The main partner of the Investor Brief series, Apricot Capital investment company, is offering an exclusive promotion. In connection with the launch of the new trading platform Apricot Capital: Trade & Invest, the company is providing an opportunity to enter the trading market with a 0% commission fee. The tariff will be valid from February 3 to May 1 inclusive, if you become a client. The offer is available to individuals residing in Armenia. The 0% commission will apply to securities purchased and sold in total up to ten thousand units; and in case of exceeding the specified amount, the excess part will be subject to a tariff of Armenian drams equivalent to $0.015 for each security. You can familiarize yourself with the promotion summary on the official website of Apricot Capital.
The US stock markets recorded mixed dynamics for the week past: the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.5%, outperforming other major indexes, while the S&P 500 fell 0.1% and the Nasdaq fell 1.9%. The Dow's positive dynamics were due to increased investor interest in non-tech and defense sectors, while concerns about the overvaluation of artificial intelligence (AI) continued to put pressure on the S&P 500, especially the Nasdaq.
Gold rose 2% last week amid investment following the price drop, a weaker US dollar, and ongoing uncertainty over US-Iran talks. But silver continued its downward trend, down 8% for the week.
Global markets came under pressure last week amid concerns regarding AI over spending and signs of a weakening US job market. In particular, the MSCI global stock index fell 1.23%, while the pan-European STOXX 600 index ended the week down 1.05 percent.
Amazon shares fell sharply by about 9% at the end of last week after the company announced a capital spending plan of about $200 billion, which increased concerns in the markets about the effectiveness of excessive investments in AI by large tech companies.
Novo Nordisk shares rose 5.4% on Friday, partially recovering the sharp losses of the previous two days, after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it was going to take swift action against the mass sale of unapproved drugs.
Shares in Franco-Italian company Stellantis plunged as much as 24% in Milan and about 23.9% in Paris on Friday after the company recorded about 22.2 billion euros in debt in the second half as it scaled back its electric vehicle projects. The shares of Stellantis' main investor, Exor, also fell about 5 percent.
Bitcoin was down about 8% for the week, despite a significant recovery on Friday. Ethereum also ended the week down more than 9%. Overall, the global crypto market has lost about $2 trillion since early October, with more than $1 trillion of that in the past month alone, reflecting the market’s volatility.
Among companies with a market capitalization of at least $10 billion, the biggest gainer last week was Lumentum Holdings Inc., a developer of optical and photonic technologies. The company's shares rose 40.87% for the week to $551.99 per share. Next in line is XPO, Inc., a provider of logistics and freight technology solutions, up 37.47% ($203.61 per share). And Regal Rexnord Corporation, a manufacturer of engines, transmissions and industrial automation solutions, rounded out this top three, with a 31.15% increase ($211.80 per share).
The top three largest-cap companies with the biggest losses last week starts off with automotive company Stellantis N.V., whose shares fell 26.24% to $7.28 per share last week. Next was business consulting and analytical research services provider Gartner, Inc., down 25.42% ($156.33 per share). And this trio concludes with digital payment and financial services provider PayPal Holdings, Inc., down 23.29% ($40.42 per share).
The US consumer confidence index hit a six-year high of 56.4 in February. At the same time, consumers are still concerned about high prices and job losses. Consumer expectations for inflation next year fell from 4% to 3.5%, but expectations for the five-year outlook rose from 3.3% to 3.4 percent.
The European Central Bank (ECB) left its refinancing rate unchanged on February 5, despite the US dollar's volatility and medium-term price volatility. The economy has shown steady growth, reducing pressure for policy change, and inflation continues to fluctuate around its 2% target.
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