Daily Economic news by ForexMart

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October 11. The yield on German government bonds has reached its highest in 11 years​​​​​​​

The yield on 10-year German government bonds rose to 2.346% per annum, which was the highest since 2011. The reason for the growth was the statements of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the EU summit in Prague.

Scholz expressed support for the joint placement of debt obligations by the countries of the European Union in order to raise funds to help the members of the bloc in the fight against the energy crisis. The funds raised should be distributed between countries in the form of loans, not grants.

Such a position suggests that the German leadership is significantly changing its rhetoric. Previously, Germany resisted the idea of raising funds together with countries that the German authorities consider more wasteful financially.

The change of position came after Scholz was criticized for the announced plan to support the national economy by 200 billion euros due to the energy crisis. Some countries were outraged that this plan is aimed solely at supporting the German economy, without taking into account the interests of other EU countries. And this can cause an imbalance in the block.

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October 17. The EM government bond market faces a crisis​​​​​​​

Analysts suggest that the authorities of countries with developing economies that have been actively borrowing on debt markets during a period of low rates are now facing an increase in debt refinancing costs. Experts fear that some Emerging markets may face a debt crisis similar to the situation in Asia in the 1990-s.

In the current period, the yield of government bonds of a third of the countries included in the EM Sovereign Dollar Debt Index exceeds the yield of US Treasuries by more than 10 percentage points. And this is already a generally accepted indicator of stress in the debt market. For example, the yield of government bonds of Kenya and Egypt exceeds the yield of U.S. government bonds by more than 10 pp, Argentina and Ghana – by more than 20 pp.

Earlier this week, the Finance Minister of Nigeria announced the attempts of the authorities to agree on the extension of the maturity of a number of bonds, stressing that we are not talking about Eurobonds. Some other EM countries intend to default and restructure their debt, as the growing debt burden leads to an outflow of investments and slows down the growth of economies.

A few years ago, many developing countries began to place bonds in local currencies en masse in an attempt to protect themselves from the risks associated with an increase in the cost of debt servicing in the event of a fall in the national currency.

However, over time, they have again increased activity in foreign capital markets against the background of extremely low interest rates in the United States and the eurozone. And in 2020, the volume of placements by developing countries of government bonds in dollars and euros reached a historic high and amounted to $747 billion.

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October 18. Oil quotes are stuck in the range of $91-93 per barrel

For several days now, the oil market has been showing increased volatility in the range of $91-93 per barrel. The current price of Brent crude oil is $92.10 (yesterday's low of $91.40). North American WTI oil is trading near the level of $85.30 per barrel (yesterday's low is $84.30).

Today, the oil market is on the rise against the background of a local weakening of the US dollar, which is getting cheaper due to increased investor appetite for risk. At the same time, concerns about a potential recession in the global economy limit the growth of oil prices.

In addition, the downward pressure on oil prices continues to be exerted by concerns about the tightening of monetary policy of many major central banks of the world, aimed at curbing inflation. At the same time, China is expected to maintain a soft monetary policy to support the economy in the face of restrictions related to the coronavirus.

The market dynamics is also affected by the decision of OPEC+ to reduce oil production. As you know, in early October, the organization agreed to reduce production quotas by 2 million barrels per day, starting in November.

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October 19. Oil started to rise after falling the day before

On Wednesday afternoon, oil prices accelerated their growth after falling to lows for more than 2 weeks the day before. This drop was caused by the news that the US presidential administration intends to sell some of the oil from the country's strategic reserves (15 million barrels) in response to OPEC+ decision to reduce oil production by 2 million barrels per day from November.

The current price of Brent oil is $91.27 per barrel. WTI oil rose to $84.19 per barrel. The day before, Brent fell by 1.7%, and the price of WTI fell by 3.1%.

However, analysts believe that the current local gowth is a temporary phenomenon. The oil market will continue to be under pressure while the US sells off its reserves. It is expected that the American president may make a similar decision repeatedly this winter.

The release of resources is aimed at curbing the rise in fuel prices at gas stations in the United States and for oil in the world as a whole. In total, it is planned to release 180 million barrels of «black gold». At the moment, the US strategic oil reserve is at the lowest level since 1984, which is about 400 million barrels of oil.

At the same time, the potential for growth remains in the oil market amid traders' concern about the supply. The fact is that the EU embargo on energy supplies from Russia comes into force in December, and the G7 countries continue to work on the ceiling of prices for Russian oil. These factors will eventually be able to support oil prices at sufficiently high levels.

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October 20. France, Spain and Portugal will create Green Energy Corridor

French President Emmanuel Macron said at the EU summit in Brussels that France, Spain and Portugal intend to create a «green corridor» that will replace the MidCat gas pipeline and open access to the energy market of the European Union to the countries of the Iberian Peninsula.

The three countries intend to abandon the MidCat project and start working together to create a new gas pipeline that will be able to bring the Iberian peninsula out of isolation and create a green energy corridor between Portugal and Spain. It is also planned that the new gas pipeline will run through France to the rest of Europe.

Macron stressed that the aim of the project is to unite the energy networks of the EU countries and the soonest transition to green energy.

The new «green hydrogen pipeline» will also be able to transport gas needed by the European energy market due to the ongoing energy crisis.

The next meeting of the heads of state will take place on December 8 and 9 in Alicante at the Euromed summit, which will unite 9 Mediterranean EU states. There, France, Spain and Portugal will discuss the timing, investments, cost allocation and the amount of economic resources that will have to be used when creating a new project.

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October 24. The yuan fell to the minimum of the global financial crisis of 2008

On Friday, the Chinese yuan paired with the US dollar collapsed to its lowest level since the global financial crisis of 2008 – the level of 7.2515, despite attempts by state-owned banks to stabilize the market. As you know, the country's state banks sold the dollar on the continental foreign exchange market to prevent a further fall in the yuan.

At the end of the week, the USD/CNY pair strengthened by 0.78%, as the growing dollar continues to push down the currencies of developing countries. In total, the currency pair has grown by 12.3% since the beginning of the year.

Analysts note that the decline of the yuan may continue against the background of the general strengthening of the US currency. Pressure on the yuan is also exerted by a significant difference between the monetary policies of the central banks of both countries: the United States shows no signs of abandoning tough rhetoric regarding rates, while the Chinese authorities are trying to support their economy with the help of soft monetary policy.

