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☆ Australia's central bank holds rates steady but retains hiking bias
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Two women walk next to the Reserve Bank of Australia headquarters in central Sydney, Australia February 6, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Australia's central bank held interest rates steady on Tuesday as expected, buying it more time to assess the state of the economy and to determine whether further hikes might be needed next year. Wrapping up its December policy meeting, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept rates at a 12-year high of 4.35%, adding economic data received since November had been broadly in line with expectations. "Holding the cash rate steady at this meeting will allow time to assess the impact of the increases in interest rates on demand, inflation and the labour market," RBA Governor Michele Bullock said. She has since warned that inflation has become increasingly driven by domestic demand, requiring a more "substantial" response from interest rates.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Michele Bullock, Bullock, Stella Qiu, Jamie Freed Organizations: Reserve Bank of Australia, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Asia shares start Dec on cautious note, oil nurses losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) fell 0.5% after a surge of 7.3% last month, the most since January. The Federal Reserve's preferred gauge of inflation - the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index - stood unchanged for October, while consumer spending also pulled back. Fed funds futures imply rate cuts of 115 basis points. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes slipped 3 basis points in Asia to 4.3264%, on top of a plunge of 52.2 basis points for the month. Two-year Treasury yields fell 4 basis points to 4.674%.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, sharemarkets, HSI, Rodrigo Catril, Jerome Powell's Q, Waller, Robert Carnell, Christopher Waller, Treasuries, Stella Qiu, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Tyrone, Rights, Japan's Nikkei, National Australia Bank . Regional, Federal, Traders, ING, Fed, South Korean, Philippine, Brent, West Texas, Thomson Locations: Exchange, Hong Kong, China, Europe, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Japan, South

☆ Australia Oct inflation slows more than expected as goods prices fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

For the month, CPI fell 0.3%, driven by declines in petrol, rent and holiday travel. A closely watched measure of core inflation, the trimmed mean, rose an annual 5.3% in October, easing from 5.4% the previous month. "It's hard to find bad news in Australia's October inflation print," said Harry Murphy Cruise, an economist at Moody’s Analytics. Prices for tradable goods fell 1.6% in October from a month earlier. It also left the door open to further tightening if necessary to meet its annual inflation target of 2-3%.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Harry Murphy Cruise, Jonathan Kearns, Wayne Cole, Stella Qiu, Lincoln, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S ., Australian Bureau, Statistics, Moody’s, Reserve Bank Board, Reserve Bank of Australia, Challenger, Thomson Locations: Australia

☆ Australia Oct retail sales slip as consumers hold off for Black Friday sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Women shop for clothes on a store in a shopping mall in Sydney's central business district (CBD) Australia, February 5, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Australian retail sales unexpectedly slipped in October as consumers cut back on everything but food, though analysts believe many were merely saving some money to splurge on Black Friday sales that took place this month. Retail sales fell 0.2% from September to A$35.77 billion, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed on Tuesday. "This is a pattern we have seen develop in recent years as Black Friday sales grow in popularity." Data from e-commerce firm Shopify also showed that point-of-sale sales made by its merchants in Australia during this year's Black Friday sales grew 27% from a year ago.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Ben Dorber, Shopify, that's, Marcel Thieliant, Michele Bullock, Stella Qiu, Tom Hogue, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Black, ANZ, Asia Pacific, Capital Economics, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: Australia

☆ Australia appoints BoE's Andrew Hauser as new RBA deputy governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Andrew Hauser, who has been appointed the next Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, is seen in this undated handout photo distributed on November 27, 2023. Australian Government/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Australia on Monday appointed the Bank of England's (BoE) Andrew Hauser as the new deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), filling a position that had been vacant since Michele Bullock was elevated to the top role in late September. Hauser, who currently serves as the executive director at markets at the BoE, is expected to start before the first RBA board meeting next year. Governor Bullock welcomed the appointment. "I warmly congratulate Andrew on his appointment...He has great experience and will bring a welcome external perspective to the Bank and the Reserve Bank Board."

