- U.S. non-tech stock market indices advanced to new record highs as a huge stimulus bill is passed. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones 30 indices traded at new all-time highs. Both indices are likely to continue rising over the coming days. U.S. Treasury yields have begun falling.
- In the Forex market, trading has been mixed. However, the USD/JPY currency pair reached a new multi-month high yesterday, so the price of this pair is likely to rise higher over the coming days.
- Bitcoin has fallen strongly by more than 10% since its all-time high last weekend. However, bulls retain hope of reversing the move as the price has not breached a series of key support levels, which begin at $52,664. The Indian government is reportedly considering introducing a law which would effect a total ban on ownership of or dealing in cryptocurrency.
- There will be a release today of U.S. retail sales data.
- A total of eleven European nations have now halted use of the AstraZeneca (Oxford) vaccine over a fear it may cause blood clots. The World Health Organization maintains that the vaccine is safe.
- Global coronavirus deaths have fallen sharply over the past five weeks to reach a level 35% lower than the peak. However, new confirmed cases rose again last week for the third week in a row.
- Total confirmed new coronavirus cases worldwide stand at over 120.7 million with an average case fatality rate of 2.21%.
- Brazil is suffering from a strong wave of infections, and is currently accounting for more than a fifth of the entire known global coronavirus daily death toll. Its health service is severely strained and the government intends to appoint the fourth new heath minister since the pandemic began.
- Coronavirus is spreading again in Europe leading to new lockdown measures being imposed in a few countries, notably Italy.
- The fastest progression in terms of immunizing a population against the coronavirus in all but the smallest states has been in Israel, which has already administered a first shot of the Pfizer vaccine to 56% of its entire population and a second dose to 46% (which includes more than 90% of over-50s who have either received a shot or recovered from coronavirus). The U.A.E. ranks second, with 66 shots given per 100 people. For most of the world, a vaccine remains distant. Progress remains slow in the hard-hit European Union with not a single member state having yet fully vaccinated even 5% of its population. Denmark and Austria have begun exploring ways of boosting their vaccine provision outside E.U. structures.
- The rate of new coronavirus infections appears to now be increasing most quickly in Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Lebanon, Mali, Malta, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, and Serbia.