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☆ When the chips go up: Big banks bet on S. Korea, Taiwan stocks for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Harish Sridharan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Goldman Sachs says South Korean stocks are the bank's top "rebound candidate" for 2023 due to low valuations, made cheaper by a nosediving Korean won, and as companies benefit from an expected recovery in Chinese demand. "We think (Korean stocks) sold off too much in September and August." Morgan Stanley downgraded its view on Indian exposure in October, when it upgraded its recommendation for South Korea. Like South Korea, Taiwan (.TWII) is another heavily-sold and chip-maker dominated market - though tensions with China make some investors a bit less enthusiastic. Meanwhile, Taiwan and South Korea are both geopolitical flashpoints - but analysts argue at least some of that is already in the price.

☆ Asian stocks jump after Powell hints at rate hike slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Asian equities jumped on Thursday, while the dollar slid as investors poured into risky assets after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell opened the door to a slowdown in the pace of monetary tightening. Powell's comments at the Brookings Institution in Washington sent Wall Street equities soaring, while the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields fell. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) jumped 2% in early Asian trade. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was down 5.2 bps at 4.321%. In commodity markets, gold prices climbed to a two-week high in early Asian trade on Thursday.

☆ Hong Kong sees IPO slowdown reversing; eyes international issuers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Sumeet Chatterjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China's economic slowdown, a sweeping regulatory crackdown that has tightened scrutiny over companies' fundraising outside mainland China and geopolitical tensions have all resulted in a bleak year for new listings in Hong Kong. "In other words, we will make ourselves much more diversified (with) many more international companies and that will be our strategy." International investors account for about 42% of investments in Hong Kong's equity market, and that share is "a lot higher" in the derivatives market, Cha said. Years of strict COVID restrictions have also badly hit Hong Kong's economy, but the city has lifted most of its curbs in the last couple of months. "So for us, there was, like the rest of Hong Kong, a higher attrition rate about 12 months ago, and that has come down now."

☆ China's BYD to sell EVs in Mexico in 2023, aims for up to 30,000 sales in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Kylie Madry | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] The interior of the BYD HAN EV is displayed as the Chinese electric-vehicle producer announces its expansion to the consumer market next year in Mexico, in Toluca, Mexico November 29, 2022. As per Mexico's Automotive Industry Association, just 4.5% of cars sold in the first eight months of this year were hybrid, or around 31,000 of nearly 693,000 sold in total. While BYD declined to name starting prices of its vehicles in Mexico, Zou stressed the company's affordability. BYD's Zou also said the company aimed to sell cars through 15 licensed dealers in Mexico by the end of 2023 and hit 30 by 2024. Zou said as U.S. states such as California go fully electric, Mexico — which produces a vast amount of cars for its northern neighbors — will likely follow.

China on Friday launched its first private pension scheme in 36 cities as it grapples with a rapidly ageing population, allowing individuals to open retirement accounts at banks to buy pension products ranging from deposits to mutual funds. The move marked the official launch of China's version of IRA, or Individual Retirement Accounts in the United States, a private pension scheme that offers tax advantages for individuals saving for retirement. As part of the new system, local domestic workers covered by China's public pension insurance can participate in the private pension scheme and contribute up to 12,000 yuan ($1,680) per year to their individual accounts and receive tax benefits. Eddy Wong, chief executive of China International Fund Management (CIFM), a joint venture between JPMorgan and Shanghai International Trust Co., said China's individual pension market has "huge potential and room for development". "The first movers in China's pension market enjoy an advantage," said Howhow Zhang, Greater China wealth and asset management strategy and transactions leader at consultancy EY.

HANOI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Every Tuesday, 79-year-old Nguyen Thi Loc joins a group of grey-haired students to study English at a house in Hanoi, with the aim of socialising and keeping her brain sharp. The informal classes are free and are taught by Phung Thi Yen, who trained as an English teacher but currently works as an office worker. Loc has never studied a foreign language before, but with her newly acquired skills she chants in chorus with her classmates: "Never too old to learn English". English is Vietnam's most commonly taught foreign language after having become a mandatory subject at school in the 1990s. "Even though we are old, we still should try to study, because studying helps the brain," she said.