Persons: Andrew Hauser, BoE, Michele Bullock, Hauser, Governor Bullock, Andrew, Lewis Jackson, Stella Qiu, Kim Coghill, Sam Holmes Organizations: Reserve Bank of Australia, Australian Government, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Monday, Bank of England's, London School of Economics, Bank, Reserve Bank Board, Thomson Locations: Australia

Oil futures traded steady ahead of next week's OPEC+ meeting, which could bring some kind of agreement on output cuts in 2024. Gold futures finished higher as the dollar index slipped against a basket of currencies on Friday. Germany's 10-year government bond yield , the benchmark for the euro area, rose 3 basis points to a 1-1/2-week high. Oil prices were steady after tumbling more than 1% on concerns over a delayed OPEC+ meeting. ($1 = 7.2111 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Chris Prentice in New York, Naomi Rovnick in London and Stella Qiu in Sydney.

Persons: Caitlin Ochs, Germany's DAX, Peter Doherty, Arbuthnot Latham, Robert Holzmann, Pierre Wunsch, Chris Prentice, Naomi Rovnick, Stella Qiu, Toby Chopra, Susan Fenton, Mark Potter, Deepa Babington Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, U.S, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Hamas, P Global, European Central Bank, ECB, Bank of England, Japan's Nikkei, China's CSI, Brent, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, OPEC, Germany, Israel, London, Belgian, Asia, New York, Sydney

Photographers take photos near a large screen showing stock prices at the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) after market opens in Tokyo, Japan October 2, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON/SYDNEY, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Global shares drifted on Friday in the absence of guidance from Wall Street, which was closed for the Thanksgiving holiday the previous day, but they were still on course for their best month since November 2020. An indecisive Asia session extended to Europe, with the Stoxx 600 share index (.STOXX) trading flat. Despite optimism having surged across global markets this month, there may also be a lull ahead as investors position their portfolios for 2024, some analysts said. Minutes from the latest Fed policy meeting signalled there would not be more hikes unless progress against taming inflation faltered.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Peter Doherty, Arbuthnot Latham, Shane Oliver, Naomi Rovnick, Stella Qiu, Sam Holmes, Robert Birsel, Toby Chopra, Susan Fenton Organizations: Tokyo Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Global, Wall, Nasdaq, Hamas, AMP, European Central Bank, ECB, Bank of England, Japan's Nikkei, China's CSI, Brent, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, SYDNEY, Asia, Europe, Israel, U.S, London, OPEC

☆ Asian shares dragged lower by China, Treasury yields climb
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Both S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures were also little changed. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) fell 0.6% but are still headed for a weekly gain of 0.8%. Chinese bluechips (.CSI300) fell 0.7% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index (.HSI) tumbled 1.4%, reversing the previous day's hefty gains. Cash Treasuries fell a little as they resumed trading in Asia, with two-year Treasury yields up 3 basis points to 4.9419% and benchmark ten-year yields up 4 bps to 4.4606%. Brent crude futures fell 0.2% to $81.26 a barrel.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Shane Oliver, Cash Treasuries, Stella Qiu, Sam Holmes, Robert Birsel Organizations: Tokyo Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Wall, Nasdaq, Hamas, Nikkei, AMP, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Brent, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, China, Europe, Israel, Gaza, Asia, Pacific, Hong Kong, Beijing

☆ Asian shares dragged lower by China, dollar on back foot
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Asian shares were dragged lower by China on Friday amid little guidance from Wall Street which was closed for a holiday, while the dollar remained on the back foot as investors bet U.S. rates have peaked. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) eased 0.4% but are headed for a weekly gain of 0.9%. Japan's markets (.N225) returned from a holiday, with Nikkei (.225) climbing 1.0% to charge towards a 33-year high hit on Monday. In Europe, slightly better than expected euro zone PMIs nudged the euro and shares higher and Sweden's crown dropped as its central bank left rates on hold. In the currency markets, the dollar < =USD> was on the back foot against its peers at 103.71, nearing a three month low of 103.17.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Shane Oliver, Cash Treasuries, Stella Qiu, Sam Holmes Organizations: Tokyo Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Nikkei, AMP, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Brent, West Texas, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, China, Asia, Pacific, Hong Kong, Beijing, Europe

