Covid-19 Daily Dashboard – 31 July 2020
An overview of key economic and financial metrics.
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Download an overview of key economic and financial metrics relating to Covid-19 on 31 July 2020.
Lockdown: In the English regions of Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire, separate households have been banned from meeting indoors or in private gardens due to a rise in reported cases. In Leicester, some restrictions are to ease on Monday, including the reopening of pubs, restaurants and other facilities. From the 1st August in England, government guidance to work from home if you are able to will expire, with employers, subject to transmission rates, able to determine appropriate COVID-19 secure working practices.
Equities: In Europe, the STOXX 600 is currently down up (+0.7%), both the DAX and CAC 40 are up +0.6% and the FTSE 250 has added +0.5%. In the US, futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average are up +0.3% and +0.2%. In Asia, the CSI 300 was up (+0.8%), while the Topix (-2.8%), S&P / ASX 200 (-2.0%), the Kospi (-0.8%) and the Hang Seng (-0.5%) were all lower on close.
VIX: The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility price remains volatile in itself, with the index increasing +15.7% yesterday to 28.0, now down -7.1% this morning to 26.0. The CBOE market volatility index is currently less volatile, sitting at 27.1. Both indices remain above their long term averages, indicating further expectations of near-term volatility.
Bonds: The US 10-year treasury yield has compressed -1bp to 0.54%, while the UK 10-year gilt yield and the German 10-year bund yield are flat at 0.09% and -0.55%.
Currency: Both sterling and the euro have appreciated to $1.31 and $1.19, the highest since January 2020 and May 2018, respectively. Hedging benefits for US dollar denominated investors into the UK and the eurozone is 0.33% and 1.10% per annum on a five-year basis.
Baltic Dry: The Baltic Dry index has increased for the second session in a row, up +2.4% to 1,348. The index is 24% above where it was in January, albeit, it is -31% lower than recent highs of 1,956 in early July.
GDP: US GDP contracted by -32.9% year on year in Q2 2020, the sharpest annual quarterly decline since records began in 1945. In Germany, Q2 GDP declined -10.1%, the largest contraction since 1970.
US Unemployment: There were 1.43 million new unemployment applications in the week to 25th July, below expectations of 1.45 million, but the second consecutive week on week increase.