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☆ Dollar rises broadly, yuan slumps as China's COVID unrest rattles sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The dollar gained broadly on Monday as protests against COVID restrictions in China stoked uncertainty and dented sentiment, sending the yuan sliding and pushing nervous investors toward the safe-haven greenback. Against the offshore yuan , the dollar rose 0.76% in early Asia trade to 7.2456. The Aussie , which is often used as a liquid proxy for the yuan, fell 0.61% to $0.6714, while the kiwi slumped 0.5% to $0.6216. "Companies are currently facing weaker retail sales from a higher number of COVID cases and falling home prices from unfinished home projects." Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index was down 0.08% at 106.25, but off its recent three-month low of 105.30.

☆ Dollar steadies as China COVID fears linger
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China's capital warned on Monday that it was facing its most severe test of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a surge in COVID cases sparking fresh restriction measures. The offshore yuan traded 0.1% higher at 7.1665 per dollar in early Asia trade on Tuesday, after falling more than 0.7% overnight. The Japanese yen slumped more than 1% to the weaker side of 142 per dollar overnight and last traded 142.01. "It's more like a cork in the ocean, subject to risk aversion as well as movements in 10-year Treasury yields." "Fed comments remained in line with the recent slant of rhetoric," said economists at ING in a note.

☆ Dollar steadies as China Covid fears linger
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar pared some of its strong overnight gains on Tuesday after investors flocked to the safe-haven currency on nerves over China's Covid flare ups, though cautious risk sentiment kept the greenback in demand. China's capital warned on Monday that it was facing its most severe test of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a surge in Covid cases sparking fresh restriction measures. The offshore yuan traded 0.1% higher at 7.1665 per dollar in early Asia trade on Tuesday, after falling more than 0.7% overnight. The Japanese yen slumped more than 1% to the weaker side of 142 per dollar overnight and last traded 142.01. "It's more like a cork in the ocean, subject to risk aversion as well as movements in 10-year Treasury yields ."

☆ Pepsi once offered a fighter jet as a joke prize in a promotion. A student tried to claim it anyway.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Pepsi launched a "points" promotion in 1996 that included a "joke" prize of a $23M fighter jet. College student John Leonard took this challenge seriously, and launched a plan to nab the prize. Pepsi launched a rewards scheme called Pepsi Points, with customers able to redeem items using points accrued from buying its drinks. The company released a TV commercial for the promotion that ended with the claim that 7 million points would allow a Harrier fighter jet worth about $23 million to be redeemed. However, he saw a loophole: buy Pepsi Points for 10 cents each, meaning the seven million points needed for the jet would cost $700,000.

☆ A young banker sounds off on why a boutique shop is better than the bulge bracket
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Boutique investment banks might lack the name-brand recognition of their larger peers, but they also get their fair share of business. While it's true smaller banks typically pay more than their larger counterparts, that's not this banker's main motivating factor. Click here to read this first-person perspective on what it's like to be a first-year investment-banking analyst at a boutique bank. Wall Street bonuses are set to be really bad. The bank avoided lending to many of the buyout deals that are shaping up to be big losers for lenders, The Wall Street Journal reports.

☆ Shares and bonds chastened as Fed, ECB urge care
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Lawrence White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Meanwhile dovish comments from European Central Bank policymaker Fabio Panetta saw European bond yields ease, but short-dated rates remained within striking distance of multi-year highs. Panetta said the ECB needs to avoid overtightening as that could destroy productive capacity and deepen a recession. The benchmark European STOXX index rose 0.26% (.STOXX), and MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) added 0.6%, after jumping 7.7% last week. The dollar index was last seen on Monday at 106.86, still well short of last week's 111.280 top , while the euro eased a touch to $1.032 , after climbing 3.9% last week. The firming dollar also dragged down oil prices, despite the hopes of a demand boost from China's hints at reopening.

