European shares fell on Thursday, following in the footsteps of US stocks Wednesday night, due to uncertainty regarding the coronavirus pandemic and the prospect of an early interest rate hike. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 1.1 percent, after experiencing its best session in nearly six months on Wednesday. …
Read More »Market Drivers – Asian Session 2-12-2021
The market’s eyes are still fixed on the headlines of the coronavirus mutant, Omicron. Japanese stocks closed lower Thursday, December 2, weighed by concerns about the economic impact of the new mutated Omikorn outbreak of the coronavirus and the Federal Reserve’s shift in monetary policy. The Nikkei index closed down …
Read More »Gold Loses its Luster After Fed’s Statements
Gold prices fell on Thursday as investors expected the Federal Reserve (the US central bank) to scale back its bond-buying program faster to counter soaring inflation despite economic concerns over the spread of the new mutated Omicron. Gold fell in immediate transactions 0.3 percent to 1777.87 dollars an ounce (an …
Read More »Japanese Stocks Close Lower on Omicron Fears
Japanese stocks closed lower Thursday, December 2, weighed by concerns about the economic impact of the new mutated Omikorn outbreak of the coronavirus and the Federal Reserve’s shift in monetary policy. The Nikkei index closed down by 0.65%, recording 27753.37 points, falling by 1.04% earlier in the session. The broader …
Read More »Market Drivers – US Session – 1-12-2021
US President Joe Biden’s administration will extend requirements for travelers to wear masks on airplanes, trains and buses and at airports and train stations through mid-March to address ongoing COVID-19 risks. A formal announcement extending the requirements through March 18 is expected on Thursday.The news adds to the Omicron-led risk …
Read More »Erdogan Replaces Finance Minister, Rate Cut Impact Deepened
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan abruptly replaced the finance minister amid deepening national debate over aggressive interest-rate cuts that have undermined the lira and fueled inflation and price pressures.Lutfi Elvan will exit after less than 12 months in office. The new minister is Nureddin Nebati, according to a decree published …
Read More »Omicron Ignites Biden’s Extension of Mask Mandate
US President Joe Biden’s administration will extend requirements for travelers to wear masks on airplanes, trains and buses and at airports and train stations through mid-March to address ongoing COVID-19 risks. A formal announcement extending the requirements through March 18 is expected on Thursday.The White House and Transportation Security Administration …
Read More »Solid Eurozone PMI Hides Disappointing Production Growth
A strong headline PMI reading has masked just how business conditions are currently tougher for manufacturers. Although demand is strong, as reflected by a further solid improvement in new orders, supply chains continue to worsen at a worrying rate.However, the details behind the headline PMI tell a different, but worrying …
Read More »US Total Auto Sales Down in November, EVs Bloom
Narrow inventories pushed sales of new vehicles down as Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Hyundai and Kia all reported their sales dropped during November despite anticipated strong demand. Kia reported a drop in sales for November; however, its total sales through the first 11 months of 2021 surpassed the sales record the …
Read More »UK Weighs COVID Impact On Recovery
The economic impact from the pandemic has gradually faded since the start of the world health crisis but still remains strong according to statements by Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey on Wednesday, when asked how to assess news of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.Financial markets have pared back their …
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