December 29. What awaits European stock market after Brexit?

Experts predict that the European financial market will face big changes after the UK's final exit from the European Union in 2021. The fact is that after Brexit, euro-denominated assets (stocks and derivatives) will be withdrawn from London exchanges, and the long-term consequences of such changes are not yet clear.

The trade agreement between London and Brussels last week does not cover the financial sector. This means that UK access to EU financial markets will end on December 31st. And the consequences of this can be seen already on January 4, the first day of trading in the new year. Analysts also note that the EU wants to reduce its dependence on London for financial services and increase the volume of trading in euro assets in Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam and other financial centers of continental Europe. As a result, the European stock and bond markets will split up, which could result in higher tariffs for investors.

From January 4, EU banks will carry out operations only on the territory of the block and will abandon British platforms (Cboe Europe, Aquis Exchange, Turquoise and Goldman Sachs). According to David Hewson, President of Cboe Europe, virtually all cross-border transactions in European stocks will move to other sites in one day, which will be the largest shift in stock trading in the last two decades.

December 31. Senate Republicans blocked bill to increase payments to Americans

Republicans in the Senate have blocked a bill passed by the House of Representatives to increase the amount of incentive payments during the coronavirus pandemic from $600 to $2 thousand.

The head of the Republican majority in the US Senate, Mitch McConnell, said that he did not welcome the intention «to throw more borrowed money into the hands of rich Democratic friends who do not need help anyway.» Other demands of Donald Trump, in the form of an investigation of alleged violations in the presidential elections and establishing the responsibility of social networks for publishing content, the Democrats refused to discuss at all.

We recall that on Monday, the House of Representatives of the US Congress approved an increase in stimulus payments requested by President Donald Trump from $600 to $2 thousand. A day earlier, Trump signed the country's budget for the 2021st fiscal year in the amount of $2.3 trillion. The budget includes a $900 billion package of measures to support the economy in a pandemic.

January 04. Bitcoin kicks off the year with a new all-time high

On Monday, the value of bitcoin began to decline after renewing its historical high at $34,543 on Sunday. The current value of the cryptocurrency is $31.632. In the morning, the price dropped to $29,000.

The bitcoin rate began to grow in mid-December, quickly breaking first the 20,000 mark, and then the 30,000 mark.

Analysts do not agree on the future price dynamics. Some believe that Bitcoin has already reached its maximum values, and a price pullback will soon follow. Others predict growth throughout the year, and even maximum values ​​of $100,000.

Recall that the cryptocurrency is based on a decentralized system based on blockchain technology. New blocks of the system are created by its participants using computing devices, mainly video cards. However, the emission is limited by the creators: only 21 million bitcoins can exist, and now more than 19 million have already been created.

January 05. Experts named the key risks of 2021

Analysts of the consulting company Eurasia Group named the main risks for the economy, international politics and states in general, which they may face in 2021.

The first line in the ranking of the top 10 risks is occupied by the «divided America». Experts suggest that a huge part of the US population will consider the head of state illegitimate. For example, incumbent President Donald Trump's refusal to acknowledge presidential election results is a unique case in US history that signals a strong internal division in America.

The second risk is, of course, the coronavirus pandemic. Its further development threatens not only the lives and health of people, but also political stability and the world economy. Moreover, the distribution of vaccines can lead to the division of populations and states into haves and have-nots.

The third place in the ranking is taken by the fight against climate change. According to experts, global cooperation in this area can be replaced by competition.

In addition to these three points, the list of risks for 2021 includes growing tensions between China and the United States, difficulties with the international transfer of information and the likelihood of a conflict in cyberspace. Analysts also note the problems in the economies of Turkey and the Middle East, potential political risks in Germany associated with the resignation of Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as the political crisis in Latin America.

January 06. Trump bans transactions with Chinese payment services

US President Donald Trump signed a decree banning financial transactions with Chinese companies. The list of these companies includes corporations that control and develop applications for eight payment systems.

In particular, the ban included: Alipay, owned by Jack Ma's Ant Group, WeChat Pay, CamScanner, QQ Wallet, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate and WPS Office.

