Markets lower on oil, Fed... IMF says lower oil won’t help economy unless interest rates rise... Men have higher financial literacy than women says study...
Markets lower on oil, Fed
Equities in Asia and Europe have wobbled Friday as oil prices slip 2 per cent and analysts weigh an April interest rate rise in the US.
Brent crude slipped below $40 again and US crude was down more than 70 cents following data showing increasing US stockpiles.
There is growing expectation that the Fed will hike interest rates next month; in its latest announcement it called for two rate rises this year and analysts believe April will be the most likely to allow space before the second.
Asian markets have closed lower and markets in Europe are trending lower too.
Wall Street and Toronto are expected to open lower.
IMF says lower oil won’t help economy unless interest rates rise
The International Monetary Fund said Thursday that unless interest rates rise lower oil prices will not have much positive impact on the global economy. It said that under current conditions it’s unlikely that rates will rise before oil starts to recover from its slump.
Men have higher financial literacy than women says study
Men have a higher level of financial literacy than women. That’s one of the findings of a new study by Statistics Canada which reveals that 22 per cent of men correctly answered 5 of the 14 questions that were specifically related to the key issues of interest, inflation and risk diversification. This compared with 15 per cent among women. In addition, women (31 per cent) were less likely than men (43 per cent) to consider themselves financially knowledgeable.
The gender difference in financial knowledge was more pronounced among older Canadians, the university-educated and higher-income workers. Among graduates who were under 35, there was no gender disparity. The study was undertaken in 2014 and was released this week.
Among men who reported that they were mainly responsible for household finances, 33 per cent answered the five questions correctly. Among women who reported that their spouse was mainly responsible, 10 per cent answered the five questions correctly. A similar result is found among men who contributed relatively more to the couple's total household income than women.
Equities in Asia and Europe have wobbled Friday as oil prices slip 2 per cent and analysts weigh an April interest rate rise in the US.
Brent crude slipped below $40 again and US crude was down more than 70 cents following data showing increasing US stockpiles.
There is growing expectation that the Fed will hike interest rates next month; in its latest announcement it called for two rate rises this year and analysts believe April will be the most likely to allow space before the second.
Asian markets have closed lower and markets in Europe are trending lower too.
Wall Street and Toronto are expected to open lower.
| Latest | 1 month ago | 1 year ago | |
| North America (previous session) |
|||
| US Dow Jones | 17,502.59 (-0.45 per cent) | +6.52 per cent | -3.39 per cent |
| TSX Composite | 13,379.48 (-0.84 per cent) | +5.02 per cent | -11.28 per cent |
| Europe (at 5.30am ET) |
|||
| UK FTSE | 6,133.16 (-1.06 per cent) | +4.53 per cent | -12.63 per cent |
| German DAX | 9,919.05 (-1.04 per cent) | +8.19 per cent | -17.38 per cent |
| Asia (at close) |
|||
| China CSI 300 | 3,181.85 (-1.68 per cent) | +2.33 per cent | -19.91 per cent |
| Japan Nikkei | 16,892.33 (-0.64 per cent) | +6.14 per cent | -14.31 per cent |
| Other Data (at 6.30am ET) |
|||
| Oil (Brent) | Oil (WTI) | Gold | Can. Dollar |
| 38.94 (-2.14 per cent) |
39.68 (-1.95 per cent) |
1217.00 (- 0.57 per cent) |
U$0.7542 |
| Aus. Dollar |
|||
| U$0.7501 | |||
IMF says lower oil won’t help economy unless interest rates rise
The International Monetary Fund said Thursday that unless interest rates rise lower oil prices will not have much positive impact on the global economy. It said that under current conditions it’s unlikely that rates will rise before oil starts to recover from its slump.
Men have higher financial literacy than women says study
Men have a higher level of financial literacy than women. That’s one of the findings of a new study by Statistics Canada which reveals that 22 per cent of men correctly answered 5 of the 14 questions that were specifically related to the key issues of interest, inflation and risk diversification. This compared with 15 per cent among women. In addition, women (31 per cent) were less likely than men (43 per cent) to consider themselves financially knowledgeable.
The gender difference in financial knowledge was more pronounced among older Canadians, the university-educated and higher-income workers. Among graduates who were under 35, there was no gender disparity. The study was undertaken in 2014 and was released this week.
Among men who reported that they were mainly responsible for household finances, 33 per cent answered the five questions correctly. Among women who reported that their spouse was mainly responsible, 10 per cent answered the five questions correctly. A similar result is found among men who contributed relatively more to the couple's total household income than women.
