Market Update

Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said on Wednesday that failing to reach a new stimulus package is the biggest risk facing the economic outlook, other than the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “Premature withdrawal of fiscal support would risk allowing recessionary dynamics to become entrenched, holding back employment and spending.”“Apart from the …

President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Loretta Mester, said on Wednesday that the Fed’s new approach should help the economy against the COVID-19 crisis. “While monetary policy that leads to a stable macroeconomy encourages financial stability, it is also possible that in an environment with low neutral rates, …

The President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Robert Kaplan, said on Wednesday that he expects the United States economy will shrink by about 2.5% in 2020, and then grow by 3.5% in 2021. Kaplan expects the pandemic will continue to impact daily life well into next year, noting …

The British Pound (GBP) surged on Wednesday, supported by renewed hopes for a trade agreement between the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). Earlier today, the EU Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, said an agreement is possible if both parties are ready to work constructively and in a spirit …

Crude oil inventories in the United States declined last week, according to data released by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Wednesday. The EIA weekly report showed that oil stockpiles decreased by one million barrels in the week that ended on October 16 to a total of 488.1 million …

Russia’s economy shrank 3.3% year-on-year in September, data showed on Tuesday, following a sharp 3.7% decline in August. The economy ministry said Q3 saw the Russin economy shrink 3.8% year-on-year, compared with an 8% drop in Q2. Added that the economy fell 3.5% in the first nine months of this …

Official data revealed on Wednesday that the British government borrowed 36.101 billion pounds last month, which exceeds 33.55 billion pounds of forecasts by a Reuters poll, bringing borrowing in the first half of the financial year to a record level of 208.5 billion pounds. Separately, the Office for National Statistics …

Official data showed on Wednesday that home prices in Britain rose 2.5% in August compared to a year ago, compared to a 2.1% annual increase in July, largely in line with the growth rate before the Corona pandemic. The Office for National Statistics said August data largely represented sales agreed …

The dollar fell to its lowest level in the month of Wednesday after US President Donald Trump raised hopes for a major fiscal stimulus package, sparking a wave of optimism in the market that saw traders turn to bet on higher-risk currencies. Negotiations between US lawmakers have continued in Washington …

Oil prices fell on Wednesday after a sudden increase in US crude stocks stoked fears of a global supply glut, and the rise in COVID-19 cases exacerbated concerns about a slow recovery in fuel demand. Brent crude futures for December delivery were at 42.70 dollars a barrel, down 46 cents, …