It is also worth noting that in an attempt to maintain the stability of its currency during the Communist Party Congress, the Chinese authorities continue to set a higher than expected average yuan exchange rate. Since the opening of the market, the People's Bank of China has set the average dollar-yuan exchange rate at 7.1186 against 7.1188 on Thursday.

Analysts clarify that the high fixing, relative to which the yuan can deviate by no more than 2% up or down, limits the potential for a decline in the Chinese currency. At the average rate on Friday, the range of fluctuations of the USD/CNY pair is 6.9762–7.2610, and today it has already come close to the upper limit of this range.

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Crypto market scores gains. Experts foresee bullish rally​​​​​​​

Early on Wednesday, digital gold edged higher. At the moment of writing, BTC is seen hovering at $20,627.

Early on Wednesday, digital gold edged higher. At the moment of writing, BTC is seen hovering at $20,627.

According to CoinMarketCap, a website tracking the price of digital assets, bitcoin hovered between $20,348 and $19,261 yesterday. Overall, the coin added 5% on Tuesday.

This month, the flagship cryptocurrency used to consolidate in the $18,500–$20,300 range. However, in recent days experts noticed the potential formation of double support in the crypto market. Should bitcoin break through the mark of $20,300 and extend growth, along with noticeable trading volumes, this would be a clear bullish signal for BTC, analysts suggest.

Altcoin market

Ethereum, bitcoin's main rival, went up earlier today as well. At the moment of writing, ETH is seen trading at $1,485.

As for the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, all coins, except for XPR, traded in the green zone yesterday, with ether leading the way (+10.66%).

Last week, ETH was also the best performer among the 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, gaining 13.65%. Meanwhile, XRP, which lost 0.42%, was the list's worst performer.

This week, all the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization are scoring gains. At the same time, the former bearish resistance turned into important support for them. In light of those facts, many analysts forecast a bullish rally for popular coins in the crypto market in the next four months.

According to the world's largest virtual asset data aggregator, CoinGecko, over the past 24 hours, Aptos showed the worst performance, losing 4.98%, while the Toncoin coin showed the best results, gaining 23.10%, among the top 100 digital assets by market capitalization.

Last week, Axie Infinity (-16.19%) was the worst performer among the top 100 strongest digital assets, while Toncoin (+43.98%) showed the best performance.

Based on the CoinGecko data, the total crypto market capitalization exceeded $1 trillion on Wednesday morning. Yesterday, it grew by about 5%.

Since last November, when the daily crypto market capitalization was above $3 trillion a day ($3.08 trillion), it has more than tripled.

At the same time, the total trading volume of virtual coins over the past 24 hours reached $77.3 billion, with BTC (38.1%) and ETH (17.6%) seen as the main contributors.

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De-dollarization or de-eurozation? Analysts consider both scenarios possible

Analysts have been discussing the possible ditch of the US dollar in foreign settlements for a long time. However, now, they do not exclude a similar scenario for the euro. Analysts are mulling over what could lead to such outcomes. They fear that in the near future the European currency will face the same challenges as the Us dollar. Currently, many countries are trying to replace the US dollar in mutual settlements.

Analysts pinpoint that the euro has more disadvantages than advantages. Settlements in the euro and its support are getting more expensive. According to the Eurobarometer, the euro is popular with 60% of the population. However, now many EU citizens are skeptical about the future of the euro. Some economists reckon that some EU states may leave the eurozone and ditch the euro.

Earlier, economists suggested a possible replacement of the US currency by many countries. However, the euro is now facing such a risk as well. De-eurozation looks quite feasible. However, the situation in the global financial market is unlikely to change in the near future, economists believe.

Currently, the authorities of many countries are trying to diversify their foreign exchange reserves to reduce dependence on the greenback. However, a sharp decline in the dollar share of international reserves looks unlikely as roughly 40% of the world's transactions are done in dollars.

The use of national currencies in international settlements spurs their demand and reduces dependence on the Fed's monetary policy. At the same time, the current geopolitical turmoil is fueling a rally of the US dollar as many countries prefer to keep the US currency in their reserves.

At the start of the week, the euro was trading almost at the same levels. On October 31, the EUR/USD pair was fluctuating near 0.9952, slightly below the previous pivot level of 0.9963.

Investors are now awaiting the release of the euro area's important macroeconomic report, namely GDP for the third quarter of 2022. According to preliminary estimates, from July to September, the economy declined slightly to 2.1%. In the second quarter of 2022, this figure totaled 4.1%.

The greenback has been rising for some time thanks to the Fed's hawkish stance. On November 2, the Bank of England and the Fed will hold their meetings. The Fed is widely expected to raise the key rate by 75 basis points to the range of 3.75-4%.

The Fed's key rate decision may significantly impact market sentiment. Some analysts believe that the regulator could switch to less aggressive tightening despite a 75 basis point rate hike. However, other analysts are certain that the regulator will hike the rate by 75 basis points at the next meeting scheduled for December 14.

At the February meeting in 2023, the watchdog is expected to increase the key rate by 25 basis points to 4.50-4.75%. Analysts suppose that three will be more 25 basis point rate increases next year. Such a scenario is bearish for the US dollar. The euro is also unable to regain long-term rise. Thus, it is recommended to buy the EUR/USD pair with a long-term target level above 1.0500.

Many economists are afraid that sentiment will become more bearish on the US currency. Last week, large traders initiated a sell-off of the greenback. As a result, the number of short positions during the week increased by 21%. If there are no positive fundamental favors, the greenback may drop lower.

Nevertheless, the US dollar remains the most popular currency, with close to 90% of all currency trades having the dollar as one leg of the transaction. It has been rallying for some time amid the Fed's aggressive tightening. In the last few months, the US dollar has reached multi-year highs against the euro, the pound sterling, the yen, and the yuan. It also took advantage of a recession in the eurozone as investors got rid of the euro in favor of the US dollar.

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November FOMC meeting: what to expect and how to act

Today, what many are expecting will not happen: it is unlikely that the Federal Reserve will announce a change in the future course of its policy, so it is possible that we may repeat the summer scenario, when everyone was about to expect one thing from the FOMC, but everything turned out completely otherwise. Let's figure out what to expect and how best to act today.

