The mood that will likely prevail in the financial markets at the beginning of next week will certainly depend on the outcome of the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, which are taking place this weekend. The markets have been waiting for de-escalation, but it is difficult for the parties to give in - Ukraine still hopes for Western help in the form of sanctions or the supply of weapons, while Russia needs to realize its plans to ensure its own security, as it claims. This determines the protracted nature of the conflict and the difficulty of finding a compromise in the negotiations.

Next week it is also worth paying attention to the incoming economic data. On Wednesday it will be crude oil stocks from EIA. Problems with energy supplies from Russia amplify the risks of shortages, and if the data points to strong US demand, this will add instability to the market. On Thursday, the ECB will hold a meeting on monetary policy. No rate hike is expected, but the ECB's assessment of inflationary risks in light of high fuel prices is very important. On the same day, US inflation data for February will appear.

On Friday, investors will pay attention to the British data on GDP and manufacturing volumes, as well as data on employment in Canada.