Review of Financial Markets (August 15-30, 2020)

During the two weeks from August 15 to August 30, 2020, the global and national stock and bond markets generally remained stable, while the stock indexes continued their post-crisis recovery. The business media switched over their focus of attention to the discussion of the recovery rates being demonstrated by the world’s top economies, the changes in the US monetary policies (MP), and government debt growth. The prevailing point of view has been that the USA and the other developed economies have so far failed to display a V-shaped recovery trajectory. Although, in August, the price of oil and the RTS Index continued to gradually recover, the month-end rates for August 2020 of the ruble weakening and the Index’s decline relative to their year-beginning values placed these indices among the topmost losers in the group of economies included in our review