Most likely, the US central bank will hold a fourth super-scale interest rate hike, and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell will repeat his pledges to fight inflation. But whether it will open the door for a possible rate cut in the future is a big question. The Federal Open Market Committee is expected to raise rates by 75 basis points on Wednesday, to a range of 3.75% to 4%, the highest level since 2008. By doing so, the central bank will continue its most aggressive tightening campaign since the 1980s.

During his press conference, Powell may emphasize that the Fed remains steadfast in the idea of fighting inflation, leaving open options for further aggressive rate hikes at a meeting in mid-December this year. However, the markets are already divided into two camps: some expect another rate hike of 0.75%, while others believe that the Fed will slow down and raise them by only 50 basis points.

As I noted above, Powell's July speech was misinterpreted by investors as a short-term policy reversal, in response to which the markets rallied, which softened financial conditions and reflected on bond yields. This made it more difficult for the Fed to contain prices, which forced Powell to return to a tough tone of statements again. With the latest CPI data coming out, the Fed needs to continue to maintain tight financial conditions to keep the economy cool, only to help stop price increases in the near future.

Another important point is that the expected move from the Fed today will take place less than a week before the midterm elections in the United States, where the main accusations from Republicans are based precisely on high inflation, which was allowed by the Democratic Party and US President Joe Biden. Last week, two Democratic senators urged Powell not to cause unnecessary pain to the economy by raising rates too high.

As for the statements made today after the meeting, the dollar's succeeding direction will depend on them. If promises of a "further increase" in interest rates persist, the US dollar will strengthen its position against the euro and the British pound, as well as other risky assets. If the promises are "slightly changed", for example, in order to show that the Fed is getting closer to the economy, then this may have a positive impact on stock markets and risky assets, which will pull up the euro and the British pound.

Most likely, the Fed will recall its plans to reduce its huge balance sheet. Economists predict that the balance will reach $8.5 trillion by the end of the year before dropping to $6.7 trillion in December 2024.

As for the technical picture of EURUSD, the bears actively counterattacked, which led to a new wave of decline. For growth, it is necessary to return the pair above 0.9900 and 0.9950, which will spur the trading instrument to growth towards 1.0000 and 1.0040. However, the upward prospects will depend entirely on the further reaction of buyers of risky assets to the Fed meeting. The breakthrough of parity has taken place, which, for now, allows us to keep the market at the mercy of the bears. An exit below 0.9850 will increase the pressure on the trading instrument and push the euro to a low of 0.9820, which will only aggravate the position of buyers of risky assets in the market. Having missed 0.9820, it will be possible to wait for new lows around 0.9780 and 0.9750.

As for the technical picture of the GBPUSD, although the pound is being corrected, it has already reached quite important levels. Now the bulls are focused on defending the support at 1.1500 and breaking through the resistance at 1.1550, limiting the pair's growth potential. Only a break of 1.1550 will return prospects for recovery to the area of 1.1610 and 1.1690, after which it will be possible to speak of a sharper upward spurt of the pound, to the area of 1.1730 and 1.1780. We can talk about the trading instrument being under pressure after the bears take control of 1.1500. This will deal a blow to the bulls' positions and completely cancel out the short-term prospects of the bull market. A break of 1.1500 will push the GBPUSD back towards 1.1440 and 1.1345.

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Bullish sentiment in gold is growing​​​​​​​

Gold's bounce off a two-year low, followed by a nearly 3% gain on Friday, is creating solid bullish momentum among Wall Street analysts; however, some also point out that the precious metal still has some work to do to reverse the months-long downward trend.

The latest survey shows that market sentiment continues to improve and most market analysts expect prices to rise in the near future. Retail investors are also looking positively.

Bullish sentiment has been on the rise all week after gold prices ended October with their seventh straight monthly drop, the longest losing streak in 50 years.

Rising bond yields and the US dollar, which is at its highest level in 20 years, remain critical headwinds for gold; however, some analysts note that growing fears of a recession are driving demand for gold as a safe-haven asset.

Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, said the US recession would force the Federal Reserve to end its tightening cycle before it reaches its 2% inflation target. He added that a stagflationary environment of low economic growth and high inflation would be bullish for gold.

However, in anticipation that gold prices will have enough momentum to rise, a return to $1,680 will simply return the market to neutral territory.

Christopher Vecchio, senior market analyst at DailyFX.com, said he is neutral on gold as he would also like to see an initial push above $1,680 leading to $1,730.

Last week, 20 market professionals took part in the Wall Street survey. Ten analysts, or 50%, said they are optimistic this week. Two analysts, or 10%, said they were bearish. Eight analysts, or 40%, said they were neutral about the precious metal.

As for retail, 520 respondents took part in online surveys. A total of 240 voters, or 46%, called for an increase in the price of gold. Another 169, or 33%, predicted a fall in prices. While the remaining 111 voters, or 21%, were in favor of a side market.

Friday's rally helped gold prices end the week positively.

Problems in the labor market adds to the recession fears. On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said 261,000 jobs were created in October, exceeding all expectations. However, some analysts believe that if you delve into the essence, you can see a growing weakness.

Along with rising bullish fundamentals for gold, many analysts note that the technical outlook has turned positive as well.

"Gold had been building a technical base above $1,620 support and appears to be starting to launch up off of there," said Colin Cheshinsky, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management.

He added that bond yields remain well above 4%, which would be a deterrent for gold. And the Fed continues to raise interest rates, and in these conditions, gold's rally may turn towards sales.

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November 10. Amazon's market value has fallen below $1 trillion

Amazon became the first public company to lose $1 trillion in market value. On Wednesday, the company's shares fell 4.3% to $86.14, bringing its market value now to $879 billion. For comparison, back in July 2021, it was almost $1.9 trillion.

Analysts note that such a decline is almost equivalent to the loss of the market value of Google's parent company Alphabet, which now stands at about $1.13 trillion.

In 2022, Amazon shares lost about 48% of their value. The company's market value fell below the $1 trillion mark on November 1, a few days after the publication of the third quarter report and the forecast of the slowest growth in the fourth quarter in history.

Experts note that not only Amazon has suffered losses: due to rising inflation and other macroeconomic shocks, 5 other leading American technology companies have lost almost $4 trillion of their market value this year. The reason for this, analysts call the impoverishment of people's budgets, still high inflation and rising energy costs.

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November 14. The oil market is growing at the beginning of a new trading week

Oil prices have been showing growth for the third consecutive session amid expectations of demand growth in China as a result of changes in the policy of the country's authorities to combat coronavirus, as well as the introduction of new measures to support the economy.

