Oil prices fell but were still on track to achieve significant weekly gains, with demand growing at a faster pace than supply, while vaccinations are expected to mitigate the impact of a new rise in Covid-19 cases around the world. Brent crude futures for September delivery, which expire on Friday, …
Read More »Currencies Overview: The US Dollar Falls to a Month Low, The Pound at a Month High
The dollar fell to a one-month low on Thursday after the Federal Reserve reassured that a rate hike was still a long way off, giving a major boost to most other currencies from the Australian dollar to the Chinese yuan. China’s efforts to calm stock market jitters precipitated by its …
Read More »U.S: Weekly Initial Jobless Claims Decline to 400K
There were 400,000 initial claims for unemployment benefits in the US during the week ending July 24, the data published by the US Department of Labor (DOL) revealed on Thursday. This reading followed the previous print of 424,000 (revised from 419,000) and came in worse than the market expectation of …
Read More »US Economy Grows by 6.5% in Q2
The United States’ Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded at an annual rate of 6.5% in the second quarter of 2021, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis’s first estimate showed on Thursday.
Read More »Germany: Annual HICP Rises to 3.1% in June
Inflation in Germany, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), jumped to 0.9% (preliminary) on a monthly basis in June from 0.4% in May. On a yearly basis, the CPI rose to 3.8% from 2.2%. Both of these readings came in higher than market expectations.
Read More »Eurozone Sentiment Hits Record High in July
Estimates from the European Commission showed Thursday, July 29 that economic sentiment in the Eurozone hit a record high in July, but waning consumer optimism and a slowdown in the rate of increase may indicate that the peak is fast approaching. The Commission said in its monthly survey that sentiment …
Read More »Oil Rises on Lower Inventories
Oil prices rose Thursday, July 29, as crude inventories in the United States, the world’s largest oil consumer, fell to their lowest levels since January 2020, and Brent crude returned to above $75 a barrel. Brent crude futures were up 37 cents, or 0.5%, to $75.11 a barrel, and US …
Read More »European Shares Peak Thanks to Earnings From Airbus
European shares hit record highs Thursday, July 29 as strong earnings from big commodity companies, Airbus and others boosted markets positivity, while concerns over moves by regulators in China dispelled. The Stoxx600 index of European shares rose 0.3% to an all-time high of 463 points in early trading. The shares …
Read More »Japan Shares Close Higher Thanks to Positive Corporate Earnings
Japanese shares closed higher on Thursday, as Nissan Motor and some semiconductor companies reported surprisingly strong profits, while investors were relieved after the US Federal Reserve indicated it was in no hurry to cut monetary easing. The Nikkei rose 0.73% to 27,782.42 points, while the broader TOPIX index closed up …
Read More »Pfizer Expects Coronavirus Vaccine Sales to Exceed $33.5 Billion This Year
US drugmaker Pfizer raised its forecast for sales of its 2021 vaccine against COVID-19 by 29% to $33.5 billion. The company said it believed people would need a third dose of the vaccine it developed with its German partner BioNTech to maintain a high degree of protection against the virus. …
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