Market Update

Japanese stocks reversed their direction to close lower on Tuesday, March 2nd as investors booked profits following the strong rally in indices before the end of the fiscal year this month. Investors close their books at the end of the financial year on the last day of March, and many …

Treasury yields in the United States mostly declined on Monday, showing signs of stability following last week’s surge to their highest level in about a year. The benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield decreased by 1.5 basis points to 1.444%. Meanwhile, the return on the 30-year bond added 3.2 basis points …

Goldman Sachs Group resumed the activity of its cryptocurrency trading desk, Reuters reported. As part of the Global Markets division, the bank will begin trading bitcoin futures starting next week, according to an unnamed source. The bank is reportedly exploring the potential for a bitcoin exchange traded fund (ETF). The …

Oil prices declined on Monday, as the market is anticipating the upcoming OPEC+ summit this week, which will decide on production policy during March. The meeting is expected to see the easing of output curbs amid the recovery of global crude prices. Brent crude futures for May delivery declined by …

Gold prices declined on Monday, falling for the fifth consecutive session, and beginning the month of March with a negative performance amid a retreat in Treasury yields. The yellow metal futures for April delivery finished lower by $5.80, or 0.3%, at $1,723 per ounce. This is the lowest closing level …

The United States Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said on Monday that the coming months will see a number of regulatory reforms to help the financial system cope with the Coronavirus pandemic, Bloomberg reported. Brainard’s remarks came in her speech to the Institute of International Bankers. “We should not miss …

The President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Thomas Barkin, called upon investors to focus on the Fed’s policy and its impact on economic recovery, instead of being distracted by expectations of when would interest rates or asset purchases be changed, Reuters reported. The Fed’s guidance “is as clear …

European stocks rose on Monday, amid a decline in treasury yields, and an improvement in investors’ sentiment due to positive news about Coronavirus vaccines. The STOXX Europe 600 index surged by 1.80% to close the first session of March at 412.27 points, amid a positive performance by most market sectors. …

The seasonally adjusted United States Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) registered a final reading of 58.6 in February, down from 59.2 in January, data by IHS Markit showed on Monday. This marked the second strongest performance by the U.S. manufacturing sector in almost 11 years. The reading indicated an upturn …

The manufacturing activity in the United States expanded last month to its best level in about three tears, as the American economy is recovering from the Coronavirus pandemic by recording its ninth consecutive month of growth. The February manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) increased by 2.1% in February to a …