MARKET CLOSED
Due to the President’s Day holiday the market will be closed today.
SURGING ALTs
Over the weekend, Bitcoin (BTC) maintained a stable price of around $52,000, showing lower trading activity compared to the weekdays. This trend of reduced weekend volatility has been observed since the introduction of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the U.S. in January. Nonetheless the was postive movement on other cryptos such as Ether (ETH) and Polygon’s MATIC, which saw a rise of more than 5% since Friday buoyed by expectations of an ether ETF opening up the asset to U.S. investors, and an overall surge of interest in the Ethereum ecosystem. Additionally, there was a notable surge of up to 10% in AI-related tokens like Worldcoin’s WLD, Fetch AI’s FET, Bittensor’s TAO, and Sleepless AI’s AI, following the debut of OpenAI’s text-to-video generator Sora.
SOFT LANDING CHALLENGED
The economy has seen notable surprises in recent economic reports, leading to revised forecasts and heightened uncertainty among experts. Unexpected variations in January’s inflation and retail sales figures have prompted a more cautious outlook on the economy’s future, challenging earlier predictions. This unanticipated shift has lent credence to concerns about a potential slowdown in economic recovery, highlighting the impact of factors such as government stimulus, consumer spending patterns, and supply chain disruptions. The unease stemming from the uncertain economic landscape has resonated among market participants and policymakers, underscoring the challenges of predicting economic trends. Ultimately, the overall sentiment is of uncertainty and instability, and as the situation continues to evolve, it has becomed increasingly clear that the path to economic recovery may be far more complex and unpredictable than previously anticipated.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
After the Chinese stock market reopened following the Lunar New Year holiday, it failed to experience the anticipated rally despite an upsurge in tourism and spending. Instead, concerns about the broader economy continued to weigh it down, resulting in a struggle to gain momentum throughout the trading day. Eventually, the market closed with a modest 1.2% increase, as foreign investors also began to sell onshore stocks. This emphasizes the pressing need for confidence-boosting measures from Beijing, and many are hoping for further policy support from the Chinese government to stimulate economic growth. Moreover, due to low confidence levels, foreign investors are diverting their attention away from Chinese stocks and exploring alternative markets such as India and Japan. Looking ahead, attention is now focused on any signs of economic stimulus ahead of the key annual meetings in March.
KEY EVENTS HAPPENING THIS WEEK
Monday: Market closed.
Tuesday: U.S. leading economic indicators for January.
Wednesday: Minutes of Fed’s January FOMC meeting, and speeches from Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic and Fed Gov. Michelle Bowman.
Thursday: Initial jobless claims for week ending on February 17, existing home sales report January, S&P flash U.S. services and manufacturing PMI reports for February, and speeches from Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson, Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker, Fed Gov. Lisa Cook , Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari and Fed Gov. Christopher Waller.
Friday: No events scheduled.