☆ Exclusive: Tesla readies revamped Model 3 with project 'Highland' -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] A Tesla Model 3 sedan, its first car aimed at the mass market, is displayed during its launch in Hawthorne, California, U.S. March 31, 2016. Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory will put the redesigned Model 3 into production in the third quarter of 2023, they said. CHANGE YOU CAN SEEThe redesign for the Model 3 builds on the revamp of the Model S -- Tesla’s premium EV sedan -- that was released last year. The Model 3, Tesla’s cheapest EV starting at just under $47,000 in the United States, had been the automaker’s best-seller but is being overtaken by the Model Y crossover. KEEP IT SIMPLEMusk has pushed a simplified approach to design and production at Tesla that the Highland project extends, said the people with knowledge of the development.

It fell as far as $73.60 earlier, its lowest since Dec. 22, 2021. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies including Russia, known as OPEC+, will meet on Dec. 4. read moreInvestors also focused on Western plans for a price cap on Russian oil. On Thursday, EU governments were split on the level at which to cap Russian oil prices. The price cap is due to come into effect on Dec. 5 when an EU ban on Russian crude also takes effect.

☆ Evergrande aims to win approval for restructuring proposals early next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Xie Yu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Embattled property developer China Evergrande Group (3333.HK) aims to win creditors' support for its debt restructuring proposals by as early as the end of February, the company's lawyers said on Monday. Its $22.7 billion worth of offshore debt, including loans and private bonds, is deemed to be in default after missed payments late last year. With few fresh funding options and slowing property sales, Evergrande, which has $300 billion in total liabilities, began one of China's biggest debt-restructuring processes this year. Evergrande expects to firm up debt restructuring proposals by end-February or early-March, lawyers for the developer told a Hong Kong court, which adjourned a winding-up lawsuit against the developer to March 20, 2023. Evergrande and its major offshore credit group have opposed to the winding-up petition, saying the developer was actively pushing forward with the offshore debt restructuring work in the interest of all creditors.

WTI's trading range is expected to fall to $70-$75, he said, adding the market could stay volatile depending on the outcome of the OPEC+ meeting and the price cap on Russian oil. read moreInvestors also focused on Western plans for a price cap on Russian oil. Group of Seven(G7) and European Union diplomats have been discussing a price cap on Russian oil of between $65 and $70 a barrel, with the aim of limiting revenue to fund Moscow's military offensive in Ukraine without disrupting global oil markets. On Thursday, EU governments were split on the level at which to cap Russian oil prices. The price cap is due to come into effect on Dec. 5 when an EU ban on Russian crude kicks off.

☆ Morning Bid: Red alert
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsEuropean markets are likely to take a cue from the wave of red splashed across Asian markets on Monday, while investors will also scrutinise Wednesday's euro zone inflation data to see if the worst of the price surge is behind. While economists at Citi expect headline inflation to post the first decline since mid-2020, driven by falling energy inflation, European Central Bank's top economic thinkers have been sparring on the outlook for inflation and rates. Though U.S. inflation may be close to peaking, euro area price pressures remain strong. Inflation in the euro zone was 10.6% in October, more than five times the ECB's 2% target. The comments come after Switzerland's second-largest bank flagged a hefty loss last week as wealthy clients turn their back on the embattled bank.

☆ Dollar headed for weekly loss as investors brace for slower Fed hikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Japanese yen jumped roughly 0.7% overnight, and last bought 138.60 per dollar. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index stood at 105.94, testing its three-month trough of 105.30 hit last week. read moreThe euro was 0.06% lower at $1.04045, but remained close to $1.0481, its highest level in over four months hit last week. The kiwi slid 0.19% to $0.6252, but that was not far off its three-month peak hit in the previous session. The New Zealand dollar was headed for a weekly gain of more than 1.5%, aided by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's 75 bp rate hike earlier in the week and its hawkish rate outlook.

☆ Oil drops as Russian price cap proposal eases concerns about tight supply
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Yuka Obayashi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Both benchmarks plunged more than 3% on Wednesday on news the planned price cap on Russian oil could be above the current market level. A higher price cap could make it attractive for Russia to continue to sell its oil, reducing the risk of a supply shortage in global oil markets. "If the EU agree to an oil price cap of $65‑$70/bbl this week, we see downside risks to our oil price forecast of $95/bbl this quarter," Dhar said. Commonwealth Bank's $95/bbl forecast was based on the assmption that EU sanctions and a price cap on Russian oil would disrupt enough supply to offset global growth concerns, Dhar said. Some Indian and Chinese refiners are paying prices below the proposed price cap level for Urals crude, traders said.

