Initial Claims 4-Week MA in 2015
Initial Claims 4-Week MA opened 2015 at 285,250 and closed at 271,000, a -5.00% move for the year. The high of 301,250 was reached on February 28, and the low of 265,000 on October 24.
Monthly Breakdown
| Month | Open | Close | High | Low | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 285,250 | 286,000 | 295,250 | 285,250 | +0.26% |
| Feb | 284,500 | 301,250 | 301,250 | 281,250 | +5.89% |
| Mar | 300,000 | 284,000 | 301,250 | 284,000 | -5.33% |
| Apr | 281,250 | 286,000 | 286,000 | 281,250 | +1.69% |
| May | 282,250 | 275,750 | 282,250 | 270,750 | -2.30% |
| Jun | 277,500 | 273,750 | 277,500 | 273,750 | -1.35% |
| Jul | 277,250 | 277,750 | 281,250 | 277,250 | +0.18% |
| Aug | 272,250 | 276,500 | 276,500 | 269,500 | +1.56% |
| Sep | 276,250 | 269,500 | 276,250 | 269,500 | -2.44% |
| Oct | 268,000 | 267,000 | 268,250 | 265,000 | -0.37% |
| Nov | 269,750 | 268,500 | 271,750 | 268,500 | -0.46% |
| Dec | 269,500 | 271,000 | 271,000 | 268,250 | +0.56% |
Events During 2015
The PBoC devalued the yuan by 1.9% in a single day on August 11, 2015, the first meaningful devaluation since 1994. Global risk assets convulsed.
Brent crude fell from $115 in June 2014 to $27 in January 2016, a 77% collapse. Shale oversupply and OPEC's refusal to cut production broke the commodity supercycle that had dominated markets since 2003.
The Swiss National Bank abandoned its 1.20 EUR/CHF floor on January 15, 2015. The franc immediately surged 30%, blowing up retail FX brokers and exposing the fragility of exchange rate commitments.
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