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☆ Mattel Experiments With ChatGPT in Cybersecurity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Catherine Stupp | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Toy maker Mattel is experimenting with generative-artificial-intelligence tools including ChatGPT to help its cybersecurity teams, but the company’s head of cybersecurity said the risk of inaccurate results from the new technology is too great to deploy it broadly. But many results from queries to the AI tools are incorrect, even if they appear convincing, he said. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ Pro Cybersecurity Cybersecurity news, analysis and insights from WSJ's global team of reporters and editors. All Mattel employees using ChatGPT are receiving training on how to use generative AI tools securely, he said. German e-commerce giant Zalando plans to offer a shopping assistant using ChatGPT.

Persons: cybersecurity, Tom Le, ” Le, OpenAI, Mattel’s Le, Ilia Kolochenko, ”, Goldman Sachs, Le, Catherine Stupp Organizations: Mattel, Training, Employees, JPMorgan, Verizon, Commonwealth Bank of Australia

☆ Dollar steady as traders consider Fed, global rates outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The increased expectations that U.S. and global interest rates may have further to rise has come on the back of surprise rate increases by the Bank of Canada (BoC) and the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) this week. The Canadian dollar was last steady at C$1.3365 to the greenback, after rising to a one-month top of C$1.3321 in the previous session. The U.S. dollar index dipped slightly to 104.02, though strayed not too far from an over two-month high hit last week, on the back of higher Treasury yields. Money markets are pricing in a 29% chance that the Fed raises rates by 25bps at its policy meeting next week. "Markets have raised their FOMC rate hike expectations following a surprise Bank of Canada rate hike," said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Persons: Edward Moya, Carol Kong, Ray Attrill Organizations: Treasury, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of Canada, BoC, Reserve Bank of Australia, Wednesday, Canadian, U.S, European Central Bank, 25bps, of Canada, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank Locations: Chicago, Asia

☆ Dollar adrift as traders assess Fed options; Aussie buoyant
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In the broader currency market, the U.S. dollar dipped in early Asia trade, as traders pared back their expectations of a rate hike at next week's FOMC meeting. Against the greenback, sterling rose 0.08% to $1.2432, while the kiwi gained 0.08% to $0.6084. "We don't think the FOMC will hike next week ... but risks again are skewed to the upside," said Kong. The U.S. dollar index slipped 0.03% to 104.05, while the euro rose 0.07% to $1.0698. CRYPTO SHAKEOUTIn the cryptoverse, bitcoin , the world's biggest cryptocurrency, was last marginally higher at $27,273, after jumping nearly 6% on Tuesday.

Persons: Philip Lowe, Carol Kong, Lowe, CRYPTO, Coinbase, Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Tony Sycamore, Rae Wee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Federal Reserve, Australian, Reserve Bank of Australia's, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, U.S, Fed, The U.S, European Central Bank, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, IG Markets, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, U.S, The, Turkish

☆ Asian stocks wobble as traders weigh Fed rate pause option
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A string of economic data along with last week's dovish rhetoric from Fed officials have emboldened bets of the Fed refraining from an interest rate hike at its June 13-14 meeting. Saxo strategists said recession concerns, firmer signs of Fed rate cuts or China stimulus measures may be needed to turn sentiment on the energy markets. In the currency market, the dollar index , which measures greenback against six major peers, eased 0.01%. The Australian dollar eased 0.02% to $0.661 as traders wait for the policy decision from the country's central bank. "We expect the RBA to leave the cash rate on hold," analysts at Commonwealth Bank of Australia said in a note.

