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SummarySummary Companies Wall St eyes first annual drop in four yearsU.S.-listed shares of Shaw Communications jumpFutures down: Dow 0.40%, S&P 0.59%, Nasdaq 0.94%Dec 30 (Reuters) - Wall Street was set to open lower on the final trading day of a roller-coaster year marked by aggressive interest-rate hikes to curb inflation, the Russia-Ukraine war and recession fears. Investors avoided riskier bets and fled to safer assets such as the U.S. dollar, pushing down the benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) 19% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq (.IXIC) 33% this year. "(The) back half of 2023 is going to be better because I believe the Fed will stop raising interest rates. ET, Dow e-minis were down 132 points, or 0.4%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 22.75 points, or 0.59%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 104 points, or 0.94%. Reporting by Ankika Biswas and Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi and Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India's forex reserves slip for second week
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, Dec 30 (Reuters) - India's foreign exchange reserves (INFXR=ECI) fell to $562.81 billion in the week through Dec. 23, the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) statistical supplement showed on Friday. For the week ended Dec. 16, the country's reserves were at $563.50 billion. The rupee has been calmer over the past couple of weeks, trading on the weaker side of 82.50 in a narrow range for the week ended Dec. 23. Traders have said state-run banks were likely offering dollars on behalf of the RBI to keep the rupee from breaching 83 per dollar. For the current week, rupee traded in an even tighter range in thin volumes and ended at 82.72 on Friday.

☆ South African rand flat as China COVID spike hits risk sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 29 (Reuters) - South Africa's rand was flat against the dollar in early trade on Thursday, as rising COVID-19 cases in China dented risk sentiment. At 0645 GMT, the risk-sensitive rand traded at 17.0975 against the dollar, near its previous close of 17.0925. Countries including the United States, Japan and India said on Wednesday they would require COVID tests for travellers from China, which has said it would scrap quarantine rules for inbound travellers from Jan. 8. Like most emerging market currencies, the rand tends to take cues from global drivers in the absence of major local economic news. South African government's benchmark 2030 bond prices gained in early deals, with the yield down 5 basis points to 10.235%.

☆ FTSE 100 falls as consumer, commodity stocks drag on China COVID worries
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies FTSE 100 eyes worst day in two weeksFalling crude drags oil giants lowerFTSE 100 down 0.4%, FTSE 250 off 0.3%Dec 29 (Reuters) - UK's FTSE 100 fell on Thursday, with energy and consumer stocks leading declines, as optimism over China's reopening fizzled out in the face of surging COVID-19 cases in the world's second largest economy. The blue-chip index (.FTSE), down 0.4%, will post its biggest single day drop in two weeks if losses hold. Commodity prices broadly fell as surging COVID cases in China dimmed hopes of a recovery in fuel demand for the world's largest crude oil importer even as it began dismantling strict COVID curbs. Oil majors BP (BP.L) and Shell (SHEL.L) lost 1.2% and 0.8%, respectively, on Thursday as crude prices fell more than 2%. Consumer stocks such Unilever (ULVR.L) and British American Tobacco (BATS.L) weighed on the FTSE 100, slipping nearly 1%.

☆ TSX futures edge higher as investors eye China reopening
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 28 (Reuters) - Futures for Canada's main stock index edged up on Wednesday as investors returned from a long holiday weekend to global optimism over China moving towards reopening its economy. Futures on the S&P/TSX index were up 0.2% at 6:53 a.m. On the flip side, concerns remained that rising COVID cases could disrupt its economic recovery, pushing down prices of oil , . Copper prices hit two-week peak, while gold eased from the six-month high hit in the previous session as the dollar regained strength. Canadian equity markets will resume trading for the first time this week, following Christmas and Boxing Day holidays.

☆ European shares muted, UK outperforms as China-exposed stocks jump
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Bansari Mayur Kamdar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The region-wide STOXX 600 (.STOXX) was flat as of 9:31 GMT, while the FTSE 100 <.FTSE> advanced 0.7% as commodity-linked and China-exposed stocks jumped in early trading. The UK market, which was closed for holidays since its half-day trading on Friday, is playing catch-up, analysts said. The FTSE 100 index has benefited this year from its exposure to commodities as prices of oil and base metals have rallied amid the Russia-Ukraine war. Meanwhile, STOXX 600 was headed for an annual loss of 12.2% as concerns about an economic recession due to aggressive monetary policy tightening by central banks globally weighed on the European index. The technology sector (.SX8P) weighed on STOXX 600 on Wednesday, tracking the overnight fall in U.S. peers as rising yields pressured the interest rate sensitive shares, a recurring theme this year.

