Market Update

Gold prices declined on Thursday, after the most recent meeting minutes by the United States Federal Reserve hinted at potentially further easing in monetary policy. The yellow metal’s decline comes despite the Dollar index (DXY) returning to the downward trend, on the back of an increase in jobless claims in …

Banks in South Africa have provided loan reliefs worth ZAR 537 billion ($31 billion) since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, according to the South African Ministry of Finance, Reuters reported. An increase in bad loans and impairment charges is negatively impacting the South African banking sector and the …

The British Pound (GBP) is rising against the US Dollar (USD), on the back of the latter’s decline. A surge in inflation in the UK and anticipation for a trade deal between London and the European Union (EU) are providing support for the GBP, while an increase in jobless claims …

A lawsuit by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to block the enforcement of the release of tax records has been dismissed by a court ruling on Thursday. The verdict was built on the logic that the case could provide undue expansion of presidential immunity, Reuters reported. Trump …

The U.S. Treasury yields declined on Thursday, following the release of unemployment data. The number of people applying for jobless claims in the United States rose above one million once more, reaching 1.1 million last week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury …

European stocks closed lower on Thursday, following expectations by the US Federal Reserve that the COVID-19 will weigh heavily on economic activity on the short-term. The pan-continental STOXX Europe 600 settled lower by 1%. The UK’s FTSE100 also declined by 1.61%, while the French index CAC40 finished lower by 1.33%. …

White House economic adviser and the Director of the National Economic Council, Larry Kudlow, said on Thursday that the Trump administration is still engaged in the first phase of the trade deal between the United States and China, Reuters reported. The Trump administration is also pleased with the agreement’s progress …

Airbnb, the short-term home and room rental company, has confidentially filed on Wednesday for an initial public offering (IPO), Reuters reported. A recent report by the Wall Street Journal suggested that the company could go public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as early as before the end of …

Natural gas storage inventories in the United States increased last week, data showed on Thursday. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), natural gas stockpiles rose during the week ended on August 14 by 43 billion cubic feet, in line with market expectations. Natural gas futures did not change …

An internal OPEC + report seen by Reuters showed that some members of the group of oil-producing countries will need to reduce production by an additional amount of 2.31 million barrels per day to compensate for the recent excess supplies. The report said that the surplus recorded in the period …