opening remarks at the annual ‘ECB and its Watchers Conference’ so that might be worth keeping an eye on. The ECB’s Praet will also speak at the event as will the Fed’s Williams at 2.30pm BST. Away from that we will then get the latest ECB minutes just after midday followed by US data which includes the latest weekly initial jobless claims report. The other important event today is the earlier mentioned meeting between President Trump and China President Xi Jinping.