
Crude prices lifted this morning but the downtrend of recent weeks continues to depress the oil market. Existing fears of an global slowdown have been exacerbated by anxiety as to the possible economic impact of the coronavirus.

What is the long-term forecast for the exchange rate between the US dollar and the British pound? In figuring out an answer, it is important to remember that the differences between these two currencies and the economies that underpin them are as important as the similarities.

Fears of a global slowdown and the economic threat posed by the coronavirus have bolstered demand for bullion. But some see the fact that gold’s traditional rival, the dollar, is also strong as indicating a serious crisis ahead.

February 2020 was a month of record stock market highs, with the S&P500 reaching 3380 on Feb 14. However, not all the companies on the list fared so well. While some managed to gain over 20%, others lost over 18%. Read on to find out which of the stocks on the S&P500 were the top share price risers and fallers of February 2020 – and why.

Brent crude oil futures are one of the most important energy derivatives in the commodity markets. They have long outgrown the oil field from which they take their name and are used in between half and two-thirds of oil futures trading

The volatility index, or VIX, is at 12-monthly highs, suggesting the market expects increasingly erratic share movements, mainly downwards. But is the VIX any more insightful than the sum of traders’ and investors’ best guesses?

They are the “odd couple” of currency markets, the US dollar and the Swiss franc. Despite their big differences, the interplay between them can tell us a lot about market sentiment regarding the world economy.

Stocks and the pound made a shaky start to a week in which both Britain and the European Union will set out their demands ahead of trade talks starting next month. Sticking points include UK alignment with EU rules and access for continental fishing boats to British waters.

Crude oil trading has been stuck within a $50-$70 trading range for the last 12 months. One factor weighing on the price has been greatly increased US oil production.

Mexico’s currency the peso is at 12-monthly highs, supported by returning economic growth and a new North America trade deal. The exchange rate has helped the country respond to economic shocks, according to experts.

The gold price has risen by about 20% during the last 12 months, but could this result from the “sugar rush” of easy-money policies by central banks? The prospect of higher American interest rates has spooked some in the market.

Australia’s top shares have enjoyed a surge in the last 12 months, and momentum seems strong. Fears that the coronavirus would damage the investment outlook have apparently been shrugged off.

Whether it’s Sinn Fein’s surge in the Irish election or the fears of Scottish salmon producers of life after Brexit, Britain’s post-European agenda is not short of urgent issues. But the biggest hurdle remains getting a trade deal by the end of the year.

China’s outbreak of the sometime-fatal coronavirus is depressing crude oil prices. Traders fear the illness will impact economic activity in the country and that ravel restrictions will reduce demand for fuel.

As we enter the last winter month of the oil-guzzling northern hemisphere, what is the outlook for the crude price? In our crude oil price forecast for next week, we ask whether US shale oil and concerns about carbon emissions have broken the traditional links joining cold weather and economic growth to the price of “black gold”.