☆ Most Gulf markets rise as China eases COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

China will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine starting from Jan. 8, the National Health Commission said on Monday. It will also downgrade the seriousness of COVID as it has become less virulent and will gradually evolve into a common respiratory infection. The announcement buoyed other Asian markets as well, with the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rising 0.53%. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) gained 0.6%, led by a 1.4% rise in Al Rajhi Bank (1120.SE) and a 1.1% gain in oil giant Saudi Aramco (2222.SE). Dubai's main share index (.DFMGI) added 0.1%, helped by a 0.4% rise in top lender Emirates NBD (ENBD.DU).

☆ Gold gains on dollar weakness as China relaxes COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Arundhati Sarkar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Spot gold rose 0.6% to $1,809.20 per ounce by 1136 GMT. A weaker dollar also makes the greenback-denominated bullion less expensive for other currency holders. "Gold was weaker for most of 2022 amid aggressive tightening of monetary policies, rising real yields and dollar strength. "Sustained recovery in gold prices is possible if Fed pivots." In other metals, spot silver rose 1.6% to $24.09 per ounce, platinum gained 0.4% to $1,025.32, while palladium jumped 1.9% to $1,797.00.

U.S.-listed shares of Chinese firms such as JD.Com Inc , Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Pinduoduo Inc (PDD.O) climbed around 2% each in premarket trading. With a handful of trading sessions left this year, investors are hoping for a so-called "Santa rally" at the end of what has been a largely disappointing month for U.S. equities. Economic data so far has offered little hope that the Fed could hit the brakes on its interest rate hikes. ET, Dow e-minis were up 147 points, or 0.44%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 12.5 points, or 0.32%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 5 points, or 0.05%. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi and Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] Drivers push auto rickshaws in a line to buy petrol from a fuel station amid Sri Lanka's economic crisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 29, 2022. India's foreign ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters on its plans and strategic aims in Sri Lanka. New Delhi has long been concerned about China's clout in its neighbourhood, including Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. "And as far as Sri Lanka is concerned, we don't want to contribute to any escalation of tension between any countries." "Sri Lanka has clearly benefited from being the closest neighbour to the most powerful country in the region.

☆ Gulf markets rise on China optimism, Saudi leads
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

China will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine starting from Jan. 8, the National Health Commission said on Monday. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) gained 1.3%, led by a 1.8% rise in Al Rajhi Bank (1120.SE) and a 1.9% increase in oil giant Saudi Aramco (2222.SE). The Saudi stock market rose today while oil markets' prospects improved with China opening up, said Fadi Reyad, chief market analyst at CAPEX.com. "However, the main index remains near its lowest levels this year and could be at risk of other price corrections." According to Reyad, the Qatari index continued to decline under the weight of the natural gas market's performance.

☆ European shares gain on China recovery optimism
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Bansari Mayur Kamdar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) gained 0.4% to start the holiday-shortened week higher. China on Monday said it would drop its quarantine requirements for inbound visitors, further easing three-year border controls aimed at curbing COVID. While London and Dublin markets remained closed for the Christmas holiday, most European bourses advanced in early trading. Miners (.SXPP) and energy stocks (.SXEP) added 1.0% and 1.4%, respectively, as commodity prices jumped on hopes of demand recovery in top consumer China. Industrials (.SXNP) and banks (.SX7P) gained for a second straight session, lifting the broader European index.

