SHANGHAI, Nov 13 (SMM) — This is a roundup of global macroeconomic news last night and what is expected today.
The dollar held steady on Thursday as investors were cautious over expectations about a COVID-19 vaccine that is unlikely to avert a grim winter in the United States and Europe as the pandemic's latest wave intensifies.
The dollar index was up 0.01% in the morning in New York, after having rebounded a little in London from lows during Asia trading.
The latest U.S. weekly jobless claims report did not budge the dollar when it came out on Thursday morning. The report showed the pace of decline in claims had slowed to 709,000 compared with 757,000 the prior week and forecasts for 735,000 claims.
On Wall Street, U.S. stock futures were flat on Thursday night as Wall Street continues to grapple with the rising number of coronavirus cases and its potential economic impact.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures traded 24 points higher, or less 0.1%. S&P 500 futures gained 0.1% and Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.3%.
Earlier on Thursday, the Dow dropped more than 300 points during the regular session, notching its second straight daily decline. The S&P 500 pulled back 1%, leaving it just 0.8% higher for the week after surging on Monday amid positive vaccine news.
Those losses came as the number of coronavirus cases, and hospitalizations, keeps climbing in the U.S. A CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University showed average daily new cases are up by at least 5% over the past week in at least 47 states. Hospitalizations, meanwhile, rising in at least 46 states.
Oil prices fell on Thursday, weighed down by the surge in coronavirus cases that is hampering the global economy, along with an unexpected rise in U.S. crude stockpiles.
Oil futures tracked with U.S. equities, which also fell on pandemic concerns. Europe is grappling with a sharp increase in infections and new social restrictions. In the United States, new cases have surpassed 100,000 per day for several days, and more than a dozen states have doubled their caseloads in the last two weeks.
Brent crude fell 27 cents to settle at $43.53 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 33 cents to settle at $41.12 a barrel.
Gold rose 1% on Thursday on concern over the logistics of a potential COVID-19 vaccine roll-out as cases continued to surge in the United States, while hopes of more fiscal and monetary stimulus offered support to the safe-haven metal.
Spot gold rose 0.9% to $1,881.57 per ounce, while U.S. gold futures climbed 1% to $1,880.50.
“The (gold) market is focused on stimulus and on the number of COVID-19 cases, those are continuing to rise,” said Phillip Streible, chief market strategist at Blue Line Futures in Chicago.
Regarding the vaccine, “we don't know how the distribution is going to work ... It seems like even if they had the vaccine, they probably won't be aggressive on going out, getting it,” Streible added.
Key economic data slated for release today include Eurozone Revisions of Seasonally-adjusted Quarterly GDP in Q4, Eurozone Seasonally-adjusted Balance of Trade for September, US PPI Annual Rate for October and the preliminary reading of the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment for November in the US.
