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Dear Traders,

Please find our updated trading schedule for the Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day holidays below. All times mentioned in GMT +2.

Liquidity over the holidays is expected to be particularly thin so please take the necessary precautions to ensure you are not affected by increased volatility, spreads and intermittent pricing.

We will have staff to assist you throughout the holiday period whenever the market is open. Please be aware that deposits and withdrawals will be delayed when there is a bank holiday. Online funding methods such as credit/debit card, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill etc. will still be processed instantly.

Tel: +61 (0)2 8014 4280
Email: support@icmarkets.com
Live Chat: Click Here

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your business over the last year. 2019 has been a year of growth and change for IC Markets as we endeavor to bring you the best trading conditions and client experience possible.

We wish for an enjoyable holiday season and a prosperous 2020 for you and your family.

Forex Pairs:

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Global Markets:

• Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei up 0.02%, Shanghai Composite down 1.40%, Hang Seng up 0.07%, ASX down 0.46%
• Commodities : Gold at $1488.55 (+0.52%), Silver at $17.39 (+0.98%), Brent Oil at $65.94 (-0.30%), WTI Oil at $60.20 (-0.40%)
• Rates : US 10-year yield at 1.903, UK 10-year yield at 0.781, Germany 10-year yield at -0.261

News & Data:

• (USD) Personal Spending m/m 0.40% vs 0.40% expected
• (USD) Core PCE Price Index m/m 0.10% vs 0.10% expected
• (GBP) Parliament Brexit Vote Pass vs previous
• (USD) Final GDP q/q 2.10% vs 2.10% expected
• (CAD) Retail Sales m/m -1.20% vs 0.50% expected
• (CAD) Core Retail Sales m/m -0.50% vs 0.20% expected
• (GBP) Final GDP q/q 0.40% vs 0.30% expected
• (GBP) Current Account -15.9B vs -15.7B expected
• China slams Washington’s new defense act
• In 2020, 2% Looks Like the New 3% for the World’s Benchmark Rate

CFTC Positioning Data:

• EUR short 66K vs 68K short last week. Shorts trimmed by 2K
• GBP short 6K vs 23K short last week. Shorts trimmed by 17K
• JPY short 42K vs 44K short last week. Shorts trimmed by 2k
• CHF short 11K vs 21K short last week. Shorts trimmed by 10K
• AUD short 47k vs 37K short last week. Shorts increased by 10K
• NZD short 8K vs 25K short last week. Shorts trimmed by 17K
• CAD long 11k vs 21K long last week. Longs trimmed by 10K.

Markets Update:

Asian stock markets are mostly lower on Monday despite the record closing highs on Wall Street Friday amid continued optimism that the U.S. and China have reached an agreement on phase one trade deal, which has eliminated considerable uncertainty for the markets. Trading volumes are subdued in Asian markets ahead of the Christmas holiday break later this week.

China said on Monday it would lower tariffs on products ranging from frozen pork and avocado to some types of semiconductors next year as it looks to boost imports amid a slowing economy and a trade war with the United States.

Mainland Chinese stocks fell as the Shanghai composite was down 1.4%, while the Shenzhen composite tumbled 1.8%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was lower by 0.1%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was flat, and the Topix index fell 0.2%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.5%.

The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was last at 97.653, retreating from a high of 97.758 last week. The only major data this week is the U.S. personal consumption expenditure (PCE) deflator for November, due on Friday.

Upcoming Events:

Monday, December 23, 2019

• 01:30 PM GMT – (CAD) GDP m/m
• 01:30 PM GMT – (USD) Core Durable Goods Orders m/m
• 01:30 PM GMT – (USD) Durable Goods Orders m/m
• Tentative – (USD) Treasury Currency Report

Friday, December 27, 2019

• 04:00 PM GMT – (USD) Crude Oil Inventories
• &more…