Persons: Australia's, Hong, nonfarm, Gary Dugan, Brent, Saxo, Sterling, bitcoin, Ankur Banerjee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Federal Reserve, Tokyo's Nikkei, Reserve Bank of Australia's, Federal, Saxo Markets, Dalma, OPEC, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, CBA, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, U.S, Saudi Arabia

☆ Shares steady on June hike hiatus hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lawrence White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Japan's Nikkei (.N225) had earlier surged 2.1% to stand above 32,000 for the first time since July 1990. "With Saudi Arabia protecting oil prices from sliding too low ... we think oil markets are now more prone to a shortfall later this year," said Vivek Dhar, a mining and energy commodities strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The greenback also rose 0.1% on the Japanese yen to 140.26 while the euro eased 0.1% to $0.1069. Markets see a sizeable chance - about 40% - that the RBA could surprise with a quarter-point hike on Tuesday, after a minimum wage hike that economists feared could further stoke inflationary pressures. Additional reporting by Stella Qiu, Editing by Sam Holmes, Kim Coghill, Ed Osmond and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Issei Kato, Brent, Vivek Dhar, Fitch, Stella Qiu, Sam Holmes, Kim Coghill, Ed Osmond, Chizu Organizations: Nikkei, REUTERS, LONDON, Federal Reserve, Saudi, Japan's Nikkei, Nasdaq, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Treasury, AAA, U.S, Bank of Canada, Reuters, BOC, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Asia, Pacific, China, U.S, United States, Australia, Canada

☆ Asian shares extend global rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brent oil rose 1% to $76.89 a barrel, giving up some of its earlier gains to as high as $78.73, while U.S. crude climbed 1.2% to $72.61 a barrel, after hitting a session high of $75.06. Oil prices have recently come under pressure amid heightened concerns about China's slowing economic recovery. "With Saudi Arabia protecting oil prices from sliding too low ... we think oil markets are now more prone to a shortfall later this year," said Vivek Dhar, a mining and energy commodities strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. S&P 500 futures dipped 0.1% and Nasdaq futures dropped 0.3% in Asian hours, after a strong rally on Friday, driven by a mixed U.S. jobs report, a resolution to the debt-ceiling issue and the prospect of a U.S. rate pause this month. The U.S. dollar remained elevated on Monday at 104.14 against its major peers, after gaining 0.5% on Friday on the jobs report.

Persons: Brent, Vivek Dhar, Hong, Fitch, Himani Sarkar, Sam Holmes Organizations: Nikkei, Saudi, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, bbl, Japan's Nikkei, Nasdaq, Treasury, AAA, U.S, Bank of Canada, Reuters, BOC, Thomson Locations: SYDNEY, U.S, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, China, Asia, Pacific, Japan, United States, Australia, Canada

☆ Brent may rise toward $100/bbl as Saudi output cut could worsen supply gap - analysts
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Saudi Arabia has a track record of delivering on material cuts," RBC Capital's Helima Croft said in a note. "Hence, we would expect the full 1 million bpd unilateral cut to hit the market in July, nearly doubling the true physical reduction we have seen from the producer group since October." "With Saudi Arabia protecting oil prices from sliding too low by cutting production, we think oil markets are now more prone to a shortfall later this year," Commonwealth Bank of Australia analyst Vivek Dhar said in a note. "We think Brent futures will rise to $85/bbl by Q4 2023 even with a tepid demand recovery in China factored in." "Affording it the 200,000 bpd quota adjustment for 2024 seems to settle the issue of its OPEC membership for now."

Persons: Brent, Helima Croft, Vivek Dhar, Goldman Sachs, Daan Struyven, Callum Bruce, Daniel Hynes, Soni Kumari, RBC's Croft, Florence Tan, Sonali Paul Organizations: Saudi, Organization of, Petroleum, RBC, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, bbl, ANZ, U.S . Federal, United Arab, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, OPEC, United Arab Emirates

☆ Asian shares rise on debt bill progress, Fed pause hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SINGAPORE, June 2 (Reuters) - Asian stocks surged on Friday as the progress on the bill to raise U.S. debt ceiling and increasing hopes that the Federal Reserve might stand still on interest rates in its next meeting helped perk up investor appetite for risky assets. Harry Ottley, an economist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, said the signs of slowing wage pressure has raised hopes that the Federal Reserve will pause raising interest rates in two weeks. Comments from Fed officials also helped embolden Fed pause hopes, with Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Patrick Harker saying U.S. central bankers should not raise interest rates at their next meeting. In early Asian hours, the two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was up 0.6 basis points at 4.347%, having slipped around 5 basis points on Thursday. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was up 0.2 basis points to 3.610%, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was down 0.6 basis points to 3.829%.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Harry Ottley, CBA's Ottley, embolden, Patrick Harker, Harker, Sterling, Brent, Ankur Banerjee, Lincoln Organizations: Federal Reserve, U.S, Senate, Democratic, Treasury, Japan's Nikkei, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Federal, Traders, U.S . House, Labor, Philadelphia Federal, Nasdaq, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Washington, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, Shanghai, U.S

