Market Update

Factory orders in the United States increased by 2.6% in January, data by the U.S. Census Bureau showed on Thursday. The reading exceeds that of market expectations, as a recent Dow Jones and Wall Street Journal poll of market experts expected a 2.3% increase in factory orders. The manufacturing sector …

There were 745,000 initial claims for unemployment benefits in the US during the week ending February 27, the data published by the US Department of Labor (DOL) showed on Thursday. This reading followed the previous one of 736,000 and came in better expectation of 750,000.

Preliminary data from the Union and distributors of automotive manufacturers in Britain showed that new car registrations fell by about 36% in February on an annual basis as forced public isolation procedures imposed anti-covid-19. The union noted that the volumes sold are at their lowest level in February since 1959. …

Planned job cuts in the US-based employers dropped to 34,531 in February from 79,552 in January, Challenger Gray & Christmas announced in its latest Job Cut Report on Thursday.

Oil prices rose for the second session in a row on Thursday, March 4, as they received support from the possibility of OPEC+ producers taking a decision against increasing production at an important meeting to be held later today, along with the decline in the US fuel stocks. Brent crude …

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said that global food prices rose for the ninth consecutive month in February, reaching their highest levels since July 2014, led by jumps in the prices of sugar and vegetable oils. The FAO Food Price Index, which measures monthly changes …

The data published by Eurostat showed on Thursday that Retail Sales in the euro area contracted by 5.9% on a monthly basis in January. This reading followed December’s increase of 1.8% and fell short of the market expectation for a decline of 1.1%. On a yearly basis, Retail Sales fell …

The Turkish lira weakened on Thursday (March 4th) and reached a level of 7.5 for the first time since January 18, under pressure from global concerns about rising US Treasury yields and concern over rising inflation in Turkey. The Turkish lira fell against the dollar to 7.5145 compared to 7.4550 …

Gold prices rose Thursday, March 4th, recovering from the lowest level in nearly nine months recorded in the last session, but the US Treasury bond yields that are rising continued to put pressure on the yellow metal, which does not yield a return. Spot gold rose 0.5% to $1719.21, after …

The dollar reached its highest level against the yen in 7 months today, Thursday, as it received support from a more regular rise in US Treasury yields ahead of a speech by Jerome Powell, the head of the US Federal Reserve, that may determine the direction the global currency and …