Trump explained his decision by the fact that these applications get access to confidential information of users, which can then be used by the Chinese authorities for their own purposes. However, the decree will enter into force only 45 days later, after the president leaves the White House. Moreover, the newly elected President of the United States, Joe Biden, has the power to revoke Trump's decree on the first day of his presidency, that is, January 20.

January 11. Oil has renewed its February 2020 high

On Monday, March Brent oil futures surpassed $56 per barrel for the first time since February 25, 2020. During the day, quotations decreased slightly, but still remained above the $55 per barrel level. March futures for the Texas WTI reached $51.56 a barrel.

The oil market began its growth last week, after Saudi Arabia announced its intention to reduce oil production by 1 million barrels per day in February and March. Earlier at a meeting, the OPEC+ countries decided to keep the current production restrictions. At the same time, Russia and Kazakhstan were allowed to increase oil production in aggregate by 75 thousand barrels per day.

Today, pressure on quotes continues to be exerted by investors' fears about the prospects for global economic growth and demand for raw materials amid the further spread of coronavirus in many regions of the world. Traders are confident that a worsening epidemiological situation will inevitably lead to a slowdown in economic activity.

Additional pressure on the oil market was provided by the Baker Hughes report, according to which the number of operating oil rigs increased by 8 units to 275, which corresponds to an 8-month high.

January 12. European markets decline amid doubts about vaccine effectiveness

European stocks on Tuesday traded in different directions, reacting to the statements of the US Federal Reserve officials about the likelihood of a reduction in monetary stimulus at the end of this year.

The German DAX index traded at 13.916 today, shedding 0.14%. The CAC 40 in France also declined to 5.654, while the UK FTSE fell to 6.744, shedding 0.66%.

Major global indices have recently shown gains thanks to incentives from central banks and local governments, as well as against the backdrop of the start of mass vaccinations against coronavirus. However, now investors are beginning to doubt the effectiveness of vaccination due to the emergence of new highly infectious strains of the virus.

January 13. Bitcoin shows worst dynamics since March 2020

On Wednesday, the most popular cryptocurrency drops in price, showing the worst trading dynamics since March 2020. Since the beginning of the new year, bitcoin has been showing increased volatility: until recently, the currency was updating its historical highs in the area of ​​$42 thousand, and today it is already trading near $34 thousand.

At the same time, JPMorgan bank experts previously said that the cost of bitcoin could jump up to $146 thousand if the cryptocurrency acts as a competitor to gold as a «safe haven».

The jump in the price of bitcoin at the end of 2020 came as a surprise to the markets. The previous sharp rise in the digital currency was recorded at the end of 2017, when quotes rose to the level of $20 thousand. After that, there was a certain lull in the cryptocurrency market, and bitcoin entered a period of a protracted depression that lasted until the spring of 2020.

In the spring, with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for bitcoin grew along with the appetite for risky assets amid massive injections from the US Federal Reserve and central banks of other countries.

January 14. The yield on Italian government bonds rises due to political chaos in Rome

The yield spread on Italian and German 10-year government bonds reached its highest level in a month amid political turmoil in Rome and slowdown in economic growth in the country – 116 basis points.

Italy has faced political chaos after the party of former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi left the government, stripping the ruling coalition of its parliamentary majority.

As a result, the yield on Italian government bonds rose by 4-7 basis points. The underlying 10-year yield rose 6 basis points to 0.617%.

January 15. German economy shrank by only 5% in 2020

According to preliminary data from the German Federal Statistical Office, the country's economy contracted by only 5% in 2020, less than expected. This was facilitated by the decisive measures of the German government, which made it possible to minimize the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The fall in GDP turned out to be less than the forecast of 5.1% and less serious than the record economic contraction in 2009 during the global financial crisis. The agency also noted that the German economy faced stagnation in the IV quarter of 2020, but analysts are still expecting positive dynamics in the new year.

Recall, that in March last year, the government of Angela Merkel took a number of measures to rescue and stimulate the largest economy in Europe. Specifically, incentives included helping companies struggling with the pandemic, job protection schemes for employees, tax cuts, and cash disbursements to boost domestic demand. The government also invested in green technologies and infrastructure.

