Market Update

The Bank of England (BoE) has decided to ease some of the restrictions that it imposed on the banking sector to help face the economic consequences of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. After suspending dividends, bonuses, and share buy-backs until the end of 2020, the BoE has told Britain’s largest banks …

The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose during Thursday’s trade to their highest level in about eight months, since early March. WTI is up by 3.84% or $1.75, trading at $47.27 a barrel. A recent agreement between members of the OPEC+ alliance to raise output by much less than …

European stocks closed lower on Thursday, following the European Central Bank’s (ECB) decision to expand its stimulus program and amid uncertainty surrounding post-Brexit trade talks between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK). The STOXX Europe 600 index finished lower by 0.4%, despite a positive performance by oil …

Inflation in the US, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was 0.2% in November, the report published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed on Thursday. On a yearly basis, the CPI stayed unchanged at 1.2%. Further details of the publication showed that the Core CPI, which …

According to data, unemployment in Turkey decreased to 12.7% in the third-quarter ending in September, as the economic movement accelerated between the first and second waves of the Coronavirus. The unemployment rate is the lowest since the end of 2018, when the currency crisis pushed the economy into recession. Unemployment …

Credit rating agency Fitch raised its forecast this week for Chinese economic growth next year, based on increased domestic demand and expectations of a coronavirus vaccine deployment. Fitch now expects China’s GDP to expand 8% in 2021, up from the 7.7% forecast in September. “This would be much higher than …

The European Central Bank (ECB) decided to leave the interest rates on the main refinancing operations, the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility unchanged at 0.00%, 0.25% and -0.50%, respectively, as expected. The ECB further announced that it decided to increase the envelope under the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme …

The euro stabilized Thursday, December 10, before the European Central Bank unveiled new stimulus measures, while the British pound fell after trade talks on Brexit were extended until the next few days, seeking an elusive breakthrough. European Central Bank officials have made clear in recent weeks that a larger program …

Official figures showed that the recovery of the British economy almost stopped in October due to the high number of cases of Coronavirus, which dealt a blow to the hospitality sector. The Office for National Statistics said gross domestic product rose 0.4% month-on-month, which is in line with expectations in …

Not much changed in European stocks Thursday, December 10 after a meeting between the leaders of Britain and the European Union on a trade deal failed to yield progress, while investors were reluctant to make big bets due to an awaited decision from the European Central Bank later today. The …