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Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is meeting officials in China this week as disputes over wars, trade, technology and security are testing the two countries’ efforts to stabilize the relationship. China is courting foreign investment to help its sluggish economy. At the same time, its leader, Xi Jinping, has been bolstering national security and expanding China’s military footprint around Taiwan and the South China Sea in ways that have alarmed its neighbors. Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi have held talks to prevent their countries’ disputes from spiraling into conflict, after relations sank to their lowest point in decades last year. But an array of challenges could make steadying the relationship difficult.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi Locations: China, United States, Taiwan, South

☆ Meet the woman who engineered Russia's wartime economy and helped secure another term for Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Russian central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina has played a key role in stabilizing Russia's sanctions-hit economy. It's also aimed at the woman behind him: Elvira Nabiullina, the country's central bank governor, who plays a chief role in keeping Russia's wartime economy ticking. At the time, she was the first woman to lead a Group of Eight, or G8, central bank. In 2015, Euromoney, a finance trade publication, named Nabiullina Central Bank Governor of the Year. In December, she issued a warning that Russia's economy was at risk of overheating.

Persons: Elvira Nabiullina, —, Putin, It's, Nabiullina, Daniel McDowell, McDowell, wined, Christine Lagarde, Nabiullina —, Richard Portes, Portes —, Portes, Anders Åslund, Åslund, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Franz Kafka, Yaroslav Kuzminov, Kuzminov, Nabiullina's, Alan Harvey, Herman Gref —, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, Maxim Shemetov, Michel Camdessus, she's, isn't, Sergei Aleksashenko, Alexei Makarkin, Vladimir Pesnya, Nabiulina, let's Organizations: Ukraine, Service, Russian, KGB, Syracuse University, Kremlin, International Monetary Fund, US, London Business School, Moscow Times, Bloomberg, Higher School of Economics, —, Moscow State University, SNS, USSR, Industrial Union Board, Gref, Central Bank Governor, Nabiullina Central Bank Governor, Banker, Central Banker, IMF, Monetary Fund, Financial Times, Government, Political Technologies, Wall Street Journal, RBC, Politico Europe Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Brussels, Nabiullina, Swedish, Moscow, Ufa, Central Russia, Tatars, Crimea, Euromoney, Europe, steadying

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Tesla, Delta, Skechers, Apple, Disney, Micron, Citi, Amazon & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Morgan Stanley initiates Compass Pathways at overweight Morgan Stanley said in its initiation of Compass that it's bullish on shares of the mental health biopharma company. Morgan Stanley reiterates Taiwan Semiconductor as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by its overweight rating on shares of TSM. Morgan Stanley reiterates Delta as a top pick Morgan Stanley said Delta's push into "premium" will reward investors. Bank of America reiterates Micron as buy Bank of America said it sees further share gains for Micron. Morgan Stanley reiterates Planet Fitness as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by its overweight rating on the fitness company.

Persons: Jefferies, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, it's, it's bullish, Hunt, Werner, Robinson, Morgan Stanley, Delta, Wells, Evercore, Bill, Tesla, Oppenheimer, Sweetgreen, Baird downgrades, Baird, Tommy Bahama Organizations: Microsoft, Barclays, Barclays downgrades J.B, J.B, C.H, Taiwan Semiconductor, DAL, " Bank of America, Nvidia, Broadcom, Bank of America, Micron, Devon Energy, Bloom Energy, Energy, Disney, underperform Bank of America, Baird downgrades Fifth, Bancorp, Royal Caribbean, Citi, Citigroup Inc, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, TPG Inc, TPG, TE Connectivity, Chevron Corp, Citi downgrades Oxford Industries Locations: TSM, Wells Fargo, Devon, F1Q, Cincinnati, Royal, Oxford

☆ Mathilde Collin built a $1.7 billion email startup by the time she was 32. She's now stepping back at an inflection point for Front.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

And so last fall, Collin kicked off a search for a new board director, to fill in her knowledge gaps. Now, Collin says she will step down as chief executive of Front after her hunt for a board director took an unexpected turn. She will move into an executive chair role on April 15, when O'Connell takes up the mantle as chief executive, Front tells Business Insider exclusively. Known for her sharp wit and radical candor, Collin started the business out of college in her native France. Advertisement"We're at a scale now where the CEO can't come in and sort of wave the proverbial magic wand and make things happen," said Mohammed Attar, Front's chief product officer.