☆ South Korea's central bank raises rates by 25 bps, as expected
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Cynthia Kim | Jihoon Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Nov 24 (Reuters) - South Korea's central bank raised interest rates by a more modest 25 basis points on Thursday, as expected, slowing the pace of policy tightening as it tries to tame inflation without choking off economic growth. The Bank of Korea (BOK) raised its benchmark policy rate (KROCRT=ECI) to 3.25%, the highest level since July 2012, after delivering a half-percentage point hike in October. All but one of 30 economists expected the central bank to opt for a quarter-point hike in a Reuters poll, while one forecast another half-point rise. The Bank of Korea has raised the policy rate by a total of 275 basis points since August 2021 from a record low of 0.50%. Reporting by Cynthia Kim, Jihoon Lee and Choonsik Yoo; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da CostaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The Bank of Korea (BOK) raised its benchmark policy rate (KROCRT=ECI) to 3.25% on Thursday, the highest level since 2012, after delivering a half-percentage point hike in October. The BOK is in the midst of its most aggressive policy tightening on record, having been a front-runner in withdrawing pandemic-era stimulus in the region when it started raising interest rates in August 2021. Since then, it has raised rates by a total of 275 basis points, delivering bigger 50-basis-point rate hikes for the first time since the current monetary framework was introduced in 1999. The central bank aims to keep inflation at 2%. The slowdown in the tightening pace has also been facilitated by a rebound in the local currency.

☆ Qantas disappointed by domestic cabin crew's industrial action vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Jamie Freed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX) said on Thursday it was disappointed that domestic cabin crew had voted in favour of industrial action that could include work stoppages of up to 24 hours amid negotiations over a fresh deal involving pay and conditions. The Flight Attendants' Association of Australia (FAAA), which had raised concerns that the proposed Qantas pay deal would extend duty lengths and reduce rest provisions, said 99% of votes received were in favour of industrial action. "The FAAA aims to take a measured approach to any industrial action which minimises disruption to the travelling public, especially over the upcoming Christmas holiday peak," the union said in a statement. "This is a very disappointing step by FAAA given we're continuing to negotiate towards a new agreement," a Qantas spokesperson said. Pilots at low-cost arm Jetstar this week voted in favour of a new pay deal, according to the Australian Federation of Air Pilots.

Companies Vitol SA FollowSINGAPORE, Nov 23 (Reuters) - An imminent price cap on Russian oil by G7 countries is likely to divert trade to smaller companies, the chief executive of Dutch energy and commodity trader Vitol, Russell Hardy, said on Wednesday. Larger corporates such as Western banks and insurance companies will not participate in the trades unless there is absolute clarity that the price of the contract is below the price cap, Hardy said at the FT Commodities Asia Summit in Singapore. So the challenge of redirecting leftover Russian oil that typically goes into Europe will be in the hands of smaller companies that do not operate in G7 nations, he said. The price cap will probably be segmented into three portions, including low-value Russian products, high-value Russian products, and crude oil, he added. PRICE OUTLOOKHardy said oil prices would still lean towards the downside until early 2023, as some customers had already covered their current requirements.

☆ Global shares shake off China COVID curbs, but investors stay cautious
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar pulled back from strong overnight gains while oil took a pause from Monday's retreat. The MSCI All-World index of shares (.MIWD00000PUS) rose 0.2%, putting it on course for a second straight month of increases - its longest stretch of gains since late 2021. The dollar of the gains that took it to a 10-day high on Monday, when investors ditched risk assets over China's COVID flare-ups and was last down 0.2%. The dollar came under pressure in particular against the euro and the yen , which rose by 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively. Oil prices rose on Tuesday, a day after Saudi Arabia denied a media report that it was discussing an increase in oil supply with OPEC and its allies.