The funds available for deals are growing as investors including pension funds, sovereign wealth and insurance firms look for meaty returns hard to find in today's equity markets, especially in the beaten-down real estate sector. Australian real estate specialist Qualitas (QAL.AX), whose backers include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, has nearly doubled funds under management to A$8 billion ($5.07 billion) since mid-2022, with roughly half the increase since this June. U.S.-based PGIM Real Estate expects to deploy a further $1 billion in the country over the next few years, said its head of Australian real estate Steve Bulloch. Lenders are expanding into residential and commercial construction as banks slow lending or exit, a March report from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said. JUICY RETURNSInvestors can expect returns from 9% to 11% with the added security of loans pledged against real assets like condos or warehouses, often with a 30% to 40% equity buffer, said Paul Notaras, executive director at Barings Real Estate Australia.

Persons: Stella Qiu, meaty, Steve Bulloch, JUICY, Paul Notaras, Notaras, Qualitas, Andrew Schwartz, Bonds, We've, Schwartz, Lewis Jackson, Rae Wee, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Westpac, ANZ Group, International Monetary, Reserve Bank of Australia, Australia, prudential, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Parramatta, Sydney, SYDNEY, Australian, Abu Dhabi, Australia, Qualitas, Singapore

☆ Asia shares, bonds rally as Powell feeds hopes of end to rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) surged 1.7% to the highest level in one week. Tokyo's Nikkei (.N225) gained 1.4% to cross the 32,000 level for the first time in two weeks. EUROSTOXX 50 futures rose 0.8% early in Asia, while S&P 500 futures added 0.3% and Nasdaq futures increased 0.5%. While Chair Jerome Powell did not rule out another hike, markets judged he was not quite as hawkish as he might have been. Brent crude futures climbed 1.2% to $85.61 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were at $81.43 a barrel, up 1.2%.

Persons: nonfarm payrolls, Hong, HSI, Jerome Powell, Treasuries, Tiffany Wilding, Seema Shah, Stella Qiu, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Apple, SYDNEY, Tokyo's Nikkei, Stock, Nasdaq, Fed, Treasury, PIMCO, Global, Asset Management, Bank of Japan, East, Brent, West Texas, Thomson Locations: Cupertino California, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Europe, U.S, 4Q24

☆ Australia Sept retail sales climb at fastest pace in 8 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Australian retail sales rose at the fastest pace in eight months in September, suggesting some resilience in consumer spending which would add to the case for an interest rate hike as soon as next week. The Australian dollar rose 0.4% to $0.6360, while three-year government bond yield hit a fresh 12-year high of 4.388%. "Downside risks to household consumption have been a key focus of the RBA, but those do not look to have been realised so far." The broad softening in consumer spending has been one major reason that the RBA has left interest rates unchanged for four straight months now. However, a sustained rebound in housing prices could lend some support to household consumption.

Persons: Daniel Munoz, Ben Dorber, Taylor Nugent, Downside, Stella Qiu, Tom Hogue, Edwina Gibbs, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reserve Bank of, Australian Bureau of Statistics, National Australia Bank, Thomson Locations: Sydney's, Australia, Reserve Bank of Australia, Queensland

☆ Australia's tight rental market forces tenants to make tough choices
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Reuters GraphicsNEARING THE PEAKMany tenants, particularly in the most expensive city Sydney, have already been priced out of houses. PropTrack data showing house rents nationally were unchanged at A$550 per week, or about A$2,380 ($1,508) per month, in the September quarter. Apartment rents nationally jumped 4% during the quarter, double the June quarter rate of increase, to an average of A$520 per week, making them almost as costly. Prices across Australia's entire rental stock rose 7.6% in the third quarter from a year ago, the largest increase since 2009, according to official data, and similar to gains seen in the U.S. where rental costs have also surged. ($1 = 1.5780 Australian dollars)Reporting by Stella Qiu; Editing by Wayne Cole and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lara Weeks, Weeks, Cameron Kusher, Michele Bullock, Christian Postiglione, Tim Beattie, Beattie, Stella Qiu, Wayne Cole, Jamie Freed Organizations: REA, Reuters Graphics, Reserve Bank of Australia, Nationwide, ANZ, Housing, Thomson Locations: SYDNEY, Sydney, U.S, Bondi, Australia, Western Australia, Adelaide

