Morning wrap (20.06.2022)

• Indices traded mixed during the first Asian session of a new week. Nikkei dropped 1%, S&P/ASX 200 moved 0.6% lower and Kospi plunged 2.50%. Indices from China traded up to 1.2% higher

• DAX futures point to a slightly lower opening of the European cash session today

• People's Bank of China loan prime rates unchanged at today's meeting, as expected. 1-year rate was left unchanged at 3.70% while 5-year rate remained at 4.45%

• Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition lost an absolute majority in parliamentary elections, leading to a potential 5 years of gridlock in French politics

• Gustavo Petro won a presidential election run-off in Columbia. He is known to be an "anti-oil" politician and is expected to curb oil exploration and production in the country

• Cryptocurrencies continued to slide over the weekend. Bitcoin dropped below $20,000 and tested $18,000 handle on Saturday. Ethereum dropped below $1,000 but has managed to recover back above this hurdle since

• Oil is trading little changed today. Brent gains 0.3% while WTI trades 0.1% higher

• Precious metals gain. Palladium is a top performer with a 2.5% gain

• AUD and EUR are the best performing major currencies while USD and JPY lag the most

Macron's centrist Ensemble bloc won around 245 seats in the parliament, well short of the required 289 seats for majority. Ensemble lost over 100 seats (350 in 2017) as far-left and far-right parties managed to benefit from voters' discontent over current economic situation. Source: Politico