After what was a frigid month across the country, February housing starts declined in the US. February saw a historic chill in Texas and elsewhere in the region — in addition to inclement weather in other, traditionally colder parts of the country — that led to many losing power and a decline in natural gas […]
Category: Macroeconomics
This Morning in Metals: DOC finds dumping, subsidization of common alloy aluminum sheet
This morning in metals news: the Department of Commerce said imports of common alloy aluminum sheet from 18 countries are being dumped and benefiting from subsidies; Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard this week commented on the US’s economic outlook; and the copper price has retraced somewhat over the last week. DOC makes common alloy aluminum […]
This Morning in Metals: Gold price, US dollar retrace while Bitcoin surges
This morning in metals news: the gold price continues to slide; the Federal Reserve released its latest Monetary Policy Report; and the record freeze in Texas is disrupting natural gas production. Gold price weakens After surging to around $2,035 per ounce in August, the gold price for the most part trended in a band between […]
US GDP rises 4.0%, short of expectations, to close tumultuous 2020
US GDP finished 2020 on a positive note, rising by 4.0% in the fourth quarter, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported today. US GDP gains — but falls short of expectations With that said, US GDP gains in Q4 fell short of expectations. The country continued to deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic […]
Indian economy devastated by coronavirus pandemic is showing signs of recovery
India came in for considerable criticism over its reaction to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the first wave. Locking down the economy almost overnight and trapping millions of migrant workers from returning home, only to then release them a week or two later to flood out into rural areas and spread the virus, […]
A view of the U.S. presidential election from across the pond
As poll workers continue to count the final votes in the U.S. presidential election, it looks like we have a Biden victory — not by the landslide he and many of his supporters had hoped for, but a victory nevertheless. There will be ongoing legal arguments, demands for recounts, and claims of fraud. However, the […]
The market’s reaction to the U.S. presidential election results so far
Markets are sharing wider society’s caution today, as early results show the U.S. presidential election result is in the balance. Against some predictions, the incumbent has held on to Florida and thereby kept himself firmly in the running. Other swing states may not see results for 24 or even 48 hours. Postal votes received before […]
Europe goes back into lockdowns, growth forecast to collapse — again
Global stock markets took a battering last week. Investors finally woke up to the resurgence of COVID infections in Europe and the series of national lockdowns. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a one-month lockdown over the weekend. The U.K.’s lockdown adds to those already in place in the other parts of the U.K. and […]
Renminbi gains strength against the U.S. dollar
For buyers purchasing goods and materials from China, an unwelcome trend over the summer has been gradual gains in the Renminbi’s (RMB) strength. We’re offering timely emails with exclusive analyst commentary and some best practice advice – and you choose how often you receive it. Sign up today. RMB gains against the dollar The Chinese […]
India’s economy struggles as coronavirus cases rise
India faces a dilemma — the country has the second-highest coronavirus caseload in the world at 4.2 million people and its economy is struggling. India overtook Brazil this week, as it reported a record 90,000+ new cases on Saturday and nearly 92,000 on Sunday. Yet, despite surging infections, India desperately needs to get its economy […]