- Yesterday saw the benchmark broad U.S. stock market index, the S&P 500, close at an all-time high. The index is likely to rise further over coming days. The technology index the NASDAQ 100 did the same. Global stock markets are notably less bullish.
- In the Forex market, the USD is clearly the strongest major currency, while the British pound, euro, and Australian and New Zealand dollars look to be the weakest.
- WTI Crude Oil futures have fallen strongly from the new 2.5-year high price printed yesterday well above $74.
- Major cryptocurrencies rose yesterday after having threatened serious technical breakdowns.
- Last week saw the first weekly rise in global new confirmed coronavirus cases, suggesting that the pandemic is advancing again due to the spread of the more highly infectious Delta (Indian) variant. There is increasing concern over this in some countries, notably Australia which has begun a partial lockdown as local transmission seems to be beginning.
- It is estimated that 22.6% of the world’s population has received at least one vaccination against the novel coronavirus.
- Total confirmed new coronavirus cases worldwide stand at over 182.2 million with an average case fatality rate of 2.17%.
- The fastest progression in terms of immunizing a population against the coronavirus in all but the smallest states has been in Iceland, Bermuda, Kuwait, Bhutan, Israel, Chile, Uruguay, and Canada, which have given at least one shot to between 76% and 63% of their respective populations. For most of the world, a vaccine still remains distant. However, the pace of vaccination in the European Union, which now has immunized 50% of its population, has picked up significantly. In the U.S., 54% of the population has been vaccinated.
- The rate of new coronavirus infections appears to now be increasing most quickly in Algeria, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, Colombia, Cuba, Fiji, Guatemala, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait (despite its high level of vaccination), Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Oman, Panama, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, and the United Kingdom (despite its high level of vaccination).
Forex Today: S&P 500, NASDAQ Hit Record Highs
Adam Lemon
The broader U.S. stock market - especially tech - continues to advance to record highs.