In December, there was another noticeable decrease in construction activity in the UK, although the pace of decline slowed down to its lowest point since the current phase of reduction began in September. The primary factor hindering construction output was a persistent decline in house building, attributed by survey respondents Continue Reading
FTSE
The FTSE 100 steadied after a positive start on Wednesday as gains in personal care stocks were offset by losses in miners. Personal care, drug, and grocery stores sector gained 1.3%, reaching a two-month high. However, industrial metal miners slipped 1.7% due to a decline in copper prices. Among single Continue Reading
Bitcoin Rallies to Kick Off 2024
Bitcoin initiates a rally in 2024, with other currencies following suit. Bitcoin surged approximately 5%, surpassing $45,800, reaching its highest level since March 2022. Ether also experienced a gain of over 3%, reaching $2,400, driven by optimism surrounding the potential approval of a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) by US Continue Reading
DXY
The dollar index concluded the year with a 2% decline, marking its first yearly drop since 2020. This follows a roughly 15% increase over the previous two years, driven by expectations that the Federal Reserve might initiate interest rate cuts as early as March of the next year. After a Continue Reading
Hong Kong Stock Market Index (HK50)
On Tuesday, the Hang Seng index experienced a significant decline of 305.81 points or 1.54%, closing at 19,607.08. This drop continued the previous session’s losses and reflected growing concerns about China’s economy, which remains stagnant despite the central bank’s recent decision to reduce key lending rates. Market participants were hoping Continue Reading
EU Natural Gas
In the latter half of June, natural gas futures in Europe retreated to approximately €30 per megawatt hour after reaching a nearly two-month peak of €49.95 on June 15th. However, they remain 20% higher compared to the previous month, primarily due to concerns about the gas supply. The Netherlands is Continue Reading
United Kingdom Government Bond 10Y
The yield on the 10-year UK gilt continued its upward trajectory, surpassing the 4.4% mark and reaching its highest level since October 2022, as investors eagerly awaited the Bank of England’s policy meeting scheduled for Thursday. The two-year gilt yield also exceeded 4.95%, a level not seen since the 2008 Continue Reading
FTSE 100
On Friday, the FTSE 100 experienced a 0.2% increase, primarily driven by defensive sectors such as utilities, healthcare, and consumer staples. Nevertheless, Travis Perkins, a leading supplier of building materials, saw a significant decline of nearly 7% due to a profit warning. The overall weekly gain of 1% in the Continue Reading
German Retail Sales Plunge Most Since 1980 as Inflation Bites
Sales fall nearly 10% from previous year, most since 1980 Slump driven by non-essential items such as clothes, furniture German retail sales plummeted in June as consumers cut spending on non-essential goods to cope with record inflation. Sales were down 9.8% from the previous year, the most since 1980 — Continue Reading
Pfizer’s Second-Quarter Results Top Street Views Boosted by COVID-19 Vaccine Sales; Raises Low End of Earnings Outlook
Pfizer recorded a 92% jump in second-quarter earnings that exceeded analysts’ expectations as the drugmaker recorded an “all-time” high in quarterly COVID-19 vaccine sales and lifted the lower end of its full-year profit outlook range. The company on Thursday posted adjusted earnings of $2.04 per share, advancing from $1.06 a Continue Reading