Market Update

The European Central Bank (ECB) reportedly sees no need for drastic action to curb recent developments in the bond market, Blomberg reports, citing officials familiar with discussions. The officials said that the ECB believes that the risk to the economy is manageable via verbal interventions and QE/PEPP flexibility. “The ECB …

The UK services sector activity came less than expectations in February, the final report from IHS Markit came out this Wednesday. The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) was revised higher to 49.5 in February versus 49.7 expected and a 49.7 – last month’s flash reading.

The dollar, which is generally considered a safe haven, remained weak on Wednesday, March 3rd, as Treasury yields continued to decline, restoring some calm to global markets and sparking renewed demand for riskier assets. Riskier currencies, including the Australian dollar and the Norwegian kroner, held onto the two-day streak of …

Gold prices fell on Wednesday, March 3, to fall for the sixth session in seven sessions, as the yellow metal, which does not yield a return, has been under pressure due to expectations that US Treasury revenues will rise thanks to more economic stimulus. Spot gold fell 0.3% to $1732.51 …

Oil prices fell to their lowest in two weeks on the expectation that the OPEC+ group will ease restrictions on supplies during its meeting later this week as economies begin to recover from the Coronavirus pandemic. OPEC Secretary-General Muhammad Barkindo said that the outlook for oil demand looks more positive, …

Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said on Tuesday that she is paying close attention to market developments, referring to last week’s surge in U.S. Treasury yields to their highest level in about a year. “Some of those moves last week and the speed of the moves caught my eye.”“I would …

The President of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Mary Daly, said on Tuesday that rising Treasury yields are worth monitoring by the central bank but should not lead to a change in the Fed’s policies. Daly noted that changes in equity markets sometimes run counter to the real …

The main indices of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) finished Tuesday lower, despite U.S. Treasury yields continuing to decline from their record levels, with Wall Street investors anticipating the passing of the $1.9 trillion stimulus package by the Senate. The market’s decline was led by the losses of the …

Treasury yields in the United States continued to decline on Tuesday for the third consecutive session, as remarks by Federal Reserve officials highlighted the focus on the bond market. The benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield decreased by 3.1 basis points to 1.413%. Return on the 30-year bond fell by 0.5 …

Crude oil inventories in the United States increased by about 7.4 million barrels last week, according to data by the American Petroleum Institute (API) on Tuesday. Gasoline inventories declined by 9.9 million barrels, while distillate stockpiles fell by 9.1 million barrels. Earlier today, Brent crude futures for May delivery fell …