Persons: Mathilde Collin, Collin, Dan O'Connell, O'Connell, Garry Tan, Paul Buchheit, Jack Altman, Kyle Vogt, Cruise, Jeff Lawson, Mohammed Attar, —, Josh Stein, Stein Organizations: Service, Business, Dialpad, Front Locations: San Francisco neighborhood, France, Dialpad

☆ Employee Productivity Is Booming As Workers Get Better at Their Jobs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Neil Dutta | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

At the simplest level, labor productivity is how much output (widgets, meals, spreadsheet computation) one person can complete in an hour. Employers were running around with fishnets trying to find people, and workers used their leverage. By contrast, the late 1990s were a period of higher productivity growth and underestimated growth, starting the year at 2% but ending closer to 4%. But it's probably too soon to be thinking about these factors as the main driver of recent productivity growth. The investment implications of this are clear: Stronger productivity growth implies a higher speed limit for the economy.

Persons: —, it's, we'll Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of San, Labor, P Global, Manufacturing, Capital, Employers, downturns, Professional Locations: Silicon Valley, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

☆ Africa's largest economy is battling a currency crisis and soaring inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

With annual inflation nearing 30% and a currency in freefall, Nigeria is facing one of its worst economic crises in years, provoking nationwide outrage and protests. The currency is down around 70% since May 2023 when Tinubu took office, inheriting a struggling economy and promising a raft of reforms aimed at steadying the ship. In a bid to fix the beleaguered economy and attract international investment, Tinubu unified Nigeria's multiple exchange rates and enabled market forces to set the exchange rate, sending the currency plunging. In January, the market regulator also changed how it calculates the currency's closing rate, resulting in another de facto devaluation. Years of foreign exchange controls have also generated enormous pent-up demand for U.S. dollars at a time when overseas investment and crude oil exports have declined.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Tinubu Organizations: U.S, greenback Locations: IBADAN, Nigeria, Ibadan, freefall, Nigerian

☆ China policymakers will struggle to give markets what they want, chief strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Photo taken on January 21, 2024 shows a real estate project under construction in Huai 'an city, Jiangsu province, China. CFOTO | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesPolicymakers are doing little to soothe concerns surrounding China's ailing economy, Brian McCarthy, chief strategist at Macrolens told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Wednesday. The latest monetary policy announcement from the People's Bank of China (PBOC) saw the central bank cut the benchmark 5-year loan prime rate by 25 basis points earlier this week. Many observers saw the move as an effort to boost the country's struggling property market, as the majority of mortgages are pegged to this rate. The 5-year loan prime rate cut was a more "aggressive" move within these decisions, he added.

Persons: Huai, Brian McCarthy, Macrolens, CNBC's, Wei Yao, Générale, stabler, McCarthy Organizations: Getty, People's Bank of China, CSI Locations: Jiangsu province, China, Asia

☆ How Russia has avoided bankrupting itself after 2 years of waging war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

1: By waging war outside its own bordersOne critical reason Russia's economy is still ticking is because of the location of the war. AdvertisementConsider the impact of the war on the economies of both Russia and Ukraine. In 2022, the first year of the war, Russia's economy contracted 1.2%, according to official statistics. Russia was facing a demographic crisis with a declining population and falling fertility rate even before its war with Ukraine. 4: By stimulating and steadying its economy with subsidies and policiesGovernment subsidies, spending, and policies are also propping up Russia's economy.

Persons: —, Hassan Malik, Loomis Sayles, it's, Malik, Vladimir Putin's, Sergei Guriev, Malik isn't, Alex Isakov, Putin, Alexandra Prokopenko Organizations: Service, Business, Reuters, US, Exchange, European Bank for Reconstruction, Bloomberg Economics, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies Locations: Russia, Moscow, Boston, Crimea, Ukraine, Russian, China, India, Austrian

☆ Finland to Vote for a New President in Its First Election Since Joining NATO
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Johanna Lemola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Voters in Finland will cast ballots on Sunday in a presidential election that comes as NATO’s newest member faces the threat of an antagonistic Russia. The election, which is expected to require a second round of voting, is for Finland’s first new head of state in 12 years. The country’s wildly popular president, Sauli Niinistö, has served two terms and is ineligible to run again. Seen as a steadying force, Mr. Niinistö is considered the person most responsible for getting Finland into the NATO alliance, leaving whomever assumes the presidency with big shoes to fill. From a field of nine candidates, the latest polls show two front-runners: Alexander Stubb and Pekka Haavisto.

