Market Update

Oil prices closed Tuesday on a mixed note, amid continuous fears about the resurgence of the Coronavirus pandemic in many countries with concerns about the rollout and the efficacy of the vaccines. However, output disruptions continued to provide some support for crude prices. The global benchmark, Brent crude futures for …

Gold prices declined on Tuesday for the fourth consecutive session, despite the U.S. Dollar (USD) declining across the board, amid an improved risk appetite among investors and reduced demand for safe havens. Markets are anticipating the outcome of the United States Federal Reserve policy meeting, which concludes on Wednesday. The …

The United States Housing Price Index rose by 1% last November, data by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) showed on Tuesday. On an annual basis, house prices increased by 11% between November 2019 and November 2020. October’s reading that showed a 1.5% increase remained unchanged.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is now more optimistic about the recovery of the global economy, as shown by the latest World Economic Outlook released on Tuesday. The IMF sees the global economy growing by 5.5% in 2021, compared with its expectations in October of 5.2% growth. As for 2022, …

European stocks closed higher on Tuesday, following two consecutive declines, supported by a positive performance by major market sectors led by chemicals and financial sectors, as well as good financial results by a number of major listed companies. The rise of European stock markets also comes amid an overall improvement …

The U.S. Dollar (USD) is declining across the board on Tuesday, as investors are seeking riskier currencies as assets amid an improvement in the risk appetite. Concerns about the problems facing the rollout of Coronavirus vaccines around the world as well as the rising number of new COVID-19 cases helped …

The Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index declined from 19 in December to 14 in January, data by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond showed on Tuesday. Despite the decline, the index remained in the expansion territory. Manufacturers reported lengthening vendor lead times, as this index rose to 39, its highest reading …

Consumer confidence in the United States increased during in January, despite worries about the Coronavirus pandemic, data showed on Tuesday. The consumer confidence index by the Conference Board rose to a reading of 89.3 in January from 87.1 in December.

The Regional Business Activity Index of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Nonmanufacturing Business Outlook Survey improved to -17.5 in January from -26.6 in December.

In its latest World Economic Outlook report, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised up its forecast for 2021 global economic growth to 5.5% from 5.2% in October’s publication, as reported by Reuters. “IMF forecasts 2020 global economic contraction at 3.5% vs. October forecast of 4.4% contraction, cites stronger-than-expected momentum in …