On Thursday, April 6, the Dow Jones New York Stock Exchange closed slightly higher amidst recession concerns. Investors anxiously awaited the release of US non-farm payroll data. With markets closed on Good Friday, April 7, trading volumes were low at 9 billion shares, compared to the 20-day average of 12.7 billion shares.
Other significant news topics around the world include:
- Ukraine’s discussion of its potential membership in NATO during a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission in Brussels on April 4-5.
- The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) prediction that the global economy will grow less than 3% in 2023 and only a flat 3% over the next five years, the lowest mid-term growth forecast since 1990.
- Vietnam’s Ministry of Communications warned TikTok not to censor content considered fake news or hateful, with the threat of limiting TikTok’s service in the country.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) may lift the COVID-19 emergency status this year, as discussed by Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at an expert panel meeting on April 6.
Furthermore, the US will report non-farm payroll figures for March, with investors watching closely to assess the direction of the Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rates. Analysts predict that employment numbers rose by only 238,000 in March, compared to February’s 311,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate is expected to remain steady at 3.6% in March.
These topics are worth watching today as they may have significant implications for the global economy and political landscape.