Bitcoin watch party rages on as PMIs loom

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Ankur Banerjee

A series of manufacturing data will likely dominate markets' attention on Friday, with the euro rooted near its lowest in more than 13 months, while bitcoin edged towards $100,000 on expectations of friendlier regulations in the United States.

India-listed shares of Adani Group firms slid and their dollar bonds remained under pressure for a second day following billionaire founder Gautam Adani's indictment for fraud by U.S. prosecutors.

Monthly PMIs will be released around the world over the course of the day, helping investors to chart out how the various economies are doing and where global rates are headed, as well as how much further the dollar's recent uptrend may have to run.

Adani's company denied the accusations in Thursday's indictment, which comes less than two years after U.S. short-seller Hindenburg Research accused the Adani group of improper use of tax havens and involvement in stock manipulation, which the conglomerate also denied.

Where that leaves market sentiment on Indian equities is anyone's guess. When Hindenburg's report came out in January 2023, India's broader stock markets felt the heat for a few weeks before rebounding and racing on to a bull run.

The BSE Sensex has been sliding since it touched a record high in late September, as investors wary of rich valuations flee the market. The Adani news has caught the markets at a vulnerable moment.

As for bitcoin, there's little else to say except that the markets and crypto enthusiasts everywhere are waiting with bated breath for the world's biggest cryptocurrency to hit $100,000 for the first time, a landmark moment for the sector.

Anything remotely related to crypto has been on a tear since the U.S. election as investors bet that President-elect Donald Trump and his administration will bring in friendlier regulations.

And finally, investors have been taking a closer look at Nvidia's results and are feeling a bit better about them. Investors' sky-high expectations may not have been met but, under the hood, everything looks good with demand holding strong for the firm's AI chips.

That has stocks in Asia surging while futures indicate European shares are set for a higher open.

Key developments that could influence markets on Friday:

UK retail sales for October

Flash PMI Nov data for France, Germany, euro zone and UK

(By Ankur Banerjee; Editing by Edmund Klamann)