Morning wrap (14.03.2022)

• Stocks in Asia traded mixed. Nikkei gained 0.6%, S&P/ASX 200 added 1.2% while Kospi moved 0.6% lower. Indices from China plunged 2.2-4.0% after Shenzhen was put in lockdown

• US and European futures are trading higher

• Ukraine said that talks with Russia became constructive and could yield results in days. News on talks during the weekend were much more positive than in the previous week

• Russia carried out airstrikes on Ukrainian military locations in very close proximity to the Polish-Ukrainian border on Sunday. Attack was condemned by NATO countries and Russia was warned that attack on NATO territory will trigger response of the alliance

• Financial Times reported that Russia asked China for military equipment and economic assistance. Similar stories were soon after reported by Washington Post and New York Times

• The Russian finance minister admitted that around $300 billion of Russia's $640 billion reserves is currently frozen and unavailable. Finance Ministry said that Russia may be forced to pay interest on its foreign-denominated bonds in RUB, meaning a technical default of the economy

• US National Security Advisor Sullivan will meet with Chinese top foreign policy official Yang Jiechi in Rome today to discuss Ukraine

• UK Prime Minister Johnson will travel to Saudi Arabia soon to hold oil talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

• Oil pulls back with Brent dropping to $110 per barrel

• Platinum and palladium drop over 1% while gold and silver trade flat

• CHF and USD are the best performing major currencies while AUD and CAD lag the most

Oil is pulling back as Western leaders are racing to secure more supply. UK Johnson will travel for oil talks with the Saudi leader soon. WTI (OIL.WTI) is making another attempt of breaking below the 38.2% retracement of the upward impulse launched in December 2021 near $105 . Source: xStation5