Morning wrap (13.02.2023)

• Indices from Asia-Pacific launched a new week mostly lower. S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.2%, Kospi traded 0.70% down, Nifty 50 declined 0.57% and Nikkei fell 0.88%. Indices from China were an exception and traded mostly higher 

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

• US index futures trade lower compared to Friday's closing prices

• The Pentagon shot down an unidentified object that it tracked over Michigan.

• Chinese government spotted a mystery object over waters near northern port city Qingdao and plans to shoot it down

• ECB's Visco said that policymakers must be careful to avoid unnecessary, excessive rise in real interest rates

• Germany's governing party Social Democrats has lost Berlin election for the first time since 1999

• UK firms plan biggest pay rises since 2012 to attract staff, according to CIPD via Reuters

• According to the Australian Financial Review, during a meeting with one of the hedge funds RBA Governor Lowe said, that there is a  possibility that Australia’s cash rate could go as far in this rising cycle as the US Fed 

• BoA analysts' expect Stoxx 600 dropping 20% to 365 by the Q3 2023

• New Zealand Services PMI rose to 54.5 in January, up from a downwardly revised 52.0 in the previous month

• The used car prices in the US resumed upward move in January

• OPEC expects global oil demand to exceed pre-pandemic levels this year

• Cryptocurrencies are trading mostly higher at the beginning of a new week. Bitcoin rose 0.2%, Ethereum gains 0.5% 

• Mixed moods prevail on the energy commodities market. Brent and WTI fell around 1.0% each while US natural gas prices jump 0.90%

• Precious metals trade flat amid stronger USD. Gold is trading below $1865 and silver attempts to break above $22.00 hurdle

• NZD and USD are the best performing major currencies while CAD and JPY lag the most

USDJPY rose over 0.60% during the Asian session as markets still try to assess looming change in BOJ leadership. Source: xStation5