Covid-19 Daily Dashboard – 1 July 2020
An overview of key economic and financial metrics.
2 minutes to read
Download an overview of key economic and financial metrics relating to Covid-19 on 1 July 2020.
Equities: The S&P 500 index increased +20% over Q2, the index’s largest rise since Q4 1998. This has been aided by the three largest constituents Microsoft, Apple and Amazon, which have increased year to date (YTD) by 29%, 24% and 49%, respectively. In Europe, the STOXX 600 gained circa +13% over the last three months, however YTD losses remain at -13%.
VIX: The CBOE market volatility index, also known as the ‘investor fear gauge’ declined -4.2% yesterday to 30.4. This remains above the long term average of 20, indicating further expectations of near-term volatility.
Currency: Sterling has appreciated slightly to $1.24, while the euro remains at $1.12. Hedging benefits for US dollar denominated investors into the UK and the eurozone have increased to 0.28% and 1.08% per annum on a five-year basis.
Baltic Dry: The Baltic Dry has increased for 22 consecutive sessions, currently up +0.3% to 1,799. The index was last this high in October 2019 and is now 709 points above where it was in January 2020.
Oil: Both Brent Crude and the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) are now above $40, currently $42.55 and $40.52 per barrel, respectively.
Travel Restrictions: The European Council has announced a list of 15 non-EU “safe travel destinations”. These include Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. China is also on the list, subject to a pending reciprocal agreement. The UK and four other non-EU states (Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) are automatically included as “safe”. Individual states have autonomy to choose when and which of these countries they will open up to and must announce this information in advance.
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