Markets fall as trading session comes to a close

• Midway through earnings season, Pinduoduo and UroGen Pharma Ltd. are in line to report next
• IShares Trust – iShares iBonds Dec 2021 Term Treasury ETF moves 0.04% as session draws to a close
• European markets are down as FTSE is down by 3.83%, plunges to 7,344.45

With the trading session drawing to a close, the leading indices are falling — Dow Jones trades at 31,800 after losing 1.14%. S&P 500 drawing back 0.89% to 3,884.47.

European markets are down as FTSE is down by 3.83%, reaching 7,344.45 Asia-Pacific markets are trending positively as KOSPI Composite Index rises by 1.31%, reaching 2,379.72.

Investor risk appetite was subdued as stocks were sold off in favour of perceivably safer alternatives such as government bonds. The iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF has gone up 1.02% to trade at $23.32, thereby indicating that government bond yields were downbeat across the yield curve. Via open market operations, the US Treasury issues bonds with varying maturities from 3 months to 30 years. Inversely related to bond prices, yields on one year US government debt fell to 4.3%.

3Rd quarter earnings season is mostly over, with Lufax Holding Ltd and Oracle releasing their earnings reports just this week.

Amid the market gloom, United States Participation Rate (Feb) released Monday with a figure of 118.3, while the previous figure was 62.4.

Some optimism can drawn from the fact that United States Initial Jobless Claims is projected to outperform its last figure with 205,000, having previously been at 211,000. The figure will be published tomorrow at 12:30 UTC.

Furthermore, United States Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index (Mar) is expected tomorrow at 12:30 UTC. United States Building Permits (Feb) scheduled to come out tomorrow at 12:30 UTC.

While markets are generally down so far today, some assets outperformed such as iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF gained 1.02% to reach $23.32. IShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (up 0.526%) is also performing well.

IShares Trust – iShares iBonds Dec 2021 Term Treasury ETF is currently trading at $25.35 after declining 0.04%.

IShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF | +0.53%; session high: $82.41 session low: $82

• Having set a significant low of $80.51 7 days ago, iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF is trading 1.49% higher.
• IShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF is up 43 cents to $82.14, building upon four consecutive days of gains.
• The sentiment that generated $1.2 in cumulative gains over the past 4 days was further evident for iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF.

IShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF hit a significant low of $80.51 around 7 days ago, but has since recovered 1.49%. Looking back to Tuesday, February 28th, SHY disclosed to the market its decision to pay a dividend of 16.2 cents per share for all shareholders on record up until Thursday, March 2nd. With the payment made on Tuesday, March 7th, the decision means the fund's shareholders could obtain an annual dividend yield of 0.789% this year.

IShares Trust – iShares iBonds Dec 2021 Term Treasury ETF has been pretty quiet for the last a month, trading mostly flat and moving by only 0.02 cents on average.