☆ Futures climb as China eases COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures up: Dow 0.62%, S&P 0.65%, Nasdaq 0.56%Dec 27 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures rose on Tuesday after China further relaxed its COVID-19 curbs, fuelling hopes of a recovery in the world's second largest economy. U.S.-listed shares of Chinese firms such as JD.Com Inc , Alibaba Group Holding , Pinduoduo Inc (PDD.O) climbed between 2.5% and 3% in premarket trading. ET, Dow e-minis were up 208 points, or 0.62%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 25 points, or 0.65%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 62.5 points, or 0.56%. Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) dipped 3% after facing flight cancellations and delays a day after Christmas. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The U.S. central bank hiked rates by 50 basis points (bps) on Wednesday, slowing down from four back-to-back 75 bps hikes, although Fed Chair Jerome Powell said recent signs of slowing inflation have not brought any confidence yet that the fight had been won. The Fed's policy-setting committee projected it would continue raising rates to above 5% in 2023, a level not seen since a steep economic downturn in 2007. Money market participants currently expect at least two 25 bps rate hikes next year and borrowing costs to peak at 4.9% by May next year, before falling to around 4.4% by year-end. Wall Street's main indexes have staged a strong recovery since hitting 2022 lows in October on hopes of a less aggressive Fed, but the rally stalled in December due to mixed economic data and worrying corporate forecasts. Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) fell 2.9% after CEO Elon Musk disclosed another $3.6 billion in stock sales, taking his total near $40 billion this year and frustrating investors as the company's shares wallow at two-year lows.

☆ TSX futures steady as oil prices recover, Fed worries cap gains
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 15 (Reuters) - Futures for Canada's resources-heavy main stock index rose on Thursday as oil prices recouped early losses, while a sharp drop in gold kept gains in check after hawkish Federal Reserve commentary. Futures on the S&P/TSX index were up 0.1% at 6:34 a.m. ET (1134 GMT), while their U.S. peers fell after the Fed on Wednesday raised interest rates as expected but said it would keep hiking them further. Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday said interest rate hikes would persist next year even as the U.S. economy faces the threat of a recession, sparking a selloff on Wall Street and also knocking down Canada shares (.GSPTSE). In a bright spot, oil prices steadied after early declines as the dollar firmed, while likely increases in interest rates by central banks also heightened demand concerns.

☆ Futures slide as hawkish Fed quashes policy pivot hopes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Sruthi Shankar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Investors currently expect at least two 25 bps rate hikes next year and borrowing costs to peak at 4.9% by May next year, before falling to around 4.4% by year-end. Both central banks are expected to hike borrowing costs by 50 bps. Shares of megacap companies, including Apple (AAPL.O), Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Nvidia Corp , fell between 1.1% and 2.1% in premarket trading. Trade Desk Inc (TTD.O) slipped 4.1% after Jefferies downgraded its rating for the adtech firm to "hold" from "buy". Reporting by Sruthi Shankar and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Most Gulf markets fall on Fed hawkishness; Abu Dhabi gains
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 15 (Reuters) - Most stock markets in the Gulf dropped in early trade on Thursday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank would deliver more rate increases next year. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) fell as much as 0.6%, and was on course to fall after two sessions of gains. The Saudi Central Bank said on Wednesday it increased its key interest rates by 50 basis points, following Fed's move as the Saudi riyal is pegged to the dollar. The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates also increased its base rate by 50 basis points to 4.4%, effective Thursday, mirroring Fed's move. The Qatari benchmark index (.QSI) dropped 0.7%, with petrochemical maker Industries Qatar (IQCD.QA) declining 2.1%.

The Fed's policy-setting committee projected it would continue raising rates to above 5% in 2023, a level not seen since a steep economic downturn in 2007. Money market participants currently expect at least two 25 bps rate hikes next year and borrowing costs to peak at 4.9% in the first half, before falling to around 4.4% by the year end. Wall Street's main indexes have staged a strong recovery since hitting 2022 lows in October on hopes of a less aggressive Fed, but the rally stalled in December on the back of mixed economic data and worrying corporate forecasts. Investors also digested economic data on Thursday that showed a steeper-than-expected decline in retail sales in November and the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits falling last week, indicating a tight labor market. The S&P index recorded no new 52-week highs and four new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 24 new highs and 120 new lows.

