Last week, many high-ranking representatives from politics and business once again gathered in Davos, Switzerland, for the annual World Economic Forum. The most pressing topics were the use of AI, the climate crisis and geopolitical tensions. Meanwhile, central bankers made interesting statements on future interest rate policy.
Following the recent gains in the Japanese benchmark index, the stock market of the world’s third-largest economy could be worth a look. What is the state of the economy and monetary policy in the “Land of the Rising Sun” and how can investors invest in Japanese stocks?
The international stock markets closed out 2023 with significant gains. Hopes of abating inflationary pressure and declining interest rates were the main market drivers in Q4, resulting in a strong year for stock exchanges.
The OPEC+ oil association was unable to agree on official production cuts at its meeting last Thursday. However, individual member states announced plans for cuts. In a joint statement after the meeting, the more than twenty OPEC+ states also announced that Brazil would join the production alliance at the beginning of next year.
Stock market professionals are less pessimistic about the prospects for the German economy in the next six months. This is shown by the current economic barometer of the Center for European Economic Research (ZEW). The government also wants to get the economy moving again with additional relief measures.
The robust labor market and many special offers give hope for another record Christmas season in the USA. The latest market research data also shows that, despite inflation and high interest rates, Americans are once again planning to spend more over the holidays this year.
Roughly two weeks after the surprising terrorist attacks by the radical Islamic Hamas ruling the Gaza Strip, on targets in Israel, the military conflict in the country continues unabated. The war in the region also continues to dominate the financial and commodity markets, with global concerns that the conflict could possibly spread to other countries in the Middle East being the main driver of uncertainty.
Inflation in the Eurozone is expected to fall further. According to initial estimates, the inflation rate fell more sharply than expected in August. With a view to the next ECB interest rate decision at the end of October, the question now arises: Do interest rate hikes now come to an end?
Oil prices have been rising steeply for several weeks. The prices of the most important oil companies have also risen. How can investors profit?
After a period of declining sales, the semiconductor industry is expected to get back on track and return to growth in 2024. In particular, chips developed specifically for AI applications are a big driver of the boom.