☆ Euro steadies after Lagarde promises rate hike as inflation still too high
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) - The euro held its ground on Thursday, above a two-month low, after European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde said inflation remains too high and further policy tightening was necessary. But the current level is still more than three times the ECB's 2% inflation target. "Today, inflation is too high and it is set to remain so for too long," Lagarde said in a speech. Money markets are pricing in an 85% chance of a 25 bps hike when the ECB meets on June 15. Another 25 bps hike is expected in July, according to Refinitiv.

Persons: Christine Lagarde, Lagarde, Simon Harvey, Luis de Guindos, Carol Kong, Joice Alves, Rae Wee, Simon Cameron, Moore, Sharon Singleton, Andrew Heavens Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, Reserve, U.S . House, Fed, U.S, Democratic, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: Europe, London, Singapore

☆ Dollar retreats as Fed pause eyed; U.S. debt deal clears House
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The dollar was mixed in Asia trade and barely reacted to the vote, with the euro rising 0.04% against the greenback to $1.06895. Fed officials including the vice chair-designate pointed towards a rate hike "skip" in June, giving time for the U.S. central bank to assess the impact of its tightening cycle thus far against still strong inflation data. Elsewhere, the Japanese yen rose nearly 0.1% to 139.24 per dollar. CHINA'S BUMPY RECOVERYIn Asia, the Chinese offshore yuan rose over 0.1% to 7.1077, reversing some of its losses from the previous session, when it slumped to a six-month low. The yuan had fallen nearly 3% against the dollar in both the onshore and offshore markets in May, as China's post-COVID economic recovery struggles to gain steam.

Persons: Sterling, Carol Kong, Christopher Wong, Rae Wee, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Federal Reserve, House, Democratic, U.S, Fed, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, U.S ., New, People's Bank of China, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Japan, China, New Zealand

SummarySummary Companies China May PMI contracts more than expectedUS debt ceiling bill comes up for vote on WednesdaySaudi Arabia may cut July crude price - Reuters pollMay 31 (Reuters) - Oil prices extended losses early on Wednesday as worries of slowing demand from top oil importer China after the release of weaker-than-expected economic data outweighed some positive progress on the U.S. debt ceiling bill. If passed, the Biden administration would not likely need to negotiate the debt ceiling again before the November 2024 presidential election, Dhar said. Traders were uncertain about whether the group would increase output cuts as a slump in prices weighs on the market. Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman last week warned short sellers betting oil prices would fall to "watch out" in a possible signal that OPEC+ may cut output. However, comments from Russian oil officials and sources, including Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, indicate the world's third-largest oil producer is leaning toward leaving output unchanged.

Persons: Brent's, Vivek Dhar, Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Biden, Dhar, Abdulaziz bin Salman, Alexander Novak, Stephanie Kelly, Trixie Yap, Himani Sarkar, Jamie Freed Organizations: PMI, Wednesday, Reuters, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Organization of, Petroleum, Traders, Saudi Arabian Energy, Saudi Aramco, OPEC, Thomson Locations: Wednesday Saudi Arabia, China, U.S, Russia, OPEC, Asia, Saudi Arabia

☆ Asia stocks slump to monthly loss as China data disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Australian dollar is sliding towards a fourth consecutive monthly loss and at $0.6492 is barely above last week's seven-month lows. Aussie stocks (.AXJO) are eying their worst month since February with a 2.4% drop. Based on these factors, we raise our end-2023 targets for Japanese stocks, to 2,300 for TOPIX and 32,500 for the Nikkei 225." Benchmark 10-year yields dropped 12.4 basis points overnight and fell another 1.5 bps on Wednesday in Asian trade to 3.6808%. The drop in yields put a pause in what looks to be the U.S. dollar's best monthly rally since February.