☆ Nikola to sell up to 75 hydrogen-powered trucks to Plug Power
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 15 (Reuters) - Electric truck maker Nikola Corp (NKLA.O) said on Thursday that it would sell up to 75 Tre hydrogen-powered trucks over three years to fuel-cell technology developer Plug Power Inc (PLUG.O). Plug Power will attach its liquid hydrogen tankers to Nikola's trucks, whose deliveries will begin next year, to transport green hydrogen fuel across North America. The company will also provide a liquefaction system for Nikola's hydrogen hub project in Buckeye, Arizona, which will produce 30 metric tons per day of the gas initially, and scale up to 150 metric tons per day. Nikola said that low-carbon hydrogen from the facility will enable further deployment of its Tre fuel-cell electric trucks. Earlier this year, Nikola said that incentives provided by the IRA would help the company lower costs of its electric trucks and hydrogen energy business.

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., December 7, 2022. Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) rose 2% following the tech giant's deal to buy a 4% stake in the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG.L), powering much of Wall Street's gains. The benchmark S&P 500 (.SPX) looked to rebound from its worst weekly performance since late September, sparked by dour comments from top U.S. executives and mixed economic data. Fears of an economic downturn have hammered Wall Street's main indexes this year, with the Nasdaq (.IXIC) and the S&P 500 down 29.4% and 17%, respectively. Eight out of the 11 major S&P sector indexes were in the green, led by energy (.SPNY), utilities (.SPLRCU) and technology stocks (.SPLRCT).

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., December 7, 2022. Wall Street's main indexes have slumped this year on fears of aggressive rate hikes triggering a U.S. recession. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 (.SPX) have fallen 29.5% and 17.2%, respectively, so far in 2022 and are on track for their worst yearly performance since 2008. Seven out of the 11 major S&P 500 sector indexes were in the green, led by energy (.SPNY) and technology stocks (.SPLRCT). The S&P index recorded no new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 29 new highs and 136 new lows.

Wall Street's main indexes have slumped this year on fears of aggressive rate hikes triggering a U.S. recession. ET, Dow e-minis were up 81 points, or 0.24%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 12.75 points, or 0.32%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 34.25 points, or 0.3%. Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) lost 2.7% after Wells Fargo downgraded its rating on the smartphone chipmaker's stock to "underweight" from "equal weight". Rivian Automotive Inc (RIVN.O) lost 1.2% after the company paused its partnership discussions with Mercedes-Benz Vans on electric van production in Europe. Reporting by Shubham Batra, Ankika Biswas and Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Futures rise ahead of CPI data, Fed rate decision in focus
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures up: Dow 0.22%, S&P 0.29%, Nasdaq 0.34%Dec 12 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Monday ahead of monthly consumer inflation data, while investors braced for the Federal Reserve meeting later this week. The Nasdaq (.IXIC) shed 4%, and S&P 500 (.SPX) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) lost 3.4% and 2.8%, respectively. ET, Dow e-minis were up 73 points, or 0.22%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 11.25 points, or 0.29%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 39.25 points, or 0.34%. Rivian Automotive Inc (RIVN.O) tumbled 4.3% after the company paused its partnership discussions with Mercedes-Benz Vans on electric van production in Europe. Reporting by Shubham Batra and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi leads fall in major Gulf markets amid Fed policy jitters
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's stock market dropped in early trade on Monday, leading declines in the Gulf region ahead of interest rate decision from the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Fed is widely expected to raise rates by 50 basis points at its last meeting of 2022 on Wednesday. Investors will also focus on the central bank's updated economic projections and Fed Chair Jerome Powell's press conference. Dubai's main share index (.DFMGI) fell 0.6%, hit by a 1.5% fall in top lender Emirates NBD (ENBD.DU). The Qatari index (.QSI) slipped 1.4%, as most of the stocks in the index were in neagtive territory including the Gulf's biggest lender Qatar National Bank (QNBK.QA), down 2.2%.

Consumer prices data for November, due Tuesday, will provide fresh clues on the central bank's monetary tightening plans. The S&P 500 declined 0.73% to end the session at 3,934.38 points. The Nasdaq declined 0.70% to 11,004.62 points, while Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.90% to 33,476.46 points. Declining stocks outnumbered rising ones within the S&P 500 (.AD.SPX) by a 3.3-to-one ratio. The S&P 500 posted 5 new highs and 1 new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 54 new highs and 213 new lows.

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