Market Update

Oil prices declined on Friday, amid a rise by the U.S. Dollar (USD) and expectations for deciding on an increase in output during the upcoming OPEC+ summit. Brent crude futures for April delivery declined by 75 cents, or 1.1%, to close at $66.13 per barrel, while May futures plunged by …

Gold prices declined on Friday, falling for the fourth consecutive session, extending their weekly and monthly losses amid a rise in treasury yields. The yellow metal futures for April delivery closed lower by $46.60, or 2.6%, at $1,728.80 per ounce, finishing at their lowest level since June 2020. For the …

The number of active rigs drilling for oil in the United States increased by four to 309 this week, according to data by Baker Hughes released on Friday. Natural gas rigs rose by one rig, with the total rig count increasing by five to 402. Last week, oil rigs recorded …

European stocks closed lower on Friday, extending their weekly losses, amid a rise in treasury yields. The STOXX Europe 600 index declined by 1.72% to finish the week at 404.64 points, declining by 2.5% on a weekly basis. On the monthly level, the pan-European index gained 2.2%. The French CAC40 …

The unemployment rate in Brazil declined by the end of 2020, reaching 13.9%, official data showed on Friday. More workers in Brazil are returning to the job market, as the economy recovers from the impact of the Coronavirus impact. Nevertheless, the average unemployment rate of last year reached the highest …

The U.S. Dollar (USD) continued to rise on Friday, supported by positive economic data that signaled an improvement in consumer spending. The Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the greenback’s performance against a basket of six major international currencies, is up for the day by 0.48% at 90.57. The index has …

The Chicago Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) declined to 59.5 in February from 63.8 in January, data by ISM-Chicago showed on Friday. Despite the decline, it is worth noting that for the index a reading above 50 indicates the expansion of the manufacturing sector, while a reading below this level indicates …

Consumer sentiment in the United States declined in February, with many surveyed consumers still concerned about the pace of economic recovery and growth in the job market. The Consumer Sentiment Index declined to 76.8 in February from 79 in January, according to data by the University of Michigan released on …

India’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 0.4% on an annual basis during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020, data showed on Friday. Revised readings showed that the Indian economy contracted by 7.3% in Q3 and by 24.4% in Q2 of last year, according to figures by the Indian National …

Consumer spending in the United States increased sharply last month, amid increased government stimulus spending and a decrease in the number of new Coronavirus cases. U.S. consumer spending rose by 2.4% in January, following a 0.4% decline in December, data by the U.S. Department of Commerce showed on Friday. The …