Persons: stockmarkets, Carol Kong, Masashi Akutsu, Joe Biden, Treasuries, Philip Lowe, Sam Holmes Organizations: Nikkei, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, of America, Republican, Brent, Thomson Locations: China, Asia, Japan, SINGAPORE, Pacific, U.S, United States

May 30 (Reuters) - Crown Resorts, the Australian casino operator bought by Blackstone Inc (BX.N) after three damaging inquiries, agreed to pay a A$450 million ($294 million) fine for breaking anti-money laundering laws, a step toward ending its darkest chapter. "We are pleased to have reached this agreement with AUSTRAC," said Crown Resorts CEO Ciarán Carruthers, who started in the role in September. "The company that committed these unacceptable, historic breaches is far removed from the company that exists today." Australian regulators over the recent years have penalised a slew of companies over breaches and non-compliances, with the country's "Big Four" banks fined the most. ($1 = 1.4743 Australian dollars)Reporting by Byron Kaye in Sydney and Harish Sridharan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: Penalties imposed on Australian companies over the recent years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here are some of the major penalties imposed by the regulators:AMP LTD (AMP.AX)Troubled Australian wealth manager AMP Ltd was fined a court-mandated penalty of A$24 million in May for billing dead clients for insurance and financial advice. In October 2022, ANZ was penalised A$25 million for failing to provide certain benefits it had agreed to give customers. In October 2022, CBA's trading unit was fined A$20 million for compliance failures in delivering financial services. NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK (NAB.AX)National Australia Bank, the country's second-largest bank, was charged A$18.5 million penalty in August 2021 by a court for issuing misleading fee disclosure statements or none at all. WESTPAC BANKING CORP (WBC.AX)Australia's third-biggest lender, Westpac Banking Corp was ordered to pay A$113 million in penalties in April 2022 for multiple compliance failures across its businesses.

☆ Dollar eases as deal over US debt ceiling lifts risk appetite
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A handful of hard-right Republican lawmakers said on Monday they would oppose a deal to raise the United States' $31.4 trillion debt ceiling. "Still, a higher debt ceiling and some reduction in spending in the FY24 budget are the middle ground." "Outside of any volatility generated by the debt ceiling issues, expectations for Fed rate hikes are likely to keep the dollar bid in the near term." Longer-dated U.S. Treasuries rallied in Asia on Tuesday on the debt ceiling deal. Until then, higher U.S. Treasury yields and weak expectations for BoJ tightening can push USD/JPY higher."

☆ Australian banks have shied away from investment opportunities in share market: Investment advisor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAustralian banks have shied away from investment opportunities in share market: Investment advisorAdam Dawes of Shaw and Partners Australian banks are mainly "deposit takers" and "home loan takers," but the Commonwealth Bank of Australia is "looking to be better placed."

☆ Dollar eases as deal over U.S. debt ceiling lifts risk appetite
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

☆ Dollar set for third week of gains as US debt talks loom large
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. dollar index — which tracks the greenback against six major counterparts — was last down 0.05% on the day at 104.20, just off Thursday's two-month high of 104.31. The dollar edged away from a six-month high against the yen and last stood at 139.67, having reached 140.23 yen in the previous session, its highest since November. The euro and British pound regained some ground, but were struggling to recoup recent losses against the dollar. The single currency was last up 0.07% against the dollar at $1.0727, but was not far from its two-month low of $1.0708 hit in the previous session. Sterling gained 0.23% to $1.2349, after data showed British consumers picked up spending in April, although the currency was still heading for a weekly loss.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, MUFG, —, Carol Kong, Boris Vujcic, Sterling Organizations: U.S, Wall, Federal Reserve, Fed, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, British, European Central Bank Locations: U.S, Washington, Croatian

