US Inflation Data Could Sway Fed Rate Cut Timing; Cocoa Prices Hit Records While UK Elections and Company Earnings Loom

• US CPI report on Tuesday could shift bets on whether Fed cuts rates in March or May; seen returning to 3% annual rate • Lunar New Year holiday quiet in Asia; US stock futures little changed ahead of inflation data • Cocoa prices hit record highs, up 40% in 2022 on poor West African harvests exacerbated by weather; margin pressures ahead for chocolate makers • Two UK by-elections on Thursday could see Conservatives lose seats amid technical recession • Companies reporting results this week include Airbnb, Marriott, Cisco, Lyft, Deere; chocolate-linked firms face input cost pressures