January 18. German economy faces significant decline if restrictions are extended

The Bundesbank said today that the German economy still manages to stay afloat, but it could also face a «tangible blow» if the country extends restrictions to combat the coronavirus.

As early as autumn, Germany introduced tougher measures, such as the closure of some schools and shops, to restrict the movement of people and prevent the spread of Covid.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in favor of taking very quick measures to avoid mass morbidity. German authorities will meet this week to discuss tougher restrictions. However, the German central bank fears that if the measures are extended, the country's economy could be seriously affected.

January 19. Important macroeconomic publications of the day

Macroeconomic calendar on Tuesday does not differ in the variety of publications, however, attention should be paid to the following reports that can affect the dynamics of trading in the single European currency.

According to the report of the German Institute ZEW, the index of business sentiment in Germany, assessing business expectations, amounted to 61.8 points in January against 55.0 a month earlier. Analysts predicted the value of the January indicator at 55.1.

A similar report on business sentiment in the eurozone showed an increase in the indicator from 54.4 points in December to 58.3 points in January. Experts had expected the value of the January indicator at 54.1.

The German Federal Office for Statistics Destatis presented its final inflation report today. The consumer price index in Germany rose 0.5% in December, in line with preliminary data and analysts' forecasts. In annual terms, consumer inflation in December decreased by 0.7%.

January 20. Joe Biden takes over as President of the United States 

Today is a very important day for the United States of America – the inauguration of the new President-elect Joe Biden. The 78-year-old Democrat will become the oldest president in U.S. history and lead a country plagued by the coronavirus pandemic and political divisions.

Biden's companion Kamala Harris, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, will become the first black, first woman, and first Asian American to be elected US Vice President.

The inauguration ceremony will take place at the Capitol Building, where the unprecedented storming of the building by supporters of Donald Trump was organized on January 6. As a result of this «action», the US House of Representatives last week impeached the incumbent president for the second time, which also has never happened in the history of the country.

Contrary to tradition, the outgoing president will not be present at the inauguration of his successor: this morning D. Trump left the White House and Washington without admitting defeat in the elections.

January 21. ECB expectedly kept the base rate at zero level

The Board of Governors of the European Central Bank (ECB) at its meeting today kept the base interest rate at a record low zero, as expected by most experts. The rate has been at this level since March 2016.

The deposit rate was also left unchanged – at the level of minus 0.5%, while the margin rate remained at 0.25%.

The European regulator noted that it will keep all rates at (or below) the current level until inflation approaches the target level of 2%.

In addition to rates, the ECB left unchanged the parameters of the special asset purchase program Pandemic emergency purchase program (PEPP). At the moment, its volume is 1.85 trillion euros. The program will run at least until the end of March 2022.

January 25. Negative statistics from Germany dropped the euro

The euro rate, which showed growth in tandem with its main opponent, went down after the release of weak macroeconomic statistics from Germany. The current quote for the EUR/USD pair is 1.2145.

In particular, data from the IFO research institute reflected a decrease in the business climate index in Germany to 90.1 points compared to 92.2 points in December. At the same time, analysts had expected the indicator to decline only to 91.8 points.

The assessment of the current economic situation in the country in January also fell more than the forecast – to 89.2 points from 91.3 points in December. In addition, the country's business expectations index fell to 91.1 points against the December index of 93 points, while analysts predicted its growth.

January 26. The oil market has good growth potential

Oil prices continued to rise on Tuesday: Brent has reached $56 per barrel, WTI – $53,25. At the same time, the potential for further strengthening remains.

Some days earlier the information appeared that Iraq plans to reduce oil production to 3.6 million barrels per day, which will be compensation for unfair fulfillment of the terms of the OPEC + deal in 2020. And if Iraq keeps its promises, then the volume of production in the country will decline to the lowest level since 2015.

