Key Weekly Data Points – week commencing 18/05/2020

Daniel Casali provides a round-up of key market activity during the week of 18th May.

Monday 18th

• Footfall in the UK highstreets dropped by 81.8% compared with April 2019, according to data from the British Retail Consortium.
• US retail sales fell by over 16% in April, the steepest fall since monthly records over 50 years ago.
• In Japan, GDP fell 3.4% in Q1 2020, which places the country in a technical recession following a 6.4% decline in Q4 2019.

Tuesday 19th

• UK unemployment rose last month. In April, the claimant count increased by 856,500 to 2.1 million. Other ONS (Office for National Statistics) figures showed that unemployment had risen in Q1 to March, by 50,000 to 1.35 million.
• Germany and France have united in an attempt to create a €500 billion EU recovery fund. The fund would borrow the capital markets and aid EU spending.
• Bloomberg data suggests that investors believe that the probabilitly of the airline industry defaulting in the next 5 years in 100%. This is the second time in a decade that have bet on the airline industry defaulting.

Wednesday 20th

• Companies who borrow more than £50m through new government-backed loans will be barred from paying dividends and cash bonuses to executives.
• The rate of inflation in the UK fell to its lowest since August 2016 as the effect of COVID-19 lockdowns was reflected in the price of goods.
• The ONS said CPI (Consumer Price Index) fell from 1.5% in February to 0.8% in March. Falling fuel prices and lower energy bills were the main contributors to this lower rate of inflation.

Thursday 21st

• Risk of a no-deal Brexit could be on the rise as Brussels and Britain continued to exchange heated words over the contentious border plans for Northern Ireland.
• According to the WTO (World Trade Organisation), international imports and exports have reached their lowest level in the last four years as global demand plummeted and supply chains faced issues. The WTO’s quarterly goods trade barometer dropped to 87.6, with any score below 100 representing a decline.

Friday 22nd

• The Hang Seng fell 3.4% as China announced that it is planning to implement a national security law into Hong Kong’s ruling charter. Mass protests are expected as the law may abolish free speech, outlaw dissent and weaken Hong Kong’s autonomy.
• China has dropped its GDP target, for the first time in history. The Chinese economy contracted by 6.8% in Q1 2020, however officials still announced a 6.6% increase to the military budget.
• India have announced a surprising interest rate cut, from 4.4% to 4%. India’s banks will also defer loan payments until August, giving businesses added recovery time.

Source: Bloomberg.com

Risk warning
Investment does involve risk. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up. The investor may not receive back, in total, the original amount invested. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. Rates of tax are those prevailing at the time and are subject to change without notice. Clients should always seek appropriate advice from their financial adviser before committing funds for investment. When investments are made in overseas securities, movements in exchange rates may have an effect on the value of that investment. The effect may be favourable or unfavourable.

DISCLAIMER
By necessity, this briefing can only provide a short overview and it is essential to seek professional advice before applying the contents of this article. This briefing does not constitute advice nor a recommendation relating to the acquisition or disposal of investments. While considerable care was taken to ensure the information contained within this article was accurate and up to date at the time of publication, no warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information.  No liability is accepted for any errors or omissions in such information, or any action or inaction taken on the basis of this publication.
Please remember investment involves risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and investors may not receive back the original amount invested. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.
 
Evelyn Partners Investment Management LLP
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Registered in England No. OC 369632. FRN: 580531
Evelyn Partners Investment Management LLP is part of the Evelyn Partners group.
© Evelyn Partners Group Limited 2020

Ref: 75920lw

Return to the COVID-19 homepage