Market Update

Last week saw the impeachment trial of former United States President Donald Trump takes place at the Senate on the charge of inciting an insurrection after his followers stormed the Capitol on January 6. Over the weekend, Trump was acquitted in his second impeachment trial, as once again not enough …

The main indices of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) rose on Friday, reaching new record highs, amid an improved investors’ sentiment. U.S. stock indexes on Friday finished on a higher note, notching a series of record highs on the back of optimism about a fresh round of COVID spending, …

Treasury yields in the United States increased significantly on Friday, amid expectations of a rise in inflation in the U.S. Return on the 10-year Treasury bonds rose by 4.2 basis points to 1.199%, nearing its highest levels since March 2020 For the week, the benchmark U.S. Treasury noted saw an …

Oil prices rose on Friday, supported by geopolitical tensions raising concerns about crude supplies from the Middle East. Brent crude futures for April delivery gained $1.29, or 2.1%, to close at $62.43 per barrel. For the week, the global benchmark crude most active contracts gained 5.2%. Meanwhile, the West Texas Intermediate …

Gold prices declined on Friday, due to the rise in the United States Treasury yields, narrowing their weekly gains that come for the first time in three weeks. Gold futures for April delivery closed lower by $3.60, or 0.2%, at $1,823.20 per ounce. On a weekly basis, the yellow metal most …

The United States Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen, called upon G7 countries to go big on stimulus spending to help economies recover from the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic. Yellen’s remarks on Friday came during a meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank leaders, Reuters reported. “The time …

European stocks reversed earlier losses and closed higher on Friday, to score their second consecutive week of gains. The STOXX Europe 600 index finished higher for the day by 0.64%, registering weekly gains of 1% and rising to its best level in three weeks. The French CAC40 index gained 0.60%, …

Consumer sentiment in the United States declined in early February, data showed on Friday. The consumer sentiment index fell to a reading of 76.2, down from 79 in January, according to the University of Michigan. Surveyed consumers are less optimistic about economic recovery, despite the expectations for a new huge …

The U.S. Dollar (USD) is showing a positive performance on Friday, but remains on track to score weekly losses. This week’s jobs data in the United States showed that the economic recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic is slower than previously expected. The Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the Dollar’s performance …

Wholesale Sales in Canada fell by 1.3% in December to $66.5 billion, the monthly report published by Statistics Canada showed on Friday. This reading followed November’s increase of 0.7% and came in better than the market expectation for a decrease of 1.6%.