Closing Report 20.07.2021

European and US stock markets regain strength

AMERICAN MARKETS MID DAY

Despite the scenario of a strong rebound on Wall Street, the T-Bond yield continued to plunge in early morning trading. The spread of the Delta variant, which is reviving the Covid-19 epidemic and prompting some countries to reinstate restrictions, threw a wrench into equity markets on Monday as investors turned to bonds as a safe haven.

The Commerce Department published the applications for building permits for housing, which is supposed to be a precursor of future housing starts. They contracted by 5.1% to 1,598,000 in June instead of an increase of +1% to 1.7 million.

EUROPEAN MARKETS CLOSING

The Paris Bourse erased part of the previous day’s losses on Tuesday (+0.81%), as the market put aside its fears about the Covid-19 Delta variant, despite the increase in the number of contaminations. As for the sharp rise in inflation in recent months, another concern for investors, the main event of the week will be the European Central Bank (ECB) meeting on Thursday.

Rail manufacturer Alstom climbed 2.53% to 36.04 euros on the back of orders that jumped 290% in the first quarter of the year, boosted by large contracts and the integration of Canadian company Bombardier.

ASIAN PACIFIC MARKETS CLOSING

In Asia, the stock markets continued to decline, due to concerns about the health situation which is leading to new restrictions in several countries. Tokyo (-0.96%) fell to its lowest level since the beginning of January, at the end of a fifth straight session in the red. Hong Kong lost 0.84% and Shanghai shed 0.07%.

The UK announced on Tuesday its intention to permanently deploy two warships to East Asia following the voyage of the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth to Japan in September. The British naval battle group will sail to the South China Sea, the scene of growing tensions between China and the US and its allies.

COMMODITIES & FOREX MARKETS

Cocoa prices fall by 8.2% in April. According to the Ministry of the Economy, this drop is due to a decline in world demand due to the resurgence of Covid-19 in Europe, but also in Asia and Brazil. During this period, coffee and cotton prices also fell.

The British pound suffered on Tuesday against the dollar as the market worried about the rise in Covid-19 infections, which are particularly high in the UK. In early European trade, it fell to its lowest in five-and-a-half months against the dollar, to 1.3627 dollars, and in a month-and-a-half against the euro, to 86.44 pence to the euro.

Central Africa Backbone: fibre optics to link South Cameroon and North Congo

As part of the second phase of the Central Africa Backbone (CAB) project, the Congolese and Cameroonian governments have just launched work on a 350-kilometre fibre-optic interconnection near their border. 66.5 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB). The work launched at the Ntam border post is being carried out by two Chinese companies. They aim to fill a gap, as according to experts from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Internet penetration rate is barely 12% in the sub-region. Congo and Cameroon have been connected since last March by an asphalt road financed, like the interconnection project, by the African Development Bank (AfDB).