[1/3] Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 23, 2023. Underlying inflation picked up last month, largely driven by housing costs, a U.S. Commerce Department report showed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) fell 1.12%, the S&P 500 (.SPX) lost 0.48% and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) added 0.38%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) closed about 1% higher after hitting a fresh 11-month low on Thursday. The yen hit a new one-year low of 150.77 per dollar overnight and was last at 149.59 .

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Jeffrey Roach, Jay Powell, Christine Lagarde, Brent, Lawrence Delevingne, Naomi Rovnick, Stella Qiu, Richard Chang, Alexander Smith, Sandra Maler Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Global, U.S . Commerce Department, Federal, LPL Financial, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Intel, Chevron, European Central Bank, Sanofi, . Treasury, Bank of America, ECB, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Charlotte , North Carolina, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Gaza, Boston, London, Sydney

☆ Asian shares track US futures higher, bonds hold gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Overnight, the European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged as expected, sending the euro briefly to a two-week low. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% while Nasdaq futures rallied 0.7%, driven by a 5% jump in Amazon shares in after-hours trading. In a statement after the U.S. close, the tech giant predicted higher holiday season sales and a stabilisation in its cloud business. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) bounced 0.6% on Friday after hitting a fresh 11-month low a day ago. Brent crude futures climbed 0.5% to $88.38 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate was at $83.58 a barrel, up 0.4%.

Persons: Aly, Hong, HSI, Nathaniel Casey, Evelyn, Goldman Sachs, Stella Qiu, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Nasdaq, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Tokyo's Nikkei, Evelyn Partners, 1bp, CME, Brent, West Texas, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, SYDNEY, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Japan, East, Israel, Gaza

☆ Australia's surprisingly strong Q3 inflation raises odds of Nov rate hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Markets are wagering both the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank are done with hiking. HAWKISH MESSAGINGThe recent messaging from the central bank has been on the hawkish side. The biggest contributors to the third quarter inflation were fuel, rents, and electricity. Fuel prices rose 7.2% from a year ago, reversing two quarters of price falls, with the conflict in the Middle East potentially set to further stoke inflationary pressures. The central bank forecast in August that inflation was only projected to return to the top of the bank's target band of 2-3% in late 2025.

Persons: David Gray, Worryingly, Adam Boyton, Gareth Aird, Michele Bullock, Woolworths WOW.AX, Taylor Nugent, Stella Qiu, Wayne Cole, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reserve Bank of Australia, Australian Bureau, Statistics, Wednesday, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ANZ, Economics, CBA, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Woolworths, National Australia Bank, NAB, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia

☆ Australia central bank chief weighs whether high Q3 inflation warrants rate rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The head of Australia's central bank on Thursday said the strong third-quarter inflation report was around policymakers' expectations, and they were still considering whether it would warrant a rate rise. Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock warned earlier this week that the central bank will not hesitate to raise interest rates further if there is a "material" upward revision to the outlook. Bullock noted that goods inflation is coming down as desired, but services inflation is higher than what policymakers were comfortable with. The third quarter inflation was higher than what the central bank had forecast in August, which raised concerns about whether the RBA can get inflation back to the target band of 2-3% in late 2025, an already protracted path compared with other major economies. Reporting by Stella Qiu; Editing by Leslie Adler, Sonali Paul and Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Michele Bullock, Bullock, Stella Qiu, Leslie Adler, Sonali Paul Organizations: SYDNEY, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson

☆ Asian shares hit 11-month low on Middle East anxiety, surging yields
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

