The charts that matter: another big bitcoin crash

Bitcoin suffered another of its big corrections this week. Here's how that's affected the charts that matter most to the global economy.

Welcome back.

This week, we turn our weary locked-down eyes to foreign holidays, and specifically to the airline sector. The idea that vaccines could bring the virus under control have made investors – and would-be travellers – optimistic, and the share prices of many airlines are back on the way up. Matthew Partridge takes an in-depth look at the sector and picks the best-placed shares to buy now.

In the podcast this week, Merryn talks to one of our favourite global economists, Dambisa Moyo. She talks about the future role of corporations vs governments at a time when public trust in big companies – not necessarily fairly, says Dambisa – is not particularly high. She also has a lot to say about the economic recovery (or lack of) from the pandemic, the strength of China’s economy, and the prospects for the UK and Europe. Listen to what she has to say here.

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This week’s “Too Embarrassed To Ask” video takes a look at Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency created specifically to poke fun at the whole cryptocurrency thing, which everyone is now taking seriously after some remarkable gains (and some big falls too). Watch that here.

Here are the links for this week’s editions of Money Morning and other web stories you may have missed.

Now for the charts of the week.

The charts that matter

Gold’s mini-rally continued. One reason, perhaps, is China’s continued appetite for it, as Dominic Frisby explained earlier in the week.

Gold: three months

(Image credit: Gold: three months)

(Gold: three months)

The US dollar index (DXY – a measure of the strength of the dollar against a basket of the currencies of its major trading partners) turned up towards the end of the week.

DXY: three months

(Image credit: DXY: three months)

(DXY: three months)

The dollar’s bounce is reflected in chart of the Chinese yuan (or renminbi) – when the red line is rising, the dollar is strengthening while the yuan is weakening.

Chinese yuan to the US dollar: since 25 Jun 2019

(Image credit: Chinese yuan to the US dollar: since 25 Jun 2019)

(Chinese yuan to the US dollar: since 25 Jun 2019)

The downward drift in the yield on the ten-year US government bond continued for another week.

Ten-year US Treasury yield: three months

(Image credit: Ten-year US Treasury yield: three months)

(Ten-year US Treasury yield: three months)

The yield on the Japanese ten-year bond also continued to drop.

Ten-year Japanese government bond yield: three months

(Image credit: Ten-year Japanese government bond yield: three months)

(Ten-year Japanese government bond yield: three months)

The yield on the ten-year German Bund, however, continued its slow rise towards positive territory.

Ten-year Bund yield: three months

(Image credit: Ten-year Bund yield: three months)

(Ten-year Bund yield: three months)

Copper’s positive mood continued as it headed back up, almost hitting its most recent high.

Copper: nine months

(Image credit: Copper: nine months)

(Copper: nine months)

The closely-related Aussie dollar didn’t seem to share its enthusiasm, however, drifting downwards against the strengthening US dollar.

Aussie dollar vs US dollar exchange rate: three months

(Image credit: Aussie dollar vs US dollar exchange rate: three months)

(Aussie dollar vs US dollar exchange rate: three months)

Cryptocurrency bitcoin plummeted this week – a much bigger fall than we’ve seen in recent months. John explained in yesterday’s Money Morning how US president Joe Biden’s plans for higher taxes on “the rich” may have had something to do with it. If you missed, it, have a read of it here.

Bitcoin: three months

(Image credit: Bitcoin: three months)

(Bitcoin: three months)

US weekly initial jobless claims fell again – down 39,000 to 547,000, compared to 586,000 last week (revised up from 576,000). It’s the lowest number of claims since March 2020. The four-week moving average fell to 651,000, down 27,750 from 678,750 (which was revised down from 683,000) the week before.

US initial jobless claims, four-week moving average: since Jan 2020

(Image credit: US initial jobless claims, four-week moving average: since Jan 2020)

(US initial jobless claims, four-week moving average: since Jan 2020)

The oil price seems to be making its way back up.

Brent crude oil: three months

(Image credit: Brent crude oil: three months)

(Brent crude oil: three months)

Amazon continued its modest retreat from its recent high.

Amazon: three months

(Image credit: Amazon: three months)

(Amazon: three months)

While Tesla continued to tread water.

Tesla: three months

(Image credit: Tesla: three months)

(Tesla: three months)

Have a great weekend.

Ben Judge

Ben studied modern languages at London University's Queen Mary College. After dabbling unhappily in local government finance for a while, he went to work for The Scotsman newspaper in Edinburgh. The launch of the paper's website, scotsman.com, in the early years of the dotcom craze, saw Ben move online to manage the Business and Motors channels before becoming deputy editor with responsibility for all aspects of online production for The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Edinburgh Evening News websites, along with the papers' Edinburgh Festivals website.

Ben joined MoneyWeek as website editor in 2008, just as the Great Financial Crisis was brewing. He has written extensively for the website and magazine, with a particular emphasis on alternative finance and fintech, including blockchain and bitcoin. 

As an early adopter of bitcoin, Ben bought when the price was under $200, but went on to spend it all on foolish fripperies.