Persons: Sauli Niinistö, Niinistö, Alexander Stubb, Pekka Haavisto Organizations: NATO Locations: Finland, Russia

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The momentary bliss-fueled blackouts that used to consume T.J. Watt after every big play still come. So maybe it's best to let others — like older brother J.J. Watt — serve as his hype men. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin called Watt “the best defensive player on the planet” on Tuesday. Pittsburgh safety Minkah Fitzpatrick — himself a three-time All-Pro — laughed when asked if he took Tomlin's praise of Watt personally. “I just want to continue to be the best player I can be for myself and for this team.”___

Persons: Watt, It's, Bud Dupree, ” Watt, “, “ I’ve, I’m, ”, Matt Canada's, Alex Highsmith, Will Levis, J.J, Watt —, Mike Tomlin, Minkah Fitzpatrick —, —, Fitzpatrick, Tomlin, ” Fitzpatrick, James Conner, Conner, “ TJ, line’s, Cole Holcomb, It’s, Teryl Austin, Derek, He's, Nick Herbig, pang, I've, “ You've, Broderick Jones, you’re, Reggie White, hasn't Organizations: PITTSBURGH, Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL, Steelers, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Baltimore, Tennessee, Titans, Steeler, of Fame Locations: Pittsburgh, Arizona, Wisconsin

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO/LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar hit a three-month low against a basket of peers on Tuesday before steadying, as traders continued to unwind long dollar positions before this week's U.S. and euro zone inflation data. The dollar index , a measure of the greenback against six major currencies, was last at 103.17, a whisker above the 103.07 it touched in Asia trade, the lowest since Aug. 31. The index is on track for a loss of more than 3% in November, its worst performance in a year. The Japanese yen was a touch firmer at 148.45 per dollar , continuing its recovery from the brink of 152 per dollar earlier in the month as the dollar weakened. The Swiss franc was at 0.8810 per dollar, steady on the day, also around its firmest since the start of September, and the Australian dollar briefly touched a near four-month high of $0.6632.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Simon Harvey, Brigid Riley, Alun John, Ed Osmond, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, greenback . U.S, Fed, Reuters, Swiss, Australian, Reserve Bank of New, Thomson Locations: LONDON, steadying, U.S, Asia, OPEC, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

"We will continue working to better facilitate high-standard trade that advances workers' rights through strong enforcement of labor standards." Biden was also to take part on Thursday in an event for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a 14-nation group his administration established. Hopes for an IPEF trade deal were dashed this week. Asked how long an IPEF trade agreement could take to conclude, an administration official said most negotiations take years but the White House intended to work on an "accelerated timeline." "A stable relationship between the world's two largest economies is not merely good for those two economies but for the world," Biden said to applause.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, White, Donald Trump, Republican Trump, Fumio Kishida, Xi Jinping, Justin Trudeau, Anthony Albanese, Dina Boluarte, Srettha Thavisin, Hassanal, Gina Raimondo, Xi, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Nandita Bose, Katharine Jackson, Andrea Shalal, Heather Timmons, Josie Kao, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: FRANCISCO, Asia, Economic Cooperation, Economic, Democrat, Republican, APEC, IMF, Amazon.com, Delta Air Lines, PepsiCo, Apple, Boeing, Japan's, Canada's, Australia's, Brunei's, Monetary Fund, . Commerce, Trans, Pacific, Trump, U.S, Thomson Locations: Pacific, San Francisco, Asia, ASIA, U.S, Thailand, China, United States

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will highlight strong U.S. ties to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum economies on Thursday, despite a failure to make progress on key trade provisions sought by regional countries. Biden will also take part in an event with the 14-member Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) that his administration established to bolster economic engagement after former President Donald Trump quit a long-negotiated regional trade pact in 2017. U.S. hopes for an IPEF trade deal were dashed this week, after members could not agree on improving labor and environmental standards or compliance, people briefed on the talks said. U.S. exports to the region have grown 12%, 60% of U.S. exports are sent to a fellow APEC economy, and APEC members have invested $1.7 trillion into the U.S. economy since 2016, the official said. Biden plans to emphasize his administration's efforts to advance workers' rights in remarks on Thursday, the U.S. official said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Gina Raimondo, Xi, David Brunnstrom, Nandita Bose, Katharine Jackson, Doina, Heather Timmons, Josie Kao Organizations: FRANCISCO, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC, Economic, . Commerce, U.S, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, U.S, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, China, United States

