Market Update

Businesses in the United States showed their strongest monthly output expansion in about six years this month, data showed on Friday. As the American economy is recovering from the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, the service sector activity expanded and the manufacturing sector maintained output growth at a slightly slower …

Goldman Sachs said in a note that a wave of freezing weather in Texas caused blackouts and disruptions to refineries and pipelines that would have a limited and only temporary impact on the global oil market. Oil prices fell by up to 2% on Friday, due to fears that the …

The data from the UK showed on Friday that the CBI’s Manufacturing Order Book Balance rose to -24 in February from -38 in January and surpassed the market expectation of -35.  Furthermore, the Manufacturing Output Expectations Balance jumped to -2 from -24 in January.

European Central Bank data showed that the eurozone’s current account surplus widened in December due to a higher trade surplus and a larger contraction of the secondary income deficit, which includes outflows such as remittances and taxes. The 19-nation bloc, which deals in euros, recorded a current account surplus of …

Bitcoin hit a new record high on Friday and is moving towards achieving a market value of $ 1 trillion, ignoring analysts’ warnings that it constitutes an “economic sideways supply” and a flimsy hedge against falling stock prices. The value of the most popular cryptocurrency in the world jumped 2.6% …

Oil prices fell by more than 1% today, Friday, to continue declines recorded overnight, due to fears that refineries will take time to resume operations after a wave of freezing weather in the American South, causing a gap in demand, while OPEC+ supplies are expected to rise. Brent crude futures …

The preliminary reading for service PMI in Germany showed a drop to 45.9 in February 2021 versus 46.7 last and below expectations of 46.5. Soft figures indicated the fastest decline in service production since May of last year, As isolation measures due to Coronavirus continue to weigh on service activity

The German manufacturing sector expanded more-than-expected in February, the preliminary manufacturing activity report from IHS/Markit research showed this Friday. The Manufacturing PMI in Eurozone’s economic power house came in 60.6 at this month vs. 56.5 expected and 57.1 prior.

The UK retail sales came in at -8.2% over the month in January vs. -2.5% expected and 0.3% last. The core retail sales, excluding the auto motor fuel sales, stood at -8.8% MoM vs. -2.6% expected and 0.4% last. On an annualized basis, the UK retail sales dropped by 5.9% …

The Eurozone manufacturing sector activity improved more-than-expected this month, the latest manufacturing activity survey from IHS/Markit research showed on Friday. The Eurozone Manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) improved from 54.8 in January to 57.7 in February and beat 54.4 expectations while the Services PMI dropped to 44.7 in Feb vs. …