Market Update

Japanese shares closed lower on Monday, as investors booked profits after a recent rally, but losses were limited thanks to a positive conclusion from domestic drug makers. The Nikkei index lost 0.99% to record 28,860.08 points at the close, while the broader Topix index fell 1.26% to 1922.98 points. The …

Bitcoin fell on Friday by more than 5% to trade near $36,340, as cryptocurrencies showed high selling pressures. The world’s largest digital currency has now lost about 4.6% over the past seven days. In a similar way, Ethereum plunged by about 7.7% to $2,515, but remained higher on a weekly …

Oil prices fluctuated on Friday and showed a mixed performance but still managed to register weekly and monthly gains on the back of positive expectations for demand recovery. Brent crude futures for July delivery rose by 17 cents, or 0.2%, to finish at $69.63 per barrel, its highest closing level …

Gold prices rose on Friday, extending weekly and monthly gains and restoring the $1,900 level. As recent data showed a surge in inflation, gold and other safe haven assets saw increased demand. Gold futures for August delivery rose by $6.80, or 0.4%, to close at $1,905.30 per ounce. This marked …

Return on the U.S. Treasury bonds declined on Friday, as the personal consumption indicators showed another surge in inflation. The rising inflation is increasing investors’ demand for safe haven assets, like the Treasury bonds, even though most expectations lean towards inflationary pressures being temporary. The benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield …

The U.S. Dollar (USD) gave up most of its gained on Friday, which were supported by the positive economic data. The Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the greenback’s performance against a basket of six major international currencies, is up for the day by less than 0.1% at 90.06. Early in …

European stocks rose on Friday, closing at a new record high, and registering weekly and monthly gains. The rise in European stocks was supported by an improved investors’ sentiment, following recent positive economic data. The German benchmark DAX and the French CAC40 indices closed higher by 0.74% and 0.75%, respectively. …

The Chicago Business Barometer Index surged in May to reach a reading of 75.2 from a level of 72.1 in April, data showed on Friday. The Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) reached its highest level since 1973, according to ISM-Chicago. Robust demand helped boost the business activity, with the new orders …

The US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported on Friday that Personal Income contracted by 13.1% in April. This reading came in slightly better than the market expectation for a decline of 14.1%.

Inflation in the US, as measured by the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index, stayed unchanged at 0.6% on a monthly basis in April. This reading came in higher than the market forecast of 0.2%. On a yearly basis, the PCE Price Index rose to 3.6% from 2.4%, compared to …