On Friday, the Bank of Japan intervened in the Japanese government bond (JGB) market as the 10-year JGB yield touched a decade high. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) skidded 0.8% to a fresh low since November last year, bringing the weekly loss to a sizeable 3%. "World leaders continue to trek to the Middle East to – if nothing else — delay the onset of any further hostility," said Kyle Rodda, senior financial market analyst at capital.com. Oil prices are headed for the second weekly gain on supply fears from an escalating regional conflict in the Middle East. "Now we’re talking about not just the Ukraine-Russia conflict, that front, but now you have another front, that’s in the Middle East that has to be satisfied...

Persons: Jerome Powell, Hong, HSI, Joe Biden, Israel, Kyle Rodda, Brent, Powell, Quincy Krosby, Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: SYDNEY, Bank of Japan, Tokyo's Nikkei, Elon, U.S, LPL, Washington, Thomson Locations: East, Middle, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, Iran, Yemen, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, U.S

☆ Asian shares rally as markets wager on Fed pivot; US inflation in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) gained 0.7% to the highest level in three weeks. Tokyo's Nikkei (.N225) rallied 1.3% for a third straight day, climbing away from its five-month low hit last week. U.S. Fed Governor Christopher Waller on Wednesday said higher market interest rates may help the Fed slow inflation, and let it "watch and see" if its own policy rate needs to rise again or not. With the long-awaited pivot for the Fed in sight, traders are bracing for the all-important U.S. consumer inflation report later in the day. Stakes are higher because a producer price inflation report came in hotter than expected on Wednesday.

Persons: HSI, Christopher Waller, Waller, Philip Jefferson, Lorie Logan, Alan Ruskin, payrolls, Brent, Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: SYDNEY, Federal Reserve, Tokyo's Nikkei, Central Huijin Investment, Federal, U.S, Fed, Dallas Fed, Markets, FedTool, Deutsche Bank AG, Saudi, . West Texas, Thomson Locations: Asia, Pacific, Japan, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Palestine

☆ Yields fall, stocks jump after Fed official comments; oil eases
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., January 10, 2022. Atlanta Fed Bank President Raphael Bostic on Tuesday said the U.S. central bank does not need to raise rates any further, and sees no recession ahead. Late on Monday, top-ranking Fed officials indicated that rising yields on long-term U.S. Treasury bonds, which directly influence financing costs for households and businesses, could keep the Fed from further increases in its short-term policy rate. U.S. Treasury yields fell on the comments but also partly in reaction to continuing violence in the Middle East. In late morning trading, U.S. 10-year yields were last down 10.6 basis points (bps) at 4.676%.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Raphael Bostic, Israel, Stan Shipley, Brent, shekel, Amanda Cooper, Kane Wu, Stella Qiu, Christina Fincher, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Companies, Treasury, Federal, Nasdaq, Atlanta Fed Bank, Cash Treasury, Columbus Day U.S, Fed, ISI, Dow Jones, U.S, Garden Holdings, HK, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, East, Israel, Gaza, New York, London, Hong Kong, Sydney

☆ IMAX's buyout proposal of China unit falls through
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People wait for movie screening at an IMAX theatre inside the Wanda Plaza in Xinxiang, Henan province, China March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Stella Qiu/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 10 (Reuters) - IMAX China (1970.HK) said on Tuesday that its shareholders have rejected a proposal of its U.S.-based parent (IMAX.N) to buy the remaining stake in the Hong Kong-listed company for about $124 million. IMAX, which currently owns 71.6% of its Chinese subsidiary, had offered to buy IMAX China at HK$10 ($1.28) per share in July, a 49% premium to the 30-day average closing price at the time. The remaining 28.4% stake of IMAX China was valued at about$98.7 million, as of the company's last closing price. IMAX had sought to take full control of its China unit to improve the company's operational flexibility and apply its technology in the Chinese market.

