Morning wrap (27.12.2021)

• Asian indices traded lower at the beginning of a new week. Nikkei and Kospi moved 0.4% lower while indices from China traded 0.1-0.7% lower

• US futures are trading flat compared to last week close while European index futures point to a slightly lower opening of the cash session today

• The People's Bank of China pledged to provide greater support for the real economy. The Bank also said that monetary policy will now be more forward looking and more targeted

• Oil moved lower as Omicron threatens to hit demand. According to reports, US airlines called off over 1,500 flights on Friday and almost 1,000 on Saturday due to confirmed Covid cases among crew members

• Moves on the FX market were small during the Asian session as markets are expected to remain muted until New Year. AUD, EUR and GBP outperformed while CHF and JPY lagged the most

• USDTRY gains over 5% following an over-40% drop last week

• Cryptocurrencies traded sideways during the Christmas weekend. Bitcoin trades above $50,000. Ethereum trades near $4,050

Oil is pulling back slightly following a Christmas weekend that saw many US flights cancelled due to Omicron. Brent (OIL) pulls back from the $76.50 resistance area that serves as upper limit of trading range. Lower limit can be found in the $70 area. Source: xStation5