An additional factor in the rise in oil prices may be the interruptions in exports in Libya, caused by delays in the payment of salaries to the security personnel of the oil facilities. Before these conflicts, Libya saw a rapid recovery in oil production: in December, production reached 1.2 million barrels per day, while in August production volumes were less than 100 thousand barrels per day.

Also, market participants continue to monitor the spread of Covid-19 in the world and the progress of negotiations on new economic stimulus in the United States. US President Joe Biden is pushing for the early adoption of a new $1.9 trillion fiscal stimulus package. The inflow of new money into the US economy will put pressure on the dollar, which, in turn, will act as a factor supporting Brent quotes.

January 27. Biden considers Nord Stream-2 a bad deal for Europe

US President Joe Biden said that he considers the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project a bad deal for Europe and intends to revise the restrictions adopted by Congress under Donald Trump.

These sanctions were included in the US annual defense budget (NDAA) and, according to them, the restrictions apply to any company that helps Gazprom lay a pipeline, insure ships, certify and repair equipment. The Trump administration has argued that the project will strengthen the economic and political influence of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Europe.

The new president is also opposed to further construction of the gas pipeline. Perhaps the new restrictions will be even stricter. As a reminder, at present Russia has resumed the implementation of Nord Stream 2 after foreign pipelayers left the project due to the threat of US sanctions.

January 29. Bitcoin rose after Elon Musk's tweet

According to the trading data, the growth of bitcoin on Friday accelerated sharply, exceeding the $38 mark. The growth driver was the publication of Elon Musk on his Twitter page, where the entrepreneur mentioned bitcoin, adding the hashtag «bitcoin».

Also, the head of Tesla and SpaceX wrote a separate message: «In retrospect, it was inevitable.»

As a result, the rate of the first cryptocurrency immediately skyrocketed from $32 thousand to $38 thousand, stabilizing slightly during the day at $37 thousand.Thus, in about an hour, the price of bitcoin increased by more than 17%.

A few days earlier, Elon Musk «boosted» another cryptocurrency – previously little-known Dogecoin. It skyrocketed in value by more than 800% after Musk's «joke» mention on his Twitter account.

February 01. Silver prices skyrocket to 8-year highs

Silver prices have jumped 16% over the past three trading sessions. The current quotation of the asset is $30.133 per ounce, which is a new high since February 2013.

Experts point out that the rush for silver may have emerged after a message appeared last week urging people to invest in silver on the private trader community on Reddit (a social news site). Forum participants decided to raise the price of the metal after the success with the shares of the GameStop company and the Dogecoin meme cryptocurrency.

Silver began to rise last week amid calls from traders to buy the metal to put pressure on banks trying to capitalize on its price decline. And on January 29, the net capital inflow to IShares Silver Trust, the largest exchange-traded fund backed by silver, reached an unprecedented amount of $944 million.

Investor interest in silver has also led to a surge in the value of silver-mining companies and ETFs that are pegged to silver. So the securities of the silver mining corporation First Majestic Silver soared by 30% in the last two trading sessions.

February 03. The number of jobs in the private sector in the United States in January grew better than expected

According to a press release from the analytical company Automatic Data Processing (ADP), the number of jobs in private companies in the United States in January increased by 174,000. Analysts predicted an increase in the indicator by only 49 thousand.

The December figure was revised down to a decrease of 78 thousand from a decrease of 123 thousand.

In the US small business, the number of jobs in January increased by 51 thousand, in medium-sized companies (with a staff of 50-499 people) – by 84 thousand, and large companies increased their staff by 39 thousand jobs.

In the service sector, the number of jobs increased by 156 thousand, in the production of goods – by 19 thousand. At the same time, the figure for private construction companies in the country in January increased by 18 thousand, in the manufacturing sector – by 1 thousand.

February 04. The number of applications for unemployment benefits in the United States for the week fell by 33 thousand

According to the US Department of Labor, the number of initial applications for unemployment benefits in the United States for the week fell by 33 thousand compared with the revised figure of the previous week – to 779 thousand applications. Analysts predicted a decrease in the number of applications by only 17 thousand, to 830 thousand.