☆ Mazda unveils $11 bln EV spending plan, considers investing in battery production
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Japan's Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) on Tuesday unveiled a $10.6 billion spending plan to electrify its vehicles and said it was also considering investing in battery production. "We will promote the full-fledged launch of battery EVs and consider investing in battery production. We estimate Mazda's EV ratio in global sales to rise to a range between 25% and 40% as of 2030," Mazda said in a statement. Its previous EV sales target was 25% by 2030. Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto also told reporters the company had reached a supply agreement with battery maker Envision AESC for its EVs produced in Japan.

☆ Mazda to invest $11 billion to electrify its vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 22 (Reuters) - Japan's Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) will invest about 1.5 trillion yen ($10.58 billion)to electrify its vehicles, including boosting production of battery EVs, and aims to increase their share in the company's overall global car sales by 2030. The ratio of electric vehicles (EVs) in global sales is expected to rise to between 25 percent and 40 percent as of 2030, from 25% previously, the company said in a statement. Automakers worldwide are spending billions of dollars to ramp up battery and EV production in the face of tougher environmental regulations. In August, Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said it would invest up to 730 billion yen in Japan and the United States to make batteries for fully electric vehicles as opposed to hybrid gasoline-electric cars like the Prius. Shoichi Matsumoto, Envision AESC chief executive, told Reuters last month it was in talks with automakers in Japan, Europe, the United States and China for new supply deals.

☆ Asian shares recover but concerns over China may resume strict COVID curbs linger
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Selena Li | Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Asian stock markets mostly recouped early losses on Tuesday, supported by improved sentiment for China shares, but concerns lingered that Beijing may reimpose strict COVID curbs that could cause supply chain disruptions. The biggest driver for the recovery was China, with its benchmark up 0.43%. Losses on Hong Kong's benchmark index (.HSI) narrowed to 0.7%. Gains in China were capped by worsening COVID-19 situation in the country, however. Japan's benchmark Nikkei average (.N225) rose 0.69%, as the yen's weakness against the dollar raised prospects for domestic manufacturers.

☆ Asian shares mostly down on concerns China may resume strict COVID curbs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas PeterHONG KONG, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Asian shares were on the defensive on Tuesday as a COVID-19 resurgence in China increased concerns that Beijing may reimpose strict pandemic curbs and that further restrictions could cause supply chain disruptions. The dollar pulled back from strong overnight gains on Tuesday while oil took a pause from Monday's retreat. Japan's benchmark Nikkei average (.N225) opened up 0.78%, while Australian shares (.AXJO) rose 0.55%. "China's Covid situation is really in the front row for Asia trading," said Redmond Wong, market strategist for Greater China at Saxo Markets in Hong Kong. Beijing warned on Monday that it was facing its most severe test of the pandemic, fuelling investor concerns that China may be forced to resume strict mobility curbs and give stay and home orders across cities.

☆ China's property prices to rise in 2023, sales to fall more slowly
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Property measures are expected to strengthen support, which will improve residents' confidence." A recent slew of support measures, including loan repayment extensions, aimed at improving liquidity in the property sector has underpinned market sentiment. But analysts and economists in the poll expected concerns about falling house prices, protracted COVID restrictions, and delays in construction to continue to weigh on demand. Property sales were seen slumping 5.0% in the first half of 2023, a smaller drop than the 15.0% fall forecast in the September poll. Some analysts say average house prices will need to fall by around 20% to 30% to entice demand.

☆ Dollar on track for weekly gain as Fed pushes back on pivot
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar rose modestly on the yen following Bullard's comments and is up about 1.2% for the week to 140.36 yen . It also rose 0.9% on the Australian dollar overnight to $0.6690 per Aussie, and is on course for its first weekly gain on the Aussie since mid-October. Fed funds futures pricing currently implies a peak rate just below 5% and for rates to start falling by late 2023. Earlier this week, stronger-than-expected retail sales data had also shaken hopes for a pause in hikes, since it seemed to suggest consumers remained in spending mode. Later on Friday, British retail sales data is due, and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is among a smattering of policymakers due to speak.

☆ Australia jobs beat forecasts, boosting case for more rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed net employment rose 32,200 in October from September, when they fell a revised 3,800. That came as a surprise to many analysts who had looked for a gain of only 15,000. Full-time employment jumped 47,100, bringing total job gains for the 12 months to October to a massive 762,000. That would bring the total tightening since May to 300 basis points, easily the most aggressive in modern history. Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Ana Nicolaci da CostaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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