☆ Shares and bonds chastened as Fed urges caution
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Lawrence White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The benchmark European STOXX index rose 0.15% (.STOXX), and MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) added 0.5%, after jumping 7.7% last week. EYES ON CHINAChinese stocks gained on reports that regulators have asked financial institutions to extend more support to stressed property developers. The support for China's property sector, which consumes a vast amount of metals, boosted copper towards a five-month high. The dollar index was last seen on Monday at 107.15, still well short of last week's 111.280 top , while the euro eased a touch to $1.02875 , after climbing 3.9% last week. The firming dollar also dragged down oil prices, despite the hopes of a demand boost from China's hints at reopening.

☆ Shares mixed on Fed warning, China acts on property
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

read moreWaller added the markets were well ahead of themselves on just one inflation print, though he did concede the Fed could now start thinking about hiking at a slower pace. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) added 1.1%, after jumping 7.7% last week. read moreThe news on COVID rules had stoked a short-covering bounce in the yuan, which added to broad pressure on the dollar as yields dived. The dollar index was up a fraction on Monday at 106.920 , but still well short of last week's 111.280 top. Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Asia shares pause as Fed warns against exuberance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

read moreWaller added the markets were well ahead of themselves on just one inflation print, though he did concede the Fed could now start thinking about hiking at a slower pace. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) added 0.2%, after jumping 7.7% last week. read moreThe news on COVID rules had stoked a short-covering bounce in the yuan last week, which added to broad pressure on the dollar as yields dived. The dollar's recent retreat provided a much-needed fillip to commodities, with gold up at $1,768 an ounce after jumping over $100 last week. Oil futures extended their gains with Brent up 86 cents at $96.85, while U.S. crude rose 80 cents to $89.76 per barrel.

☆ Asia shares mixed on Fed warning, China hopes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

read moreWaller added the markets were well ahead of themselves on just one inflation print, though he did concede the Fed could now start thinking about hiking at a slower pace. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) added 0.8%, after jumping 7.7% last week. read moreThe news on COVID rules had stoked a short-covering bounce in the yuan last week, which added to broad pressure on the dollar as yields dived. The euro eased a touch to $1.0324 , after climbing 3.9% last week, while the dollar firmed to 139.27 yen following last week's 5.4% drubbing. The dollar's recent retreat provided a much-needed fillip to commodities, with gold holding at $1,763 an ounce after jumping over $100 last week.

The banks are now less conservative in counting expected rental income when assessing loan applications, said the four sources. In September, about a third of new bank mortgage lending was for investment. On Nov. 12, NAB will also halve its discount on rental income to 10%, including for Airbnb-like short-term rentals, the sources said. NAB, Westpac and ANZ trail market leader Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA.AX), which has a quarter of the mortgage market. Commonwealth continues to apply a rental income discount of 20% on mortgage applications, a sixth source said.

☆ Dollar advances ahead of inflation data; cryptos crumble
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Rae Wee | Rocky Swift | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The dollar regained its footing on Thursday ahead of key U.S. inflation data due later in the day, while cryptocurrencies were fragile after a bailout deal for exchange FTX by its bigger rival Binance collapsed. The euro hobbled just above parity at $1.0016, some distance from its near-two-month high hit earlier in the week. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index was firm at 110.30, after rising nearly 0.8% overnight. Just a day earlier, crypto giant Binance had signed a nonbinding agreement to buy FTX's non-U.S. unit to help cover a "liquidity crunch". "I do think there's been a bit of contagion from what's been going on in crypto to the broader markets ....

☆ Australia's NAB flags slowing lending growth from rising rates, shares fall
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Sameer Manekar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A National Australia Bank (NAB) logo is pictured on an automated teller machine (ATM) in central Sydney September 12, 2014. The country's second-largest lender also warned that economic uncertainty created by rising interest rates owing to soaring inflation could challenge some customers, however, said it expects strong employment conditions and substantial home and business savings helping it weather the impact. NAB forecasts a steep decline in business and housing lending volumes in fiscal 2023 in Australia, with business credit growth seen decelerating to 3.6% from 14.7% in fiscal 2022. NAB, the country's biggest business lender, recorded strong growth in its business and home lending during the year ended September, with windfall benefit from rising interest rates boosting its cash earnings to A$7.10 billion ($4.62 billion). That compares with A$6.56 billion reported a year earlier and analysts' estimate of A$7.08 billion, according to Refinitiv Eikon.

