Russia’s Ukraine conflict, big inflation report will keep the stock market volatile in coming week

Russia’s Ukraine conflict, big inflation report will keep the stock market volatile in coming week

Russia's invasion of Ukraine will continue to be a major focus, as wary investors watch fresh inflation data and the rising price of oil in the week ahead. Stocks in the past week sold off in volatile trading, as oil rose more than 20% and a whole host of other commodities rose on supply worries. Investors sought safety in bonds, driving prices higher and the yield to 1.72% Friday. The dollar rallied, pushing the up 2% on the week. "We just don't know what can happen over the weekend. It looks like the Russians are amping themselves up and they're getting more aggressive," said Jim Caron, Morgan Stanley Investment Management head of macro strategies for global fixed income. "If nothing happens over the weekend, or if there's some peace talks coming, then the 10-year note yield could go up 10 to 15 basis points. It could have that swing," said Caron. Yields move opposite price. (1 basis point equals 0.01%.) The Federal Reserve will also be top of mind, as investors focus on its pending interest rate hike on March 16. But Fed officials will not be making public addresses in the quiet period leading up to their meeting. The