☆ Xi tells US firms China ready to be partner and friend
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Michael Martina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Xi received a standing ovation as he entered the room, and two more before and after he took the stage to speak. "Whatever stage of development it may reach, China will never pursue hegemony or expansion, and will never impose its will on others. China does not seek spheres of influence, and will not fight a cold war or a hot war with anyone," Xi said. China and the U.S. reached an agreement to curb fentanyl production in earlier talks between Xi and Biden. Analysts have said Xi's speech alone is unlikely to dramatically alter U.S. business sentiment about China.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Xi, Joe Biden, Biden, Tim Cook, Laurence Fink, Broadcom's, Hock Tan, Ray Dalio, Albert Bourla, Gina Raimondo, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, Gary Dvorchak, Dvorchak, Michael Martina, Valerie Insinna, Stephen Nellis, Lisa Baertlein, Niket, Ethan Wang, Liz Lee, Stephen Coates Organizations: National Committee, China Relations, China Business Council, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Apple, BlackRock, Pfizer, SAN FRANCISCO, U.S, Beijing, Congress, Bridgewater Associates, Commerce, U.S . House, Representatives, Muslim, U.S ., Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, China, United States, San Francisco, Beijing, Washington, China . U.S, Iowa

CHICAGO (AP) — Northwestern rewarded coach David Braun for a remarkable turnaround following Pat Fitzgerald's firing in the wake of a hazing and abuse scandal by removing the “interim” label from his job title on Wednesday. “I am truly honored for the opportunity to continue leading Northwestern’s football program,” Braun said in a statement. “He’s never wavered,” said quarterback Ben Bryant, who led Northwestern to the 24-10 win over the Badgers. “Under his guidance, Northwestern’s football team has exceeded expectations on the field and excelled in the classroom. Fitzgerald, by far Northwestern's winningest coach, is suing his alma mater for $130 million, saying it wrongfully fired him.

Persons: — Northwestern, David Braun, Fitzgerald's, Braun, ” Braun, Fitzgerald, “ He’s, ”, Ben Bryant, Walter McCornack, Pappy Waldorf, “, Dave, Michael Schill, Jim Foster, Maggie Hickey, ArentFox Schiff Organizations: CHICAGO, Wildcats, North Dakota State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Badgers, Baseball, AP Locations: “

☆ David Cameron: Why Rishi Sunak has brought the former UK PM back to frontline politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Peter Wilkinson | Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

London CNN —Ever since he became British prime minister a little over a year ago, Rishi Sunak has tried to bring calm to the chaotic government he inherited. That might all have changed on Monday when Sunak surprised the Westminster establishment by appointing former Prime Minister David Cameron as his new foreign secretary. He was very much from the center of the Conservative Party and led the campaign to remain in the European Union. David Cameron leaves 10 Downing Street after being appointed foreign secretary by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on November 13, 2023. British Prime Minister David Cameron resigns on the steps of 10 Downing Street in 2016.

Persons: London CNN —, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson’s, Sunak, David Cameron, Suella Braverman, Cameron, Cameron’s, Carl Court, Braverman, Johnson, Toby Melville Toby Melville, Braverman’s, Matt Cardy, shouldn’t, it’s, don’t Organizations: London CNN, Conservative Party, European Union, Conservatives, Conservative, Britian's, REUTERS, Downing, European Liberal Democrats, Liberal Democrats, CNN Locations: British, Westminster, Brexit, London, Britain, Rwanda

Strikes at car and truck plants are likely to have a widespread impact on manufacturing activity given their large supply chains. Energy consumption by industrial users steadied over the third quarter, which was consistent with the worst of the manufacturing downturn being over. The stabilisation of both diesel and industrial electricity sales in the summer was consistent with manufacturing activity steadying ahead of a renewed expansion. Because the industrial downturn has been long but shallow, distillate inventories remain well below the long-term seasonal average. Return to expansion would likely cause diesel stocks to deplete rapidly and put upward pressure on industrial prices quickly.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, John Kemp, Louise Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, Institute, Supply, Federal Reserve, Global, U.S, Thomson, Reuters Locations: IceStone, New York City , New York, U.S, Chartbook