As it became known, Beijing announced the reduction of mass testing of people for Covid-19, as well as the dissolution of «quarantine camps». The Chinese authorities have announced that they are planning further changes, thanks to which covid restrictions will become more focused, but not soft. Thus, China's adjustment of the «zero tolerance» for coronavirus has given a powerful incentive for the growth of the oil market.

The current price of Brent oil is $96.70 per barrel. North American WTI oil is trading near the level of $89.60 per barrel.

Analysts note that the increase in oil consumption by China may coincide with a reduction in supply on the market (due to the upcoming entry into force of the European embargo on the import of Russian oil and a reduction in OPEC+ production).

Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the entry into force of the European embargo on the purchase of oil in Russia on December 5 is likely to force Moscow to sell some oil at a price not exceeding the ceiling set by the US and its allies if Russia wants to avoid a significant reduction in oil exports.

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November 16. Inflation in the UK accelerated to the highest since 1981​​​​​​​

According to the British Office for National Statistics, inflation in Great Britain accelerated to 11.1% in annual terms in October, which was the highest since 1981.

The rate of acceleration of inflation turned out to be higher than the expectations of experts, who predicted a price increase of 10.7%. In August, inflation was 9.9%, and in September – 10.1%.

Analysts call the increase in electricity tariffs the main driver of price growth. In addition, the rise in food prices had a strong impact on the dynamics of inflation. In particular, products in October rose in price by 16.4%, which was the highest in 45 years. The prices of milk, cheese and eggs have soared the most.

Thus, if we consider the poorest British families with a low level of expenses, who spend most of their earnings on paying bills and buying groceries, then for them the increase in inflation was more than 16% in October. The ONS also estimated that middle-income Britons spend about a third of the family budget for these purposes.

In the autumn, the British economy entered a recession, and the head of the Ministry of Finance of the kingdom said that Russia was responsible for this. According to him, it was Moscow that created a situation in the world that led to inflation and an increase in interest rates.

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November 17. Wall Street: 3 oil companies whose stocks are worth paying attention to

Experts say that the tense situation on the world oil market does not bode well for many countries of the world that are still heavily dependent on fossil fuels.

However, despite this, Wall Street recommends that investors pay attention to the shares of 3 oil companies, which can bring substantial profits next year.

Shell is a multinational energy giant operating in more than 70 countries and producing about 3.2 million barrels of oil per day.

Shell has a stake in 10 refineries, and last year the company sold 64.2 million tons of LNG. The company's shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange, the Euronext exchange in Amsterdam and the New York Stock Exchange. It is worth noting that the shares registered on the NYSE have increased by 26% since the beginning of the year. Shell is trading at about $56 per share today.

Chevron is another major oil company benefiting from the commodity boom.

For the third quarter, Chevron made a profit of $11.2 billion, which is 84% more than in the same period last year, and the company's sales and other operating income for the quarter amounted to $64 billion, which exceeded last year's figures by 49%. Chevron approved a 6% increase in quarterly dividends to $1.42 per share, meaning its dividend yield was 3.0%. Over the year, the company's shares have grown by 57%.

Exxon Mobil has the largest market capitalization — more than $460 billion, which is more than Shell and Chevron.

In addition, the oil company boasts the strongest share price dynamics among all 3 companies in 2022: its shares have increased by 79% since the beginning of the year. In the first 9 months of 2022, Exxon earned $43.0 billion in profit, which is significantly more than $14.2 billion last year. Exxon Mobil's free cash flow for the first 9 months of 2022 was $49.8 billion compared to $22.9 billion for the same period last year. The company pays a quarterly dividend of 91 cents per share, which corresponds to an annual yield of 3.2%.

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November 18. Inflation in Japan has reached its highest since January 1991

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, consumer prices in October increased by 3.7% compared to the same month last year. This was the highest value since January 1991, while the rise in prices was marked for the 14th month in a row.

In September, the inflation rate was fixed at 3%. Analysts had expected a 3.5% price increase.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose by 0.6% (the fastest pace since April 2014). In September, the indicator increased by 0.3%.

Consumer prices excluding fresh food (a key indicator tracked by the Bank of Japan) in October increased by 3.6% year-on-year after rising by 3% in September. This growth was the highest since February 1982.

In particular, food prices in Japan rose by 6.2%, fuel, electricity and water supply - by 14.6%, electricity – by 10.9%. The cost of transport and telecommunication services increased by 2%.

It is worth noting that the central bank's target is at the level of 2%, and the current inflation rate exceeds it for the seventh month in a row.

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November 29. Oil prices rise in anticipation of OPEC+ meeting

World oil prices started to rise on Tuesday, reaching $86.68 per barrel. Investors are waiting for the weakening of quarantine measures in China and are assessing the prospects for the OPEC+ meeting scheduled for Sunday.

The current quotation of Brent crude oil is $86.00 per barrel, North American WTI oil is trading at $79.35 per barrel.

Yesterday, the quotes showed a noticeable decline: the Brent price fell below the level of $81 per barrel for the first time since January 11, 2022.

As you know, a record increase in Covid-19 infections was recorded in China for several days in a row, as a result of which some quarantine restrictions were tightened, and riots and protest actions took place in a number of cities. Now the markets expect that the Chinese authorities may move to ease restrictive measures. And since China is one of the largest consumers and importers of oil, expectations about the country's economy affect the prospects for demand for this type of raw material.

In addition, market participants are waiting for the OPEC+ meeting scheduled for Sunday. Traders evaluate what measures the alliance can take against the background of supply and demand risks. Also, the market dynamics are influenced by the results of meetings of EU countries, at which European diplomats are trying to agree on the introduction of a specific price limit for Russian oil. At the moment, the countries have again failed to come to an agreement.

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December 6. Analysts: US bear market is two-thirds of the way

According to analysts, the US stock market has already experienced most of the current bear market, but not all of it. Therefore, the current fall in stocks will last for some time before a new rally begins.

Many have regarded the recent surge in the market as a potential start of a new bull market, but history shows that this rally may be a retreat. Traditionally, the average bear market since the Second World War lasted 14 months and led to a decline of 35.7% from previous highs. The current bear market has been going on for about 11 months and has fallen by 15%, which suggests that it has gone two-thirds of the way.

