Highlights:

• Macroeconomic indicators remain robust, but vaccine supply delays in some regions and the emergence of new Covid-19 strains have dampened sentiment.

• The US congress is negotiating President Biden’s proposed US$1.9 trillion stimulus package, which includes US$1,400 payments to low-income workers.

• The EU has imposed tougher restrictions on visitors and the UK will introduce tighter border controls to prevent the spread of new Covid-19 strains.

• The Biden administration will seek to repair relations with China but will face immediate challenges as China steps up military activity around Taiwan.

• The RBA left the cash rate on hold at 0.1% and announced it will buy an additional $100 billion of Australian government bonds before ceasing purchases in April.

Global economies

The pandemic still looms large across the global economic landscape, with over 100 million confirmed Covid-19 cases worldwide at the start of February.

US

Covid-19 vaccines have begun rolling out across the country as daily confirmed cases continue to fall.

Europe

The European Union imposed tougher restrictions on visitors from outside the bloc, with travellers from countries with a higher infection rate than the EU (more than 25 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people over 14 days) required to enter quarantine.

China

China has been among the frontrunners in the global vaccine race, with late-stage trials underway for the Sinovac-developed CoronaVac in at least 16 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Asia Region

Japan’s economy, which was battling recession even before the pandemic hit, remains in precarious shape.

Australia

New positive Covid-19 cases in New South Wales and Victoria have prompted increased testing and tracing to prevent further outbreaks.

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The information in this Market Update is current as at 10/02/2021 and is prepared by Lonsec Research Pty Ltd ABN 11 151 658 561 AFSL 421445 on behalf of National Australia Bank and its subsidiaries. Any advice in this Market Update has been prepared without taking account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making any decisions based on the content of this document, the reader must consider whether it is personally appropriate in light of his or her financial circumstances or should seek independent financial advice on its appropriateness. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Before acquiring a financial product, you should obtain and read the corresponding Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and consider the contents of the PDS before making a decision about whether to acquire the product.