Persons: Stella Qiu, Upasana Singh, Varun Organizations: REUTERS, HK, Thomson Locations: Xinxiang, Henan province, China, Hong Kong, Bengaluru

☆ Stocks ride wave of risk appetite; Israel conflict rages on
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Staff/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Global stocks rose on Tuesday, as a wave of risk appetite swept through markets after Federal Reserve officials signaled the recent yield surge could justify caution on interest rates, while oil eased, but violence in Israel made for nervy trading. "Based on Monday's comments from the Fed, the market is starting to think that the central bank does take greater notice of bond yields after all," ING strategist Chris Turner said. "However, we suspect that this may not be a defining story for the bond market in that no central bank likes being backed into a corner over what bond yields mean for monetary policy." Oil prices eased after climbing more than 4% on Monday.

Persons: Treasuries, Kallum Pickering, Chris Turner, Brent, Kane Wu, Stella Qiu, Kim Coghill, Christina Fincher, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, Federal, Hamas, Fed, ING, Garden Holdings, HK, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Israel, Europe's, U.S, Palestinian, Gaza, Hong Kong, Sydney

☆ Asia shares pick up after Fed rate comments; oil dips
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Kane Wu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. stocks ended higher on Monday, with energy shares rising along with oil prices. The S&P 500 energy index (.SPNY) ended up 3.5%. Oil prices eased after climbing more than 4% on Monday. "The unrest and volatility in the near-term suggest that upside risks to oil prices will persist," said OCBC economists in a note. This will lead to some volatility in oil prices during intense periods of conflict but should see prices normalize, following the knee-jerk reaction."

Persons: Androniki, Kerry Craig, Australia's, Brent, Kane Wu, Stella Qiu, Edmund Klamanhn, Kim Coghill Organizations: Nikkei, REUTERS, dovish, Top Fed, Hamas, Asset Management, Garden Holdings, HK, National Bank of Australia, U.S, West Texas, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, HONG KONG, East, Europe, U.S, Asia Pacific, China, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Hong Kong, Sydney

☆ Asia shares rise after Fed comments, markets' eyes on Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Kane Wu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MSCI's gauge of Asia Pacific stocks outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was up 1.2% at 0135 GMT. Japan's benchmark Nikkei average (.N225) rose 2.4% while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 (.AXJO) rose for a fourth straight session to gain 1.2%. Top Fed officials indicated on Monday that rising Treasury yields could steer the Fed from further rate increases, helping to spur a rise in bond prices after those markets had been closed the previous day in the U.S. and Tokyo. The markets' initial reaction to the major geopolitical developments in the Middle East was a bout of risk aversion, analysts from National Bank of Australia said in a note. Ten-year Treasury yields , which have been surging, fell more than 13 basis points to 4.6% at the open in Tokyo as bond prices rallied after Monday's holiday.

Persons: Androniki, Australia's, Kerry Craig, Brent, Kane Wu, Stella Qiu, Edmund Klamanhn Organizations: Nikkei, REUTERS, dovish, Top Fed, Tokyo ., Hamas, Asset Management, Garden Holdings, HK, National Bank of Australia, U.S, West Texas, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, HONG KONG, Asia Pacific, U.S, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Hong Kong, Sydney

☆ Asian shares come off 11-month lows as Treasuries rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Asian shares rebounded from 11-month lows on Thursday as a plunge in oil prices and softer U.S. labour data helped pull Treasury yields off 16-year peaks, although a looming U.S. payrolls report could make or break the rally. Tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 0.6%. Ten-year yields eased 2 basis points to 4.7163% on Thursday, continuing their overnight retreat from a fresh 16-year high of 4.8840%. "Given where Treasury yields are at the moment, I think the risks are pretty evenly balanced between them on the downside and on the upside." Brent crude futures rose 0.3% to $86.10 per barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were also up 0.3% at $84.45.

Persons: Issei Kato, Stephen Miller, Joseph Capurso, Stella Qiu, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Nikkei, REUTERS, Rights, Japan's Nikkei, Treasury, Fed, U.S ., Nasdaq, Traders, CBA, Brent, . West Texas, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Treasuries, Sydney

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