☆ Australia's NAB beats cash profit estimates on lending growth, rising rates
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Sameer Manekar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies FY cash earnings A$7.10 bln, up 8.3%Full-year total dividend of A$1.51/shareRise in home, business lending boost earningsNov 9 (Reuters) - National Australia Bank (NAB.AX), the country's second-largest lender, on Wednesday logged a better-than-expected annual cash profit helped by robust home and business lending growth and margins that were supported by rising interest rates. The lender warned that ongoing economic uncertainty, stemming from rising interest rates owing to soaring inflation, could challenge some customers, but was confident of standing strong on the back of strong employment and substantial home and business savings. However, rapidly rising interest rates and inflation could impact household budgets, dampening consumption and overall growth, Chief Executive Officer Ross McEwan said. "This outcome reflects continued execution of our strategy including targeted volume growth and a disciplined approach to managing costs while investing for growth," McEwan said. The Melbourne-based bank declared a final dividend of 78 Australian cents per share, compared with 67 Australian cents apiece last year.

☆ U.S. stocks slip as China sticks to pandemic policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"With China going into winter, most analysts think a change in zero-COVID is unlikely until at least March." A little of that reversed on Monday, with the Aussie down 0.4% at $0.6440 after jumping 3% on Friday. The dollar was just a shade former on the yen at 146.77 yen , while the euro eased a fraction to $0.9944 . Markets are now waiting on Chinese trade data due later in the session for a guide on global demand. Oil futures lost some of their gains with Brent off $1.66 at $96.91, while U.S. crude dropped $1.85 to $90.76 per barrel.

☆ Asia stocks resilient as Wall Street slips, China trade disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"With China going into winter, most analysts think a change in zero-COVID is unlikely until at least March." A little of that reversed on Monday, with the Aussie down 0.7% at $0.6421 after jumping 3% on Friday. S&P 500 futures dipped 0.2%, while Nasdaq futures lost 0.3%. EUROSTOXX 50 futures lost 0.2% and FTSE futures 0.6% amid reports the UK government was planning tax rises and spending cuts. Oil futures lost some of their recent gains with Brent off $1.07 at $97.50, while U.S. crude dropped $1.26 to $91.35 per barrel.

☆ U.S. stocks dip, dollar up as China sticks to pandemic policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"With China going into winter, most analysts think a change in zero-COVID is unlikely until at least March." It also sent the yuan surging and triggered a round of profit taking on long U.S. dollar positions, particularly against commodity sensitive currencies such as the Australian dollar. The U.S. dollar index bounced 0.4% having dived almost 2% at the end of last week. Median forecasts are for annual CPI inflation to slow to 8.0% and for the core to dip a tick to 6.5%. Oil futures lost some of their gains with Brent off $1.79 at $96.78, while U.S. crude dropped $1.71 to $90.90 per barrel.

☆ Yuan jumps, dollar pauses, sterling claws back some ground
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The offshore yuan jumped more than 1% in the Asia session to a one-week peak of 7.2441 per dollar, and last traded 7.2621. But traders said the most potent boost to the yuan came from speculation that China could relax anti-COVID restrictions,which have been hobbling economic activity. And as is typically the case, this type of 'risk on' move indicated by the yuan will have a magnetic attraction across Asia markets." The Australian dollar rose 0.86% to $0.6342, further buoyed by the positive sentiment on China, as the Aussie is often used as a liquid proxy for the yuan. DOLLAR DOMINANCEFed rate futures now point to a terminal rate of about 5.15% by mid-2023, after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point this week.

