Latest data from the Mortgage Bankers Association for the week ending 18 December 2020
– +1.1%
Purchases activity were seen cooling off with refinancing being the one bolstering mortgage activity in the past week. The housing market continues to keep in a solid position throughout the virus crisis and is staying that way through to the

Reuters reports, citing EU sources on the matter
The two had spoken twice already earlier in the week but there hasn’t been any compromise yet on the fisheries front. There might be some political will to get something done before Christmas, however messed up an „agreement“ may be, but we’ll see.

Comments by Irish prime minister, Micheál Martin
– The gap is still wide on fisheries
– If there is a breakthrough tonight or tomorrow, EU officials would work on text on Christmas day
Both sides are still not pulling the plug (and I wouldn’t expect them to in all honesty) as we get closer to the transition period deadline

Gold is trading up by over 5% since the start of the month
Despite a bit of a pullback from $1,900 from earlier in the week, gold has had a stellar month so far and if the is anything to go by, January promises to be yet another solid month for gold buyers.

European equities keep slightly higher to start the day
No stimulus? No worries. At least that is what Europe is going with for the time being. The DAX is trading up by 0.7% while other European indices are posting a slight advance on the day, with S&P 500 futures also trading up by 0.2% currently.