Market Update

The European Central Bank faces a difficult situation as it needs to decide whether to resort to a more monetary stimulus or whether to take smaller steps to address the current risks. The euro was one of the best performing currencies, up 8% against the dollar so far while it …

Oil prices ended Wednesday on a mixed note, following a surprise surge in crude inventories in the United States last week. Brent crude futures for February delivery added 2 cents to close $48.86 a barrel. Meanwhile, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures for January delivery fell by 8 cents to …

Gold prices declined for the first time this week, after two consecutive rises, as both the US Treasury yields and the US Dollar (USD) rose on Wednesday. In addition, positive news about Coronavirus vaccines are limiting demand for safe havens. Gold futures for February delivery decreased by $36.40, or 1.9%, …

European stocks closed higher on Wednesday, with growing anticipation for the outcomes of the post-Brexit trade talks. The STOXX Europe 600 index finished up by 0.4%, supported by the gains of major market sectors. The UK’s FTSE100, the main index of the London Stock Exchange (LSE), edged up by 0.08%. …

Crude oil inventories in the United States surged last week, data by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed on Wednesday. Oil stockpiles went up by 15.2 million barrels in the week to December 4, reaching a total of 503.2 million barrels. This is the largest rise in crude oil inventories …

Wholesale inventories in the United States rose in October, according to data by the Department of Commerce release on Wednesday. Wholesale inventories rose by 1.1% in October, instead of an initially estimated 0.9%. On an annual basis, inventories decline by 2.2% in October 2020, compared with the same month of …

New job openings in the United increased during the month of October, as the American economy is recovering from the Coronavirus crisis, data showed on Wednesday. Job openings grew to 6.65 million by the end of October from 6.49 million in September, according to the US Department of Labor’s monthly …

The S&P 500 Index hit a record high moments after the opening Wednesday, amid demand for stocks sensitive to economic developments such as banks and industrial companies sparked hopes for a vaccine-fueled recovery and more US fiscal stimulus. The S&P 500 opened up 3.73 points, equivalent to 0.10%, to reach …

The Bank of Canada (BoC) maintained its target for the overnight rate at the effective lower bound of 0.25%, with the Bank Rate at 0.5% and the deposit rate at 0.25%.

China’s CPI fell in November for the first time in nearly a decade as food prices fell. The Chinese National Statistics Office said the Consumer Price Index, a gauge of inflation that measures the prices of a basket of consumer goods and services, fell 0.5% in November compared to a …