At the same time, the average number of initial applications over the past four weeks decreased by 1.25 thousand from the revised figure – to 848.25 thousand. The initial figure was revised downwards – to 849.5 thousand from 868 thousand.

The total number of people receiving unemployment benefits in the United States fell by 193 thousand from the revised figure of the previous week, to 4.592 million. The previous week's figure was revised to 4.785 million from 4.771 million.

February 05. Oil market hits annual high

The oil market continues its bullish rally, reaching $59.70 per barrel. The last time the quotes were at similar levels was in January 2020.

The main support for oil prices is provided by the successful implementation of the terms of the deal to reduce oil production by OPEC + countries. On Wednesday, a meeting of the OPEC + Monitoring Committee took place, at which it was noted that the agreement was fulfilled by 101%. On the side of buyers are also data on changes in US oil reserves from the EIA - stocks of raw materials in the country continue to decline for the third week in a row.

Further driving up the oil market are signs that the coronavirus pandemic is on the wane as infections, hospitalizations and deaths have been steadily declining globally over the past two or three weeks.

At the same time, market participants ignored the annual report of the US Department of Energy with pessimistic forecasts for a recovery in demand. The EIA noted that aggregate energy consumption in the United States could return to 2019 levels only by 2029, and if the pace of economic recovery remains low, then even by 2050.

February 09. Elon Musk once again contributed to the historical growth of bitcoin

The cost of bitcoin for the first time exceeded the $48 thousand mark today. The rapid growth was noted after Tesla's announcement of the acquisition of cryptocurrency for $1.5 billion (1.2 billion euros) and its readiness to continue to accept it as payment for electric vehicles. The increase since the beginning of the year was about 61%, and since the beginning of the day – by 2.5%.

Investors expect BlackRock Inc. to join the list of companies that invest in or own Bitcoin soon. Is an international investment corporation and American tech giant Square Inc.

The systematic growth of bitcoin began in the fall of 2020, it remained until mid-January 2021. After the cryptocurrency reached a record high of $40 thousand, the rate began to gradually fall and stayed in the region of $30-35.

Analysts do not have a general prediction of what will happen with Bitcoin next. Some believe that the cryptocurrency was overvalued at the level of the exchange rate of $30 thousand, while others predict growth up to several hundred thousand dollars.

February 10. Oil continues to break records

Oil continues to break records, reaching $61.50 a barrel. Brent rose in price for the ninth session in a row, WTI – for the eighth. The prices were supported by the forecast of the US Department of Energy, according to which in 2021 world oil demand will amount to 97.67 million barrels per day, and world supply – 97.29 million bpd.

As a result, this year the market may no longer face an excess, but a shortage of oil in the amount of 380 thousand bpd. In 2022, according to the estimates of the US Department of Energy, the oil supply deficit may increase to 400 thousand bpd.

Today, market participants are awaiting the publication of the US Department of Energy's report on energy reserves in the country. Yesterday, the American Petroleum Institute (API) announced a decline in oil reserves by 3.5 million barrels per week. Analysts expect the Energy Ministry data to show a 2.7 million barrels drop in US crude inventories.

An additional positive for the oil market is a slight improvement in the epidemiological situation in the world. Ongoing vaccinations, declining COVID-19 incidence, and expectations for a new stimulus package in the US are improving the outlook for demand.

February 15. US Senate acquits Trump at impeachment trial

The Senate of the US Congress, during its meeting, acquitted former President Donald Trump in the framework of impeachment. Trump is known to have been charged with inciting a crowd to attack the Capitol last month.

57 senators voted for impeachment, while 43 voted against. 67 votes out of 100 were required for the indictment. Thus, the initiative did not receive the required number of votes. Earlier, many Americans (54% of respondents) said that Trump should stop participating in the country's political life.

The second process of impeachment against the former head of the White House began in the Senate on February 9. It was the first time in the United States that an attempt to remove a state leader from office after the end of the presidential term was made. 

The first attempt at impeachment was made back in 2019, but the Senate acquitted the president in early 2020. Then the investigation was launched in connection with the statement of an anonymous informant that President Trump in July 2019 put pressure on President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in his own personal and political interests.