- Global stock markets are mostly slightly higher despite lingering concerns about resurgent inflation, especially in the U.S.
- Cryptocurrencies seem to be bottoming out after falling very sharply last week. It appears as if Bitcoin may be stabilizing just above $30k, while Ethereum is looking weaker, having recently made a new lower low below $3k.
- The precious metal gold is acting bullishly and seems set to test its recent multi-month high soon at about $1890. It remains an effective buy, as the bullish momentum suggests that still higher prices are likely to be reached over the coming days.
- It is a public holiday today in France, Germany, Switzerland and Canada.
- Last week saw a third consecutive weekly fall in global new confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths, suggesting that the current wave of the pandemic is starting to retreat. The effects of the vaccination programs in the most developed economies are being felt.
- Total confirmed new coronavirus cases worldwide stand at over 167.5 million with an average case fatality rate of 2.08%.
- The fastest progression in terms of immunizing a population against the coronavirus in all but the smallest states has been in Israel, which has given at least one shot to 63% of its entire population followed by the U.K. at 56%. For most of the world, a vaccine still remains distant. However, the pace of vaccination in the European Union, which now has immunized 35% of its population, has picked up significantly. In the U.S., 49% of the population has been vaccinated.
- The rate of new coronavirus infections appears to now be increasing most quickly in Afghanistan, Argentina, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, Malaysia, Oman, Paraguay, Sri Lanka, Trinidad, Uruguay, and Vietnam.