☆ Dollar eyes weekly gain; sterling wobbles on lower rate bets, bleak outlook
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Rae Wee | Michael S. Derby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index fell 0.23% to 112.71, away from a near two-week peak of 113.15 hit overnight. Nonetheless, it was on track for a weekly gain of nearly 2% -- its largest since September. Fed rate futures now point to a terminal rate of about 5.15% by mid-2023, after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point this week. It was headed for a weekly loss of more than 3%, the largest since September's market turmoil triggered by an economic plan that alarmed investors. Reporting by Rae Wee; Editing by Kim Coghill and Ana Nicolaci da CostaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Asia shares slip, Fed flags higher rates for longer
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Investors were initially cheered that the Fed opened the door to a slowdown in the pace of hikes after raising interest rates 75 basis points to 3.75-4.0%, by noting that policy acted with a lag. But Chair Jerome Powell soured the mood by saying it was "very premature" to think about pausing and that the peak for rates would likely be higher than previously expected. Futures were now split on whether the Fed would move by 50 or 75 basis points in December, and nudged up the top for rates to 5.0-5.25% likely by May next year. "Higher for longer" was not what the equity markets wanted to hear and Wall Street fell sharply after Powell's comments. Early Thursday, S&P 500 futures were off another 0.3%, while Nasdaq futures fell 0.2%.

Hivemapper Inc, which announced $18 million in fundraising from investors in April, said it has so far sold over 5,500 dashcams across 66 countries. As drivers record road signs and storefronts, they mint tokens that Hivemapper named Honey. Hivemapper Chief Executive Ariel Seidman said U.S. regulations limit him from discussing how and when Honey can be spent. While some investors such as Hivemapper backer Multicoin Capital are bullish on Web3 efforts, skeptics worry about currency speculation and fraud. Mapmaker HERE, owned in part by German automakers, is evaluating Hivemapper's imagery for potential use, including for up-to-date speed limit data.

☆ Here's the exclusive 12-slide pitch deck medical cybersecurity startup MedCrypt used to nab $25 million in funding from Johnson and Johnson
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Healthcare cybersecurity startup MedCrypt just raised $25 million in Series B funding. Here's the pitch deck used to woo investors at Intuitive Ventures and Johnson & Johnson Innovation. Healthcare cybersecurity startup MedCrypt just raised a $25 million Series B, Insider has learned. Intuitive Ventures and Johnson & Johnson Innovation led the round, while Section 32, Erica Ventures, Anzu Partners, and Dolby Family Ventures also participated. Last year, competitors including New York-based healthcare cybersecurity startup Cylera raised a $10 million Series A, while Israeli IOT cybersecurity startup Cynerio raised $30 million in Series B funding.

☆ How to Shop Black Friday Sales & Deals 2022: Expert Shopping Tips
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Retailers will start running sales in early November, so if you want to nab the best deals, keep an eye out throughout the month. This way, you won’t have to go searching for the products you want when the sales start, and you should see any discounts automatically reflected in the cart. Even if you’re not shopping on Amazon, this information will show you if the deal price on a product is good. Comparison shopYou can’t stick to just one site or store if you want to get the best deals. Shop around the major retailers, including Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy, to be sure that you’re finding the lowest price.

☆ Australia's Westpac sees $824 mln hit in second half from unit sale
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 24 (Reuters) - Australia's Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX) warned on Monday that its second-half reported net profit and cash earnings will be reduced by A$1.3 billion ($824 million) after tax, citing a loss on the sale of its life insurance business, among others. Westpac, the country's third-largest lender, said the one-off charge will have a net positive impact of 12 basis points (bps) on its common equity tier 1 capital ratio as the unit sale added 17 bps. Westpac is set to announce its fiscal 2022 results on Nov. 7. Rivals National Australia Bank (NAB.AX) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ.AX) will report their annual results on Nov. 9 and Oct. 27, respectively. ($1 = 1.58 Australian dollars)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dollar rides Treasury yields higher, yen flirts with key 150 level
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Japanese yen hit a fresh trough of 149.96 per dollar, its lowest since August 1990, and last bought 149.92. "Given that Treasury yields have moved decisively above 4%, were it not for the threat of intervention then I think dollar/yen would already be trading north of 150." The benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.154%, its highest level since mid-2008, while the two-year Treasury yields touched a 15-year high of 4.582%. It bottomed at 7.2794 per dollar, the lowest level since such data first became available in 2011, and last traded 7.2615. It had hit an almost two-week high of $0.5719 on Tuesday, following release of a hot inflation data, prompting bets of a more aggressive central bank rate hike.

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