The week begins with the US Dollar strengthening against all other G10 currencies as Bitcoin, Crude Oil, and European currencies are selling off.
- Global stock markets are trading mostly lower as the US Dollar starts the week by gaining against all the other G10 currencies. US Treasury yields are also rising. There is a flow into safe havens on deteriorating sentiment, but the sentiment is not very strong. Reported coronavirus deaths in China are causing fears of further enforced economic slowdowns there.
- WTI Crude Oil is trading lower, heading towards its recent long-term lows which may be tested over the coming days. The decline is partly due to the previously mentioned China worries.
- In the Forex market, while the US Dollar is clearly the strongest major currency as it is gaining almost everywhere, the Euro and the British Pound are currently the weakest major currencies.
- Daily new global coronavirus cases remained steady last week, maintaining a downwards trend which began last July.
- It is estimated that 68.4% of the world’s population has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccination.
- Total confirmed new coronavirus cases worldwide stand at over 643.1 million with an average case fatality rate of 1.05%.
- The rate of new coronavirus infections appears to now be significantly increasing only in China, Japan, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.