An aerial view shows an oil factory of Idemitsu Kosan Co. in Ichihara, east of Tokyo, Japan November 12, 2021, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Brent January crude futures rose 0.3%, or 28 cents, to $85.30 a barrel by 0330 GMT, after falling more than 1% on Tuesday. Brent December futures settled 4 cents lower at $87.41 a barrel at the contract's expiry on Tuesday. Interest rate hikes aimed at taming inflation can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand, while rate cuts to spur spending could increase oil consumption. The Fed, which will end its meeting on Wednesday, is expected to hold rates steady, according to a poll by CME's Fedwatch tool.

Persons: Brent, Edward Moya, CME's, Goldman Sachs, Antony Blinken, Mohi Narayan, Emily Chow, Jamie Freed Organizations: Kyodo, U.S . Federal Reserve, . West Texas, Treasury, Federal, Market, American Petroleum Institute, Central Bank, Bank of England, Israel, Thomson Locations: Idemitsu, Ichihara, Tokyo, Japan, DELHI, Israel, ., U.S, Europe, China, East, Gaza, New Delhi, Singapore

☆ Oil gains ahead of Fed meeting as Middle East conflict persists
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices edged up in early Asian trade on Wednesday ahead of key global central bank meetings this week including the U.S. Federal Reserve, as the market also closely watches the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Brent January crude futures rose 36 cents, or 0.4%, to $85.38 a barrel by 0040 GMT, after falling $1.33 on Tuesday. Brent December futures settled 4 cents lower at $87.41 a barrel at the contract's expiry on Tuesday. Interest rate hikes aimed at taming inflation can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand, while rate cuts to spur spending could increase oil consumption. The Fed, which will end its meeting on Wednesday, is expected to hold rates steady, according to a poll by CME's Fedwatch tool.

Persons: Brent, Edward Moya, CME's, Goldman Sachs, Antony Blinken Organizations: Raffles, U.S . Federal Reserve, . West Texas, Treasury, Federal, Market, American Petroleum Institute, Central Bank, Bank of England, Israel Locations: Yantai, East China's Shandong province, Israel, ., Europe, East, Gaza, U.S

☆ Yen tumbles after BOJ stands pat, introduces some flexibility to yield cap
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Japanese Yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 10, 2023. That sent the yen sliding nearly 0.7% against the dollar , past the 150 per dollar threshold to hit an intraday low of 150.12, before steadying to 149.93 per dollar. The euro similarly jumped roughly 0.5% against the yen following the decision . Spain's 12-month inflation in October was unchanged from the previous month at 3.5%, preliminary data also out on Monday showed. The figures come ahead of euro zone inflation data due later on Tuesday.

Persons: Yen, Dado Ruvic, Thierry Wizman, Sterling, Rae Wee, Shri Navaratnam, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Japan, Nikkei, Federal Reserve, U.S ., Bank of England, Australian, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: Rights SINGAPORE, steadying, U.S, Germany

A man walks past ATM machines at branch of the NatWest bank in Manchester, Britain September 21, 2017. The bank's shares fell as much as 18% in early trading before closing down 12% - their largest daily drop since the Brexit vote in June, 2016. Farage said in a statement on Friday that he viewed the report as a "whitewash" and its findings "laughable". She added that the review showed she did not leak detailed financial information and had been unaware of "deeply unpleasant and unfair" internal staff comments made about Farage. A NatWest document unearthed by Farage in July found that an internal committee had deemed his views did not align with the bank's own.

Persons: Phil Noble, Nigel Farage, Coutts, Farage, Alison Rose, Travers Smith, Howard Davies, Rose, Mr Farage, Davies, Paul Thwaite, Rick Haythornthwaite, Iain Withers, Lawrence White, Samuel Indyk, Jason Neely, Sharon Singleton, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: NatWest, REUTERS, Financial Conduct Authority, Barclays, Rival, Lloyds, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain

☆ China's Sept industrial profits extend gains helped by policy support
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Gabriel Crossley/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Profits at China's industrial firms extended gains for a second month in September, adding to signs of a stabilising economy as the authorities launched a burst of supportive policy measures. For the first nine months, profits slid 9% from a year earlier, narrowing from a 11.7% decline in the first eight months, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Friday. A fall in producer prices last month indicated that some industrial firms were still cutting prices to promote sales, putting a drag on overall industrial revenues and profits, Zhou said. The improvement in industrial profits is expected to sustain in the coming months, partly due to the lag effect in domestic macro pump-priming, he added. Industrial profit numbers cover firms with annual revenues of at least 20 million yuan ($2.73 million) from their main operations.

