Summary
The British electorate on Thursday faces the likely and unusual result of a hung Parliament, that is, without a clear majority for either main party, Conservatives or Labor. Coalition governments are common on the continent but rare in England. Except for the current arrangement between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, the only two prior coalition governments in the last 150 years were during the two world wars of the 20th century. Coalitions, at least in formation, tend to give fringe political views greater weight in government. In Britain the likely coalition parties are the Scottish Nationalists, the anti-European UK Independence Party, UKIP, and the current government partner the Liberal Democrats. The Scottish Nationalists are mainstream social democrats and aside from their focus on Scottish nationalism are unlikely to challenge the governing consensus on British membership in the European Union or to advocate joining the euro. The UKIP is a different story. They garnered the fourth most votes in the 2010 elections and won the highest share of any party in the 2014 European Parliament elections. They advocate leaving the European Union and much greater independence from continental concerns. A strong showing, let alone consideration or inclusion in government would send shockwaves throughout the European political and financial establishments. Economic crisis have a way of dispensing with old political arrangement and fomenting new. We may be at the beginning of Europe’s emergence from the sureties of the post war world. Join us on Thursday for a sense of history as it happens. Read here our special interview with Joseph Trevisani about UK Elections.Latest Live Videos
Editors’ Picks
Gold surges on safe-haven demand, rises above $5,400
Gold benefits from intense risk-aversion on Monday and climbs above $5,400, setting a fresh monthly-high in the process. Tensions in the Middle East remain high as Israel and Hezbollah continue to exchange strikes following the US-Israel joint attack on Iran over the weekend.
Oil retreats from seven-month high, WTI holds above $71.00
Cure oil prices started the week with a huge bullish gap and the barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) touched its highest level since June above $75 as markets reacted to the closure of Strait of Hormuz following the US and Israel attacks on Iran. Although WTI retreats in the Euroepan morning, it holds comfortably above $71.
EUR/USD slumps below 1.1750 as USD benefits from risk-aversion
EUR/USD comes under renewed bearish pressure in the European session and trades below 1.1750 following a recovery attempt earlier in the day. The US Dollar gathers strength and weighs on the pair as investors seek refuge in the wake of Israel and the United States' joint attack on Iran.
Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple under pressure as key supports face breakdown risk
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple prices trade on the back foot at the start of this week on Monday, after extending losses in the previous week. BTC is on the brink of a breakdown, ETH is capped below key resistance, and XRP risks a crack of the trendline.
The market is paying for insurance, not apocalypse
As expected, this morning felt less like a Monday market open and more like a fire drill. Futures screens flickered red. S&P contracts down almost 1%. Nasdaq off 1.2%. Brent leaped 13% through $80. Gold rose 1.6% toward $5350 before paring some gains. The dollar is strutting mildly. The Swiss franc is quietly doing what it always does in a storm, catching some safe-haven flows.
Here is what you need to know on Monday, March 2:
Safe-haven flows dominate the action in financial markets to start the week after the United States and Israel carried out a coordinated attack on Iran over the weekend. The US economic calendar will feature the Institute for Supply Management's Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index data for February later in the day but investors will remain focused on headlines coming out of the Middle East.