Morning Bid: France’s debt strains, AI in focus

By Jiaxing Li HONG KONG, Oct 22 (Reuters) A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Jiaxing Li. French bonds remain in hot water. After ​the benchmark 10-year yield topped 5% for the first ‌time since 2002, it has continued to creep higher as investors assess France s ability to restore its fragile finances. With more protests planned in the coming days, President Emmanuel Macron pledged on Wednesday to prevent a repeat ‌of ​last weekend s violence. However, limited progress in ⁠addressing the political chaos ⁠has left investors on edge, fearing prolonged unrest could complicate government efforts to rein in spending at a time of mounting budget pressures. Investors will be keeping a close eye on ​Moody s, which is due to review France s Aa3 sovereign rating on October 23. The ratings agency has a negative outlook ⁠on the country, meaning the next ⁠move is more likely to be a downgrade ​than an upgrade, which could add to pressure on French borrowing ​costs. The eur