At the same time, the S&P 500 index rose by 16% from its low in mid-October of 3491.58 points – on expectations that the US Federal Reserve will begin to reduce the pace of rate hikes, and inflation will slow down.

And now the market has moved away from the October lows and returned to levels that require significant premiums to fair value. And even with the downturn this year, stock valuations still do not reflect the growing difficulties in the economy and still have not declined to the level seen during past recessions.

The federal funds rate has risen from 0.0% to a range of 3.75% to 4%, and a sixth increase is expected to take place before the end of 2022. But at the same time, the Fed will slow down the rate of increase to 50 basis points.

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December 27. Analysts predict a strengthening of the US dollar in 2023

Analysts at Danske Bank believe that the state of the global economy will be crucial for the dynamics of exchange rates in 2023. The bank's review says that all forecasts for the next year are based on the strengthening of the US dollar and the tightening of financial conditions in the world.

However, if inflation concerns quickly fade away, the prospects for the foreign exchange market will be different. Because the US Federal Reserve System may make a U-turn in its policy of aggressive rate hikes.

To date, market participants believe that the US currency will decline in 2023, but Danske Bank is still skeptical about the justification of such optimism. Analysts believe that a fair assessment of the EUR/USD pair is closer to $0.9. Experts also expect that inflationary pressure will weaken in the US faster than in the eurozone, which may put strong pressure on the single European currency.

Therefore, in the absence of any positive developments, the euro may go down. In general, analysts adhere to the «bearish» forecast for the EUR/USD pair, as many negative economic factors will continue in 2023. On the other hand, the lifting of anti-bullying restrictions in China may have a positive impact on the eurozone economy and its currency.

According to forecasts, the euro exchange rate will be around $1.05 in the next month, $1.02 – in three months. At the same time, experts raised the estimate in twelve months to $ 0.98 from the previously expected $0.93.

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January 9. Oil exceeded the level of $81 per barrel

On Monday, oil quotes are steadily rising after a significant decline in the results of last week.

The current Brent quote is $81.28 per barrel. The minimum of last week was marked at $78. North American WTI crude is trading near $76.50 per barrel after falling to $73.20 last week.

Support for prices today was provided by concerns about the prospects for oil demand in China, where the number of COVID-19 diseases has sharply increased after the lifting of quarantine restrictions. Experts note that the increase in economic activity in China is the main factor that can push oil demand to growth. At the same time, serious uncertainty remains regarding the timing of the return of the PRC economy to normal activity.

In addition, there are also concerns about a downturn in the global economy in the context of the ongoing tightening of monetary policy by the world's largest central banks, which also supports the oil market.

The decline in oil prices last week was caused by the strengthening of the US dollar, falling natural gas prices, as well as the risks of recession in the world. In Europe, there is a fairly warm winter, which leads to cheaper gas. And this, in turn, weakens expectations that consumers will switch from gas to oil this winter.

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January 11. The Egyptian pound has fallen to a historic low

The Egyptian currency has fallen to a historic low. The exchange rate of the US dollar against the Egyptian pound rose today to the level of 32.195, adding 16.3%. Over the past 12 months, Egypt's national currency has depreciated by more than 76%.

The weakening of the pound began after the International Monetary Fund yesterday outlined the details of a $3 billion aid package to the country. Egypt has committed itself to introduce a flexible exchange rate, strengthen the role of the private sector in the country's economy, and carry out a number of monetary and fiscal reforms.

In addition, among its obligations is to reduce investments in state and national projects in order to reduce inflation and reduce foreign currency spending.

Recall that Egypt faced a shortage of foreign currency, despite the sharp depreciation of the Egyptian pound last year. A year ago, the currency was trading in a narrow range below 16 Egyptian pounds per dollar. However, in March and October 2022, the Central Bank of Egypt allowed the pound to depreciate sharply. On October 27, the Egyptian pound fell by 15% after the announcement of a new financing package from the International Monetary Fund. Then the regulator announced that it was moving to a more flexible currency regime.

[KostiaFM]

January 12. Gold exceeded $1900 amid the inflation data in the United States

The price of the February gold futures soared by 1.28% today and reached $1905 per troy ounce. Above the $1,900 mark, gold is trading for the first time since May 2022.

The driver of growth to an eight-month high was the weakening of the dollar on the eve of the release of US inflation data for December. The dollar index lost 0.79% and reached 102.09 points, which was the lowest since June 2022. And as you know, the weakening of the dollar makes gold more attractive to holders of other currencies.

According to the US Department of Labor, by the end of December, the year-on-year growth in consumer prices slowed to 6.5% against 7.1% in November, which coincided with analysts' forecasts. Core inflation (excluding food and energy prices) at the end of December amounted to 5.7% year-on-year, which also meets the expectations of experts. In November, this figure was 6%.

Analysts note that the pressure on the US currency is also exerted by a decrease in the yields of US government bonds. This suggests that fears that inflation will remain at a high level, forcing the Fed to maintain a tight monetary policy for longer, are gradually weakening.

[KostiaFM]

January 13. Germany's GDP grew by 1.9% in 2022

According to the Federal Statistical Agency of Germany, the German economy grew by 1.9% in 2022. For comparison, in 2021, the country's GDP increased by 2.6%. The average growth rate for the period from 2011 to 2021 was 1%.

As noted in the agency's report, Europe's largest economy suffered last year from the energy crisis, high inflation, rising interest rates and disruptions in supply chains. The Covid-19 pandemic, though fading, is also having its negative impact on the economy.

The volume of GDP last year was 0.7% higher than the indicator of the pre-pandemic 2019. The main engine of growth of the German economy was consumer spending, which increased by 4.6% in 2022 (by 0.4% in 2021), while the rate of increase in investment in fixed assets slowed to 0.2% from 1.2%, the growth rate of government spending decreased to 1.1% from 3.8%.

Exports of goods from Germany increased by 3.2% last year, and imports increased by 6.7%. Which, by the way, had a negative impact on the country's GDP.

The total deficit of public budgets in Germany in 2022 amounted to 101.631 billion euros (compared to 134.252 billion euros in 2021). Thus, the decrease was 24%.

The negative balance of the federal budget decreased to 117.633 billion euros from 145.925 billion euros.

Throughout 2022, an average of 45.6 million people worked in Germany, which is 589 thousand (1.3%) higher than in the previous year.

