- Stock markets have been mostly rising, with several major indices hitting new all-time high prices. The risk-on year-end rally has been boosted by the passage of a new economic stimulus bill in the U.S., although the U.S. Senate seems poised to keep individual payouts capped at $600 instead of the $2K that the President and House want, which has slightly dampened the bullishness.
- Most major currencies are in strong, long-term bullish trends against the U.S. dollar, with the euro and the Australian dollar hitting multi-year high prices. These trends are now reasserting themselves, with the dollar clearly the weakest major currency while the euro and Australian dollar look strong.
- The British Parliament will vote on the Brexit trade deal agreed last week with the E.U. today. It is almost certain to be passed.
- Last week was the first in a while when daily reported new coronavirus cases and deaths did not reach a new all-time high globally, raising some hope the rate of exponential spread of the virus may be slackening.
- Global coronavirus deaths have increased dramatically since early October to reach a level approximately 70% higher than the peak last April. However, new cases and deaths have fallen in both the European Union and in the U.S.A. The U.S.A. is currently confirming an average of more than 177,000 new cases daily and more than 2,100 deaths per day.
- Total confirmed new coronavirus cases worldwide stand at over 81.9 million with an average case fatality rate of 2.18%.
- The coronavirus vaccine drive has been criticized in the U.S. and E.U. for its relatively slow pace so far. It has been progressing fastest in Israel, which has already administered a first shot to 21% of its population over the age of 60.
- The rate of new coronavirus infections appears to now be increasing most quickly in Andorra, Bahrain, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Ireland, Israel, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kosovo, Mali, Malta, Mongolia, Montenegro, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia, and the U.K.