Tag - unemployment

This Week in a nutshell (18th Oct to 22nd Oct)

Technical talks

NIFTY opened the week on 18th October at 18,500 and closed on 22nd October at 18,114 during the week, the index lost -2%. Nifty is trading at an RSI of 72, with support at 18,095 and resistance at 18,602.

Weekly highlights

  • China Evergrande Group pulled back from the edge of default by paying a bond coupon of $83.5 million before Saturday’s deadline. This came as a surprise as Evergrande was expected to make payments to local creditors and suppliers first who are waiting for the company to make due payments.
  • Applications for unemployment benefits in the US have dropped by 6,000 to 2,90,000 this week. Layoff levels have become normal but hiring by companies has been slow. It is observed that people who were laid off have stopped looking for new jobs.
  • India is going through a coal crisis which has coincided with an increase in demand for electricity. The Centre is planning to maintain sufficient reserves of coal and natural gas to tackle future shortage of coal.
  • India’s top private banks including HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank and IndusInd Bank are bidding for Citi’s consumer banking business after it announced exit from consumer banking in 13 countries including India.
  • Maharashtra is witnessing a declining trend in its covid cases and hence the Government eased restrictions starting 22nd October by reopening amusement parks and cinemas. Restaurants and shops are also allowed relaxed timings. This will have a positive impact on the restaurant and entertainment industry.
  • Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated that the central bank would begin winding down its bond purchases but remain patient on raising interest rates.
  • US markets continued their rally this week but fell on Friday as the Fed warned about concerns about inflation.
  • The foreign institutional investors (FII )sold equities worth of Rs 73,530 mn, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) sold equities worth of Rs 45,040 mn.

Things to watch out for next week:

  • Result season continues next week in the US, and India. Big IT companies such as Facebook, Microsoft, Alphabet are set to announce earnings next week. In India, banks like Kotak bank and IndusInd bank are set to report earnings. commentary from banks regarding loan book growth will be critical.
  • Pharma biggies such as Cipla, Lupin and Torrent will also report earnings next week.
  • Commentary regarding raw material inflation and logistical challenges would be critical.

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