Market Information Friday 21 May 2021

The Leading Economic Indicators (LEI) index for the U.S. economy increased in April. The Conference Board reported an increase of 1.6%, following a previous increase of 1.3% in March. The LEI index reflects the development of the economy over the coming six months. For this purpose, a weighted average of several sub-indicators, including consumer confidence and stock prices, is constructed.

Prices of consumer goods fell again in Japan. Both annual and monthly figures showed a decline of 0.4% in April. Core inflation decreased with 0.7%. While many Western countries fear excessive inflation, Japan is one of the few countries in the world to fear deflation. Even though the Japanese central bank, like many other countries, is aiming for an inflation rate of 2%.

Dutch consumer confidence rose again in May, according to figures published by the Statistics Netherlands. The index rose from -14 to -9, approaching the 20-year average of -8. In particular, the sub-indicator that measures the perception of consumers about the health of the economy saw a strong increase over the past month from -32 to -24. In addition, the willingness-to-buy index rose from -2 to 1 and rose above zero for the first time since the corona crisis.

The 6M Euribor is unchanged at -0.52% compared to previous business day. The 10Y Swap decreased with 1 basis point to 0.18% compared to previous business day.

In the attachment, today’s market data on money and capital market rates as well as other rates are presented.