[KostiaFM]

January 17. The price of gas in the EU has dropped to $600/thousand cubic meters

The cost of gas in Europe fell below the level of $600 per thousand cubic meters for the first time since the end of August 2021, against the background of a warm winter and the temperature norm approaching optimal values.

The contract with the delivery «a day ahead» at the TTF hub in the Netherlands dropped to $590 per thousand cubic meters. February futures – up to $615.

Analysts note that the warm weather in October, November and January, as well as cost-saving measures, have led to the fact that at the moment the level of gas reserves in underground gas storage facilities (UGS) is the highest in the history of observations. And this strengthens the confidence of the authorities in the safe passage of winter.

According to Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) data from January 15, Europe's UGS are 81.49% full. In addition, gas quotes are affected by high wind power generation rates.

At the same time, Asian quotes remain significantly higher than European ones. In particular, the February futures on the JKM Platts index (Japan Korea Marker, reflecting the spot market value of goods shipped to Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan) is located at $957.

Recall that on December 19, 2022, the EU countries agreed on a ceiling of gas prices in the amount of 180 euros per 1 MWh, (or $ 1975 per 1000 cubic meters). This price limit will take effect from February 15. The ceiling will be activated if the price of gas for TTF exceeds the agreed mark, and the spread to the price of liquefied natural gas in the EU will be more than 35 euros per 1 MWh. It is worth noting that the price ceiling will not apply to over-the-counter transactions.

[KostiaFM]

January 19. The share of the pound in international settlements fell to a June low​​​​​​​

According to the SWIFT international system, the share of the pound sterling in international settlements by the end of December fell to 6.08%, which was the lowest value since June.

During the month, the British currency lost 1.01 percentage points, while retaining third place in the list of the most popular settlement currencies. The last time when the value was much less than the current one, it was noted in June: then the pound accounted for 5.96% of international settlements.

Analysts note that the dollar and the euro have strengthened their positions in the rating of currencies – they took first and second places with a share of 41.89% and 36.34%, respectively. The «American» for the month grew by 0.51 percentage points, and the «European» — by 0.22 points.

The Japanese yen is still in fourth place at the end of December, the share of which increased by 0.34 percentage points to 2.88% over the month.

The Chinese yuan closes the top five with a share of 2.15% and a decrease of 0.22 percentage points over the month.

[KostiaFM]

January 23. Retail sales in Britain showed a record drop since 1997

According to the UK Bureau of National Statistics, retail sales in December 2022 decreased by 5.8% compared to the same period in 2021. This was a record drop in the entire history of observations since 1997.

According to the ONS, retail sales in Britain have declined for the second month in a row. In December, they unexpectedly fell by 1%, which is twice as much as the 0.5% predicted by analysts. In November, the drop was also 0.5%.

The State Bureau also reported that the sales volumes recorded in December were 1.7% less than in February 2020 before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Total retail sales fell by 3% between 2021 and 2022.

Analysts note that after the start of the special operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, the West increased sanctions pressure on Russia. As a result, the disruption of logistics chains has led to an increase in fuel and food prices in Europe and the United States. In the UK itself, the rising cost of living has hit millions of households.

Recall that the Bank of England raised the base interest rate by 50 basis points – from 3% to 3.5%. The regulator also announced the beginning of a recession in the country, which will last the whole of 2023 and the first half of 2024. Annual inflation in the UK at the end of December was 10.5%.

[Allien]

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[KostiaFM]

January 30. The main economic events of the day: January 30, 2023

At the end of last week, the dollar managed to finish trading in positive territory, and its DXY index showed a modest increase of about 20 points. Last week, which was the last full trading week of the month, turned out to be extremely volatile and saturated with the publication of important macro statistics.

The current week promises to be no less interesting: meetings of the three largest world central banks (Fed, Bank of England, ECB) are expected at once, at which decisions on rates will be made. Market participants expect an interest rate increase of 0.50% from the ECB and the Bank of England, but only 0.25% from the Fed.

The week will end with the publication of key data from the US labor market: the US Department of Labor will present a monthly Non-Farm Payrolls report with data for January.

The main and only event of Monday, January 30, will be the publication of preliminary data on German GDP for the 4th quarter. Since the German economy is the locomotive of the entire European economy, a high value of the GDP indicator is considered a positive factor for EUR, and a low one is considered a negative factor.

Analysts predict that German GDP growth in the 4th quarter of 2022 amounted to 0%, and in annual terms – 0.8%. The previous values were marked at the levels of 0.4% and 1.2%, respectively. The data is better than the forecast may strengthen the euro in the short term.

[KostiaFM]

February 1. Experts predict an increase in ECB rates by 50 bps

Tomorrow, February 2, the first meeting of the European Central Bank in 2023 on the rate will be held. Market participants are confident that the ECB will raise key interest rates by 50 basis points, to the highest since 2008.

If the market forecasts come true, the base interest rate on loans will be raised to 3%, the deposit rate to 2.5%, and the rate on margin loans to 3.25%. At the previous meeting, the ECB increased all three rates by 50 bps. In total, they were raised by 250 bps in 2022.

Following the results of the December meeting, the head of the central bank, Christine Lagarde, said that the regulator intends to continue raising rates at a rate of 50 bps, and already in January, some representatives of the Central Bank confirmed the relevance of these plans. Now the main question for investors is whether the ECB will continue to increase rates by 50 bps in March, or will consider it necessary to slow down the pace of their increase.

It is worth noting that the European regulator usually makes a decision on rates not in advance, but directly at each meeting, taking into account the emerging data.

Today, data on inflation in the eurozone were published, according to which the growth rate of consumer prices in January slowed significantly – to 8.5% in annual terms (from 9.2% in December). This indicator has become the lowest since May last year, but it still significantly exceeds the ECB's 2% target.

[KostiaFM]

February 6. Oil has stabilized after a sharp drop last week

At the end of last week, oil prices showed a sharp drop from the level of $84 per barrel to $79.70. On Monday, Brent managed to stabilize, settling within the narrow sideways range of $80.00-$80.30 per barrel.

North American WTI oil shows similar dynamics: the current quote of the asset is $73.60 per barrel. Last Friday, WTI was trading at $77.75. At the end of last week, Brent fell by 7.5%, WTI – by 7.9%.

