Many macro reports have been published this week. US data released on Wednesday showed a faster rate of economic growth in the fourth quarter than expected. The dollar index starting Tuesday showed a positive trend and the dollar rose against a basket of major currencies. The Japanese yen fell against the dollar to a two-week low.
Oil prices also retreated from the highs, but at the moment Brent and WTI have multi-directional vectors. Brent lost -0.22%, while the gained WTI +0.23%.
The loudest event in the markets this week was the news of the expulsion of Russian diplomats. Today we know that in connection with a political scandal in more than 20 countries more than 140 people were expelled. Against the background of these events, the Russian ruble began to lose in price, and Russian stocks after the news lost more than $3 billion in a single day. It may also cause the sale of long-term debt investments.
The capitalization of the cryptocurrency market continues to decline. Following the reference cryptocurrency, Bitcoin is traded near the $7,500 level. The remaining cryptocurrencies are showing a decrease.