2 mortgage provider has told mortgage brokers that "if a customer is unable to meet serviceability under the standard assessment criteria", it might apply a modified serviceability assessment rate. Since the buffer is a guideline, banks are allowed to deviate from it. "APRA should consider officially lowering the serviceability buffer for refinancers." Representatives for Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA.AX) and ANZ Banking Group Ltd (ANZ.AX) were not immediately available for comment. ($1 = 1.4743 Australian dollars)Reporting by Byron Kaye and Lewis Jackson; Editing by Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Debt ceiling hopes lift dollar to seven-week peak
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Samuel Indyk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, May 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar hit a seven-week peak on Thursday after President Joe Biden and top U.S. congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy worked towards avoiding a damaging debt default, while investors scaled back Federal Reserve easing expectations. Biden and McCarthy on Wednesday underscored their determination to strike a deal soon to raise the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, having agreed a day earlier to negotiate directly after a months-long standoff. "In the short-term, the debt ceiling is win-win for the dollar," said Viraj Patel, global macro strategist at Vanda Research. "If it gets worse, you're going to see a global hard landing and you will want to be owning dollars. Traders are pricing in around a 20% chance that the Federal Reserve raises its interest rate at its June meeting.

Biden and McCarthy on Wednesday underscored their determination to strike a deal soon to raise the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, having agreed a day earlier to negotiate directly after a months-long standoff. "In the short-term, the debt ceiling is win-win for the dollar," said Viraj Patel, global macro strategist at Vanda Research. Traders are pricing in around a 20% chance that the Federal Reserve raises its interest rate at its June meeting. The dollar index firmed 0.2% to 103.08, near Wednesday's seven-week peak of 103.12. Elsewhere, the dollar rose to a ten-week high of 137.89 yen , extending Wednesday's nearly 1% gain against the Japanese currency.

☆ Dollar firms on optimism over US debt ceiling talks, Aussie down after jobs data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, May 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar held near a seven-week peak on Thursday, after President Joe Biden and top U.S. congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy worked towards avoiding a damaging debt default, while the Aussie dollar slipped after disappointing jobs data. Biden and McCarthy on Wednesday underscored their determination to strike a deal soon to raise the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, having agreed a day earlier to negotiate directly after a months-long standoff. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar index firmed near its seven-week peak hit in the previous session, and last stood at 102.86. "We got some positive headlines over the debt ceiling negotiations ... so that obviously supported market sentiment," said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The Japanese yen last bought 137.50 per dollar, having fallen nearly 1% on Wednesday.

☆ Dollar firms on optimism over U.S. debt ceiling talks, Aussie down after jobs data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. dollar held near a seven-week peak on Thursday, after President Joe Biden and top U.S. congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy worked towards avoiding a damaging debt default, while the Aussie dollar slipped after disappointing jobs data. Biden and McCarthy on Wednesday underscored their determination to strike a deal soon to raise the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, having agreed a day earlier to negotiate directly after a months-long standoff. "We got some positive headlines over the debt ceiling negotiations ... so that obviously supported market sentiment," said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The Japanese yen last bought 137.50 per dollar, having fallen nearly 1% on Wednesday. The kiwi fell 0.05% to $0.6245, while the Chinese offshore yuan slipped nearly 0.1% to 7.0147 per dollar.

The euro, meanwhile, dropped to a six-week low versus the dollar at $1.0811 . Wednesday's data showed that U.S. single-family homebuilding increased in April, but data for the prior month was revised sharply lower. Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, rose 1.6% to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 846,000 units last month. In late morning trading, the dollar rose 0.7% versus the yen to 137.37 yen, after earlier climbing to a two-week peak of 137.445 . In the offshore market, the dollar rose 0.2% to 7.00911 .

SINGAPORE, May 17 (Reuters) - The dollar rose on Wednesday, benefiting from its status as a safe-haven amid the risk of a U.S. debt default and as traders trimmed bets on imminent Federal Reserve rate cuts following solid consumer spending data in the United States. Against a basket of peers, including the euro, yen and sterling, the dollar index rose 0.3% to 102.96, to its highest since early April. Expectations for U.S. interest rate cuts any time soon were dampened by the solid increase in April consumer spending, and by comments from Fed officials. "A rate hike is possible this year, though the hurdle is high." The New Zealand dollar was broadly steady at $0.6232, with investors looking ahead to a 25 bp interest rate hike next week and perhaps one more after that.

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