Market News

Despite the geopolitical turmoil in the rest of the Middle East, Israel's stock market continues to be a stellar outperformer.

Disappointing economic data out of the US which showed a decline in the key manufacturing sector hinted of a possibly significant slowdown of the US economy during the first quarter.

The dollar nursed modest losses on Thursday, having suffered a setback on fresh signs that the U.S. economy slowed significantly in the first quarter a factor that could delay the Federal Reserve's decision to begin hiking interest rates.

The US Dollar edged lower in European trading after a disappointing Tankan survey, a report which shows business sentiment in Japan, which paradoxically gave the safe haven Japanese Yen a boost even as it weighed on Japanese equities.

Greece failed to reach an initial deal with the European Union and the IMF to unlock aid after the creditors dismissed a package of reforms from Athens as ideas rather than a concrete plan, officials said on Tuesday.

As the end of this quarter draws to a close, the common currency Euro is poised to record its single worst quarter ever.

Confidence in the euro zone’s economy rose for a fourth straight month in March to its highest since July 2011, a European Commission survey showed on Monday, suggesting the weak euro and lower oil prices are spurring the recovery.

In spite of the recent Federal Reserve policy decision which was surprisingly and decidedly dovish, the head of the US central bank, Janet Yellen, confirmed over the weekend that the Fed could begin gradually raising interest rates later in the year.

Economists and investors are anxious about the March U.S. labor market report due out in the next week which could be the deciding factor in when the Federal Reserve will spring its first interest rate hike.

This week does not look like it is going to be especially eventful. Nearly all western countries, with the notable exception of the U.S.A., will be going on public holiday this Friday for Easter. This is a major holiday and we can expect to see a falling-off of volumes in the financial market towards the end of the week.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is in an unpleasant position these days facing a market uncertain of where it is heading in the near future.

Asian stocks were mixed on Friday as rising tensions in the Middle East obscured the investment outlook, while the dollar rebounded.

A growing crisis in Yemen has fueled concerns that the Middle East is on the verge of becoming a powder keg for geopolitical tensions which has sent investors rushing to safe haven currencies like the Japanese Yen and the Swiss Franc.

Brent crude oil price surged $3 in Asian trading on Thursday after Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies began a military operation in Yemen. Asian importers, however, said they were not immediately worried about supply disruptions.

The ECB’s quantitative easing program, which had initially kept the pressure on the Euro, seems to have provided a lift in sentiment among the Eurozone’s business community.