Market Update

The UK manufacturing sector activity quickened its pace of expansion in the month of March, the final report from IHS Markit confirmed on Thursday. The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) was revised higher to 58.9 in March versus 57.9 expected and 57.9 first readout.

Sources in OPEC + told Reuters that the group will discuss two main options for oil policy in May and after that, including an extension of existing cuts and a gradual increase in production. Two sources said the increase would not exceed 0.5 million barrels per day.

French Health Minister Olivier Ferrand told Radio France Inter that the country could reach the peak of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic within 7 to 10 days after President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday new restrictions to combat the pandemic. Macron ordered the imposition of the third general …

Oil prices rose on Thursday, April 1, to offset some of the losses incurred in the previous session, as hopes grew that OPEC and its allies, who will meet later today, will decide to continue curbing production in the face of a new rise in Covid-19 infections in some areas. …

Gold rose again Thursday, April 1, from a three-week low it reached in the previous session, as the US dollar and Treasury yields declined, while President Joe Biden’s plan of more than $2 trillion for jobs provided further support for the yellow metal’s appeal as a hedge against inflation. And …

European stocks began the new quarter with limited gains Thursday, April 1, as concerns about another wave of Covid-19, with France imposing a third lockdown measure, overshadowed optimism about a new spending plan for the US government. The European Stoxx600 index rose 0.2% in early trade, hovering three points below …

Japanese stocks rose Thursday, April 1st, as investors snapped up shares of semiconductor companies on the first day of the new fiscal year, thanks to hopes for strong corporate business results. The benchmark Nikkei index closed 0.72% higher at 29,388.87 points, while the broader Topix index increased 0.19% to 1,957.64 …

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) finished Wednesday’s trading session with a mixed performance, as the technology sector rebounded. Meanwhile, the main three indices on Wall Street closed March with the fourth consecutive quarterly gains, supported by an improved sentiment towards economic recovery. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 85.41 …

The U.S. Dollar (USD) saw a mixed performance on Wednesday, but managed to finish March and the First Quarter (Q1) of the year with large gains. Today, the greenback reached its highest level against the Japanese Yen (JPY) in about a year, supported by improved sentiment about economic recovery, however, …

The U.S. Dollar (USD) share of global currency reserves declined to its lowest level since 1995 during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020, according to data by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released on Wednesday. However, the USD continued to account for more than half of currency reserves, reaching a …