Pressure on the market was exerted by the weakening of investor optimism about the growth rate of demand in China after the lifting of anti-bullying restrictions, as well as strong data on the labor market of the United States. According to the report of the US Department of Labor, the number of people employed in the non-agricultural sector increased by 517 thousand, which is significantly higher than the forecast of 187 thousand and December growth of 260 thousand.

At the same time, the unemployment rate fell to the lowest since 1969 (3.4%). Data from the US Ministry of Labor showed that the Federal Reserve System still has room for maneuver in terms of tightening monetary policy.

Additional pressure on oil quotes was exerted by the statement of the head of the International Energy Agency that the economic recovery in China after the rejection of strict quarantine measures may be more powerful than expected. According to the IEA forecast, the Chinese economy will account for about half of the growth in oil demand this year.

It is also worth recalling that on February 5, the decision of the European Union and the G7 to impose an embargo on the import of petroleum products from Russia came into force. Market participants are closely monitoring the consequences of these measures.

[KostiaFM]

February 8. The oil market is on the rise in the middle of the week

Oil quotes accelerated growth on Wednesday amid hopes for a recovery in demand in China and fears of supply disruptions due to earthquakes in Turkey.

In addition, risky assets, including oil, were supported by statements made yesterday by the head of the US Federal Reserve System Jerome Powell, which turned out to be not as «hawkish» as the market expected.

The current price of Brent crude oil is $84.80 per barrel. Yesterday, the asset quotes were located at $81.60 per barrel. North American WTI crude is trading near $78.30 after yesterday's decline to $74.80 per barrel.

Additional support for the oil market is provided by the words of the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, that the recovery of China's economy may proceed at a more active pace than expected. And this, in turn, will lead to a global increase in demand for oil and natural gas.

Today, data from the US Department of Energy on crude oil reserves in the country will have an impact on the market. Analysts predict an increase in oil reserves by about 2.5 million barrels. Yesterday's report from the American Petroleum Institute (API) indicated a reduction in reserves in the United States by 2.18 million barrels per week.

[KostiaFM]

February 15. The Floki token rate jumped by 46% after Elon Musk's tweet

The Floki token (FLOKI) exchange rate increased by 46% after the head of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, published photos of his Shiba Inu dog named Floki.

On February 15, the billionaire posted a photo of his pet on the social network and called him the new CEO of Twitter, noting that Floki is well versed in numbers. «The new CEO of Twitter is amazing,» the billionaire wrote.

As a result, Floki – the management token in the ecosystem of the same name, which includes the gaming metaverse, the NFT marketplace, the FlokiFi DeFi project and the educational crypto platform – has sharply jumped in price.

Other meme «dog» cryptocurrencies also reacted with a slight increase. Dogecoin has risen in price by 6% over the past day, Shiba Inu – by 4.5%.

Elon Musk announced that he will name his puppy Shiba inu Floki on June 25, 2021. Then the billionaire's tweet caused the Shiba Inu cryptocurrency quotes to rise by 9%. In December of the same year, after the billionaire published a photo of Floki, the value of the Santa Floki token increased by 4000%, but since then it has fallen to zero values.

[KostiaFM]

March 1. Oil began to decline on signals of rising stocks in the US

On the first day of March, oil quotes began to decline after the release of data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) on another increase in fuel reserves in the United States.

The price of Brent crude oil fell from the level of $84.10 to $82.70 per barrel. North American WTI oil shows similar dynamics: a decline to $76.20 after yesterday's growth to $77.65 per barrel.

According to API statistics, crude oil inventories in the United States increased by 6.2 million barrels last week. Today, we should pay attention to similar data from the US Department of Energy. Analysts assume that the official report will indicate an increase in reserves by about 500 thousand barrels.

Yesterday, oil showed strengthening amid optimism about the recovery of the Chinese economy. In particular, the Purchasing managers' Index (PMI) in the processing industry of China rose in February to 52.6 points (from 50.1 points a month earlier), reaching a record high since 2012. Analysts on average expected a more moderate increase, up to 50.5 points.

The PMI of the service sector in February rose to 56.3 points from 54.4 points in January. The indicator has updated the maximum since March 2021.

February 28. The IMF refused to ban cryptocurrencies

The International Monetary Fund intends to abandon the idea of a complete ban on cryptocurrencies. This was stated by the Managing Director of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva during her speech at the meeting of G20 finance ministers in Bangalore, India.

Instead of a ban, the fund plans to differentiate and regulate crypto assets. «We are in favor of regulating the world of digital money, and this is a top priority, despite the fact that there is still a lot of confusion in the classification of digital money,» Georgieva said.

To date, the IMF's first goal is to distinguish between government-backed digital currencies of central banks and publicly issued crypto assets and stablecoins.

The head of the fund also stated that fully secured stablecoins create a fairly good space for the economy, and unsecured crypto assets are speculative and high-risk assets that require more regulation. The IMF still believes that crypto assets cannot be legal tender, since they are not secured by anything.

Moreover, if states fail to develop a mechanism to combat money laundering through cryptocurrencies and protect investors, the IMF does not rule out a complete ban on the use of an innovative tool in the global economy.

[KostiaFM]

March 6. Gold is declining in anticipation of the speech of the Fed’s head

On Monday, gold prices are mostly declining, moving away from the maximum in 2.5 weeks. Pressure on the precious metal is exerted by expectations of the speech of the head of the US Federal Reserve System Jerome Powell, which will take place later this week. Market participants hope to clarify the prospects of the central bank's monetary policy.

The current quote of gold paired with the dollar is $1856.45. During the day, the asset fell from the level of $1863 to $1854 per troy ounce. At the same time, the dollar index increased by 0.1%, making dollar-denominated gold more expensive for holders of other currencies.

In addition to Powell's speech, investors are waiting for Friday's data on the US labor market. At the end of the week, the monthly Non-Farm Payrolls report on the number of new jobs in the non-agricultural sector will be published. A weaker than expected indicator will indicate that the US Federal Reserve rate will not rise too rapidly, and this will support gold.

Spot silver prices declined to the level of $21.17, recovering during the day to the current level of $21.23 per ounce. Platinum fell by 1% to $968.09, and palladium fell in price by 1.8% to $1,426 per ounce.

[KostiaFM]

March 17. Economists recorded a peak drop in oil amid banking turmoil

Analyzing the dynamics of oil prices in recent days, economists have come to the conclusion that oil has suffered the biggest losses in a week this year. The drop in raw materials is mainly due to significant shocks in the world markets in the banking sector.

