Japanese giant Toyota Motor announced on Monday that it fell short of its April global production target, predominantly due to coronavirus outbreaks and a parts shortage.

In the past month, the world's largest carmaker by sales manufactured 692,259 vehicles, down 9.1% from the same month the previous year and shy of an earlier goal of 750,000 vehicles globally.

The figures raise concerns about the severity of the pandemic's supply chain disruption and how it may influence output in the months ahead. The Toyota stock (NYSE: TM) remained solid on Friday’s trading session, inching 0.79% higher to price at $166.83.

MACROECONOMIC DATA ANALYSIS

According to a Reuters poll of analysts, Dubai house prices are expected to climb consistently over the next two years, driven by demand from overseas buyers. However, escalating loan rates & a lack of affordable housing could stifle activity. The Dubai property market recovered from a protracted period of declines in 2021, thanks to an economic boom fueled by higher energy prices and a resurgence in commerce and tourism, and has maintained positive momentum ever since.

Streets in Beijing were busier on Monday as residents in two districts were allowed to return to work, while Shanghai moved closer to unshackling its two-month-old COVID-19 quarantine on Wednesday, as the number of infections in China fell. While the rest of the world tries to co-exist with the virus, China is the only major country to pursue an uncompromising "zero COVID" strategy aimed at eradicating breakouts at all costs.

CURRENCIES

The U.S. dollar was lower on Monday morning, extending its losses from the previous week and heading for its first monthly loss in five months. As fears of a worldwide recession have faded, investors have decreased their expectations that increasing U.S. rates will result in additional increases. The dollar index, which compares the currency to six major peers, dropped 0.23% to 101.460.

GOLD

Gold was up in Monday’s early hours, firming in choppy trading, as a dwindling dollar greenback boosted bullion prices. The value of the safe haven, which typically bolsters with a weaker U.S. dollar, increased by 0.22% to $1,852 per ounce.

“With the three-day holiday in the U.S., which means lower liquidity than usual, and a lack of top-tier data until Wednesday, we may find that gold will remain nailed to its tight range around $1,850 unless a new catalyst arrives,” City Index senior market analyst Matt Simpson told Reuters.

OIL

Oil prices climbed on Monday’s early trading session, reaching their highest level in over two months, as traders awaited word from the European Union (EU) on whether it would agree to a ban on Russian oil imports as a consequence of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Brent futures rose 0.71% to $116.32 a barrel, and WTI oil futures escalated by 0.78% to $115.97 per barrel.

INDICES

USA: S&P500 +2.47%, Dow Jones Industrial Average +1.76%, Nasdaq Composite +3.30%

Europe: FTSE 100 +0.27%, DAX +1.62%, CAC 40 +1.64%

Asia: Nikkei 225 +2.19%, Hang Seng +2.20%, CSI 300 +0.64%, Nifty 50 +1.93%