Please find the latest edition of Weekly Digest attached.
COVID Update
The vaccination race still showing encouraging results. 3.1% of the global population has now received at least one vaccine jab, up from 2.6% last week. Israel has now vaccinated 93% of its population. The UK is up to 30% of its population, the US is at 22%. Thirteen countries have now vaccinated over 10% of their populations.
Seven day average of global new cases has ticked up for the first time since the long decline in January, registering around 380k / day, up 30k from last week but still less than half the recent peak of 800k. Daily deaths are still trending down, and are below 10k at 9.3k, down from recent peak of 14k, though still 2x the rate of last summer.
UK cases are growing at around 1.7% (seven day average of the daily rate), down from over 17% at the recent post-Christmas peak of the second wave, as the vaccination programme was just beginning.
The Week Ahead
The Budget takes centre stage in the UK this coming Wednesday, with Rishi Sunak set to deliver the 2021 Budget almost one year on from his last (11 March 2020). In terms of data released this week, we have US Employment Report on Friday. Furthermore, it is the commencement of the China Annual legislative sessions. This is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, and the first year of a new 5 year plan. Growth targets and implementation plans will be set. Finally, this week also sees earnings reports from Prudential, Melrose, and London Stock Exchange Group.