Recall that on March 11, the 16th largest US bank Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was declared bankrupt. The bankruptcy of this major Silicon Valley bank was the second largest in U.S. history after Washington Mutual Bank, whose collapse in 2008 led to a drop in stock prices in Europe and the closure of another bank in the United States.

Today, futures for North American WTI crude oil fell below $68 per barrel. At the end of the week, the drop was about 10%. The current price of the asset is $67.17 per barrel. Brent oil is also showing a decline – to the level of $73.40 per barrel.

Market participants are waiting for a reaction to the current collapse in prices from OPEC+. However, there is an opinion that the cartel will not take any action until the price of Brent crude oil falls below $70 per barrel for a long period of time.

At the same time, the International Energy Agency predicts that the oil market will be in surplus in the first half of 2023, despite the reduction in oil production in Russia in March. The European Union expects that the average price of Brent crude oil this year will be $84.8 per barrel.

[KostiaFM]

April 17. The oil market is unstable at the beginning of a new trading week

Oil quotes show high volatility at the beginning of the new trading week in the price range of $85.65-86.50 per barrel.

The current Brent quote is $85.67 per barrel, WTI oil is trading in the range of $81.70-82.60 per barrel. Last week, Brent rose by 1.4%, WTI – by 2.3%, and both types of oil rose in price for the fourth week in a row.

The market was supported by the forecast of the International Energy Agency published on Friday, according to which the supply deficit on the world market in the third quarter will amount to 2 million barrels per day. The IEA noted that another reduction in production by OPEC+ countries threatens a further decline in supply and an increase in oil prices at a time when inflationary pressure is already damaging consumers.

In the second quarter, the deficit will be 400 thousand b/d. Previously, the IEA expected demand to exceed supply only in the third quarter. The average deficit in 2023 is estimated at 800 thousand b/d.

At the same time, OPEC, which published its monthly forecast the day before the IEA, still expects an increase in oil demand in 2023 by 2.3 million barrels per day (up to 101.89 million b/d) – above the pre-Covid level.

Also today it became known that the countries of G7 intend to maintain the ceiling of prices for Russian oil at $60 per barrel.

[KostiaFM]

April 24. Binance allowed deposits with Russian cards

The Binance crypto exchange has returned to users from Russia the opportunity to replenish deposits using Qiwi wallets and Russian bank cards.

The Binance support service states: «You can make a deposit on our platform using a Russian card via Qiwi. At the same time, all Visa, Mastercard and other cards issued in Russia are supported.»

Among the currencies that can be used to replenish the deposit, rubles, Turkish lira, British pounds, euros, Kazakhstani tenge, Australian dollar, Ukrainian hryvnia, Czech crown and a number of others are offered. At the same time, there is no US dollar.

Recall that in March last year, against the background of events in Ukraine, the crypto exchange announced the suspension of operations using Mastercard and Visa bank cards issued in Russia. In 2023, Binance also banned Russian citizens and persons residing in the country from making transactions with dollars and euros through the money transfer service between individuals (P2P) in connection with the tenth package of sanctions adopted by the EU.

[KostiaFM]

May 5. Apple's profit in the first half of the year fell by 9%

The manufacturer of phones and smart devices Apple has presented a profit report in the first half of the 2022-2023 fiscal year, which ended on April 1.

The company's net profit decreased by 9% year-on-year and reached $54.158 billion. Diluted earnings per share were $3.41 compared to $3.62 a year earlier. The company's revenue for the reporting period increased by 4% to $211.99 billion.

In the second quarter of fiscal year 2022-2023, Apple's net profit decreased by 3.4% to $24.16 billion. Diluted earnings per share were $1.52, the same as a year earlier. The company's revenue for the reporting period decreased by 2.5% to $94.836 billion.

At the same time, revenue from iPhone sales in the second quarter increased by 1.5% y/y and amounted to $51.334 billion, Mac – decreased by 31.3% to $7.4168 billion, iPad – by 12% to $6.67 billion.

Sales of devices in the Wearables, Home and Accessories segment (which includes Apple Watch and AirPods) showed a decrease of 0.6% to $8.757 billion, and sales of the Services division rose by 5.5% to $20.907 billion.

[KostiaFM]

May 17. The pound remains under pressure after the speech of the head of the Bank of England

The British pound sterling has been showing a significant drop in recent days in a pair with the US dollar, falling to the level of 1.2422. On Wednesday, after a speech by the governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, who said that the central bank expects price pressure to ease in April, the pound remains under pressure.

Speaking at the annual world conference at the UK Chamber of Commerce, Bailey said that if price pressures prove more sustainable, further policy tightening will be required. At the same time, he added that there were signs of some weakening of the labor market.

Yesterday, data on unemployment in the UK were published: it rose to 3.9%. However, the growth rate of wages, including bonuses, remained unchanged, and this forced market participants to moderate expectations for further rate increases.

The current quote of the GBP/USD pair is 1.2477. The EUR/GBP pair also shows a drop during the day – to the level of 0.8677.

The Bank of England began tightening monetary policy at the end of 2021. Since then, the British central bank has raised its key interest rate by 400 basis points in total. However, to date, market opinions regarding the next step of the central bank are divided.

Thus, the probability of a rate hike at the June meeting of the Bank of England by 25 basis points is 66%. Analysts note that the further steps of the regulator will depend on the incoming macroeconomic data, while the inflation report for April, which is expected next week, will be important.

[KostiaFM]

May 30. Food inflation in the UK has fallen for the first time in two years

According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), food inflation in Great Britain fell for the first time in two years from a record 15.7% in April to 15.4% in May. The last time the indicator decreased was in August 2021.

Analysts note that the reason for the decline was the fall in electricity prices and the cost of production costs.

According to the BRC, price inflation for canned food rose to 13.1% from 12.9% in April, and for perishable products – fell from 17.8% to 17.2%.

At the same time, the consumer price index presented by BRC increased by 0.2% compared to April – up to 9% – due to the low exchange rate of the pound, increased labor costs, as well as electricity bills for stores.

Earlier, the National Statistical Service of Great Britain reported that real incomes of the population continue to fall at the fastest pace in ten years against the background of the inflation rate exceeding the increase in wages. As a result of record inflation, there is a wave of strikes in the country – employees of railway companies, lawyers, airport employees, postmen and workers in other fields come out to protest.