Daily Economics Dashboard - 29 March 2021

Download an overview of key economic and financial metrics on 29 March 2021.

COVID-19: The total number of cases recorded globally has surpassed 127 million, according to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine. Circa 541 million people globally have been vaccinated, an increase of +24% over the week and equating to just under 7% of the global population. Reported deaths have reached circa 2.7 million.
Equities: Globally, stocks are mixed. In Europe, the STOXX600 and the DAX are both up +0.1% over the morning, the CAC 40 is flat and the FTSE 250 down -0.1%. In Asia the TOPIX (+0.5%) and the CSI 300 (+0.2%) closed higher, but the S&P / ASX 200 (-0.4%), KOSPI (-0.1%) and Hang Seng (-0.1%) closed just lower. In the US, futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average are -0.6% and -0.3%.
VIX: The CBOE market volatility index is up +8.3% this morning to 20.4, just above its long term average of 19.9. The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility is also higher, up +6.5% to 18.2, below its LTA of 23.9.
Bonds: The UK 10-year gilt yield remained stable at 0.76%. The US 10-year treasury yield hardened -2bps to 1.66% while the German 10-year bund yield softened +1bp this morning to -0.34%.
Currency: Sterling and the euro remain at $1.38 and $1.18 respectively. Currency hedging benefits for a dollar denominated investor into the UK and Eurozone are currently 0.61% and 1.71% on a five year basis.
Oil: Brent Crude and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) are -0.4% and -0.5% lower this morning at $64.3 and $60.7, respectively.
Gold: The price of Gold is currently $1,725 per troy ounce, -0.4% down over the morning and -9% below where it was at the start of the year.
Baltic Dry: The Baltic Dry increased marginally on Friday, up +0.3% to 2,178.
Global trade: The Suez Canal Authority announced this morning that the 220k tonne container ship that has blocked the Suez Canal for a week has been partially re-floated, raising hopes that the route which carries 12% of global trade may soon reopen.