Persons: Gabriel Crossley, Yu Weining, Zhou Maohua, Zhou, Pan Gongsheng, Qiaoyi Li, Ryan Woo, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: II, REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau of Statistics, Graphics, NBS, China Everbright Bank, Thomson Locations: Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China, Rights BEIJING

"There's increasing evidence that the cyclical upturn in the global electronics sector is driving a bottoming-out of global trade and China's trade data is the latest sign," said Xu Tianchen, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit. Reuters GraphicsSouth Korean exports to China, a leading indicator of China's imports, fell at their slowest pace in 11 months in September. Semiconductors make up the bulk of their trade, signalling improving appetite among Chinese manufacturers for components to re-export in finished goods. However, Lv Daliang, spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs, said at a press conference on Friday that China's trade still faces a complex and severe external environment. Overall, though, total merchandise imports fell at a slower pace, down 6.3%, reflecting a gradual recovery in domestic demand.

Persons: Smart, David Kirton, Xu Tianchen, it's, Julian Evans, Pritchard, Zou Lan, Premier Li Qiang, Li, Robert Carnell, Kevin Yao, Albee Zhang, Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill Organizations: Trade, REUTERS, Economist Intelligence Unit, Reuters Graphics South, Semiconductors, Administration of Customs, ASEAN, Federal Reserve, China Economics, Capital Economics, People's Bank of, Premier, Bloomberg, ING, Thomson Locations: Qianhai, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, BEIJING, United States, Europe, Stocks, People's Bank of China, Beijing, Asia, Pacific

☆ Dollar gains after US consumer prices rise more than expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Herbert Lash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The dollar rose sharply on Thursday after U.S. consumer prices rose more than expected in September, lifted by an elevated cost of rent that raised the prospect of the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates high for some time. The consumer price index increased 0.4% last month, with a 0.6% jump in the cost of shelter accounting for more than half of the rise. The dollar rose more than 1% against sterling, and the Australian and New Zealand dollars. Owners' equivalent rent, a measure of the amount homeowners would pay to rent or would earn from renting their property, rose even though non-official sources show a decline in rental prices. Thursday's CPI release came after Wednesday's mixed report on U.S. producer prices, and minutes from the Fed's September meeting.

Persons: Douglas Porter, Bipan Rai, Thierry Wizman, Wizman, BoE, Wednesday's, Herbert Lash, Alun John, Ankur Banerjee, Emelia Sithole, Mark Potter, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Federal Reserve, Labor, BMO Capital Markets, Reuters, New, CIBC Capital Markets, Fed, Bank of England, CPI, Swiss, Thomson Locations: Oakville, Canada, New Zealand, North America, Toronto, New York, London, Bengaluru, Singapore

☆ Yen gets reprieve as dollar dented by private payrolls report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Brigid Riley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Banknotes of Japanese yen and U.S. dollar are seen in this illustration picture taken September 23, 2022. Having come off its nearly 11-month high, the dollar index , which tracks the greenback against six peers, held near overnight levels, settling at around 106.55. Longer dated U.S. Treasury yields eased from 16-year highs after the data and remained lower in the Asian day. Besides the lower U.S. Treasury yields, the yen also drew support from an overnight drop in oil prices, said Kyle Rodda, markets analyst at Capital.com, though he added that it was likely to be a "short-term reprieve." The Australian dollar fetched $0.63655 , up over 0.6%, while the kiwi was up around 0.5% to $0.59445 against the greenback.

Persons: Florence Lo, Moh Siong Sim, Shunichi Suzuki, Kyle Rodda, Rodda, Brigid Riley, Gerry Doyle, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Treasury, Federal Reserve, ADP, Bank of Singapore, Bank of, Japan, Finance, Japanese Finance Ministry, Sterling, Australian, greenback Locations: U.S, Bank of Japan, Tokyo, OPEC

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