Market Update

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) closed the first day of the week and the last of August mixed, but was able to achieve high monthly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished lower by 223.82 points, or 0.78%, at 28,430.05 points. The S&P 500 index declined by 7.70 points, …

The US Treasury yields declined on Monday amid increased selling pressures at the end of the month. The 10-year Treasury bond yield decreased by 3.2 basis points to 0.695%, reducing its increase during the month of August to 15.9 basis points. As for the 30-year bond yield, a fall of …

Oil prices closed lower on Monday, limiting its fifth consecutive monthly rise, amid a mixed demand outlook. Brent crude futures for November delivery decreased by 53 cents, or 1.2%, to finish at $45.28 per barrel. The global benchmark Brent futures are now higher by 4.6% during the month of August, …

Gold prices rose on Monday, supported by the US Dollar’s decline, however, it finished lower for the month. The yellow metal futures for December delivery settled higher by $3.70, or 0.2%, at $1,978.60 per ounce. On a monthly basis, the precious metal lost about 0.4% during the month of August.

The President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Raphael Bostic, said on Monday that monetary policy tools are not the best way to confront the COVID-19 crisis, signaling fears regarding the failure of the Congress in agreeing on a new stimulus package. “We have signaled pretty clearly that we …

A rise in wages across the United States does not necessarily reflect the job market strength, according to new research by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. An economic letter titled “The Illusion of Wage Growth” noted that despite a sharp spike in unemployment since March 2020, aggregate wage …

European stocks closed lower on Monday but was able to able record monthly gains during August, supported by an improved investors’ sentiment on positive news about COVID-19 vaccine and treatments. STOXX Europe 600 closed down by 0.62% at 366.51, up by 2.8% for the August. The UK’s FTSE100 lost 0.61%, …

The United States Federal Reserve Vice Chairman, Richard Clarida, said on Monday that there is a possibility of employing Treasury yield caps in the future, Bloomberg reported. “Yield caps and targets were not warranted in the current environment but should remain an option that the committee could reassess in the …

The US Dollar (USD) is close to ending August as its fourth consecutive month of losses, marking its worst performance in August in five years. Consecutive losses are taking the USD to levels not seen in 2018, according to a recent report by Reuters. The Dollar Index (DXY), which measures …

The S&P 500 index hit a record high on Monday for the sixth straight session and on the path of achieving its best performance in August in decades, as bets were placed on the economic recovery with the Fed’s continued support the index. The S&P 500 index opened up 0.05%, …