The US Dollar (via the DXY Index) closed last week at its highest level in two years, and a lot of that has to do with the Federal Reserve.

Traders will continue to recalibrate trades after a hawkish shift in Fed rhetoric sent bond prices plummeting. European CPI data, US GDP growth and the Bank of Japan are in focus for the week ahead.

Heightened US interest rate hike expectations are weighing heavily on US indices. Will next week’s bumper crop of Q1 US earnings help to steady the market?

Crude oil prices weakened as a stronger US Dollar and another drop in the S&P 500 undermined the sentiment-linked commodity. All eyes are on US GDP and the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge next.

The ECB has no intention to raise rates in Q2 while the Fed is weighing up multiple 50 basis point hikes and Lagarde requests dissenting members to delay criticisms.