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☆ Egypt's soaring prices drive home economic pain
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Mariam Rizk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Over recent months accelerating inflation has pummelled the spending power of Egyptians, who had already endured repeated economic shocks and years of austerity. The government says it is doing what it can to tamp down prices and expand social spending, often blaming current pressures on external factors linked to the war in Ukraine. While many countries are struggling to contain rampant inflation, Egypt, with a population of 104 million, is among the hardest hit. Reuters GraphicsStill, more economic turmoil in the shorter term complicates Egypt's plans to try to turn things round after the political and economic turbulence that followed its 2011 Arab Spring uprising. The agreement also provides for increasing social spending to protect the vulnerable.

☆ Tesla's retail sales in China surged after price cut -brokerage data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Tesla's (TSLA.O) retail sales surged in China in January after it slashed prices for its top-selling models earlier in the month, data compiled by China Merchants Bank International (CMBI) showed. Average daily sales for Tesla in China during the Jan. 9 to Jan. 15 period jumped 76% from the same period in 2022. Total sales were 12,654 vehicles over that period, CMBI's data showed. After cutting prices in China and other Asian markets, Tesla followed with price cuts in the United States and Europe. Xpeng's sales fell 36% from a year earlier in the week of Jan. 9 to Jan. 15, CMBI data showed.

☆ Tesla's retail sales in China surged after price cut, brokerage data says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Tesla's (TSLA.O) retail sales surged in China in January after it slashed prices for its top-selling models earlier in the month, data compiled by China Merchants Bank International (CMBI) showed. Average daily sales for Tesla in China during the Jan. 9 to Jan. 15 period jumped 76% from the same period in 2022 to 12,654 vehicles, CMBI's data showed. That compared to a 14.5% year-on-year decline in overall retail auto sales in China in the same week, although sales of electric and hybrid vehicles in the country increased 36.5%, the data showed. After cutting prices in China and other Asian markets, Tesla followed with price cuts in the United States and Europe. Xpeng's sales fell 36% from a year earlier in the week of Jan. 9 to Jan. 15, CMBI data showed.

☆ Hedge fund manager Boaz Weinstein bets market is wrong on Credit Suisse
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The curve trade in Credit Suisse reflects my view that one way or the other, in the next two years the drama around Credit Suisse will resolve for better or for worse. Weinstein led a proprietary trading fund at Deutsche Bank which was spun out to start Saba Capital Management in 2009. Credit Suisse's CDS surged in price through late November after the bank's $2.4 billion rights issue and the stock of the company fell to the lowest level in its 166-year history. While bearish bets against Credit Suisse mounted in late 2022, Weinstein says he watched Credit Suisse's CDS price curve make less and less sense: the 2-year protection on the bank cost about the same as the 10-year. Credit Suisse declined to comment.

☆ Morning bid: Dodging a downturn
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan. Global investors have fretted endlessly about a 2023 recession for the major global economies for more than six months. And Tuesday's latest economic healthcheck showed that the severe hit to Chinese economic activity from the draconian lockdown policies was actually much less than feared. The survey showed that investors' recession expectations peaked at a net 77% of respondents in November but have fallen to 68% in January. The BofA survey showed fund managers may have already repositioned, however, as their allocation to U.S. equities dived in January and a net 39% said they were underweight while preferring euro zone stocks.

☆ WHO recommends that China monitor excess COVID-19 mortality
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON/GENEVA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday it recommended that China monitor excess mortality from COVID-19 to gain a fuller picture of the impact of the surge in cases there. China said on Saturday that nearly 60,000 people with COVID-19 had died in hospital since it abandoned its zero-COVID policy last month, a big jump from the figures it reported prior to facing international criticism over its COVID-19 data. "WHO recommends the monitoring of excess mortality, which provides us with a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of COVID-19," the U.N. agency told Reuters in a statement when asked about China. "This is especially important during periods of surges when the health system is severely constrained." "But it would be even more important to get full GSD (genetic sequence data) of circulating virus in China.

Nudged by private equity funds, those supplying the booming luxury goods industry are now finding strength in unity. Largely family-owned and small in size, these businesses often struggle to meet the changing needs of the luxury brands they work for. "Luxury brands have been growing exponentially: our customers needed us to grow with them," said Nicola Giuntini, whose Tuscany-based company makes luxury coats and jackets for brands including Celine, Burberry (BRBY.L) and Stella McCartney. PRODUCTION NICHESItaly's manufacturing sector has also been a hunting ground for big luxury brands keen to secure their supply chain. Italian private equity firm XENON International, for example, has bet on producers of materials and finishes for luxury items which it has grouped together in MinervaHub.

☆ Eni, Chevron announce new gas discovery in Egyptian East Med field
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Italian energy group Eni (ENI.MI) and U.S. energy major Chevron (CVX.N) said on Sunday they had made a new gas discovery in an Egyptian offshore field in the Eastern Mediterranean sea. km Nargis Offshore Area concession operated by Chevron (CVX.N), which holds a 45% interest in it. Eni also holds a 45% stake, while Egypt's Tharwa Petroleum Company SAE holds a 10% interest. State-controlled Eni is looking for new gas sources as it aims to completely replace gas imports from Russia by 2025 following the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The new discovery is located in the Nargis-1 exploration well and "can be developed leveraging the proximity to Eni's existing facilities", the group said in a statement.

☆ NewMed pushing forward with Capricorn merger ahead of Feb. 1 vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Israel's NewMed Energy LP (NWMDp.TA) said on Sunday it was making final arrangements for a merger with UK-based Capricorn Energy (CNE.L), whose shareholders will vote on whether to approve the deal on Feb. 1. Capricorn's shareholder ballot is due the same day as a vote triggered by activist shareholder Palliser wanting to oust Capricorn's leadership. The proposed deal values Capricorn at $338 million in addition to a $620 million special dividend. When the planned all-share deal was announced in September, NewMed offered 271 UK pence per ordinary share to Capricorn shareholders. The vote on the merger is planned for 0900 GMT on Feb. 1, while a vote on Palliser's proposition to rejig Capricorn's board is scheduled for 1400 GMT on the same day, Capricorn said.

☆ U.S. climate envoy Kerry outlines carbon offset initiative for developing nations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ABU DHABI, Jan 15 (Reuters) - U.S. climate envoy John Kerry on Sunday outlined core principles for a "high-integrity" carbon offset plan meant to help developing nations speed their energy transition, and next steps including establishing a consultative group. The Energy Transition Accelerator (ETA), first announced at last year's COP27 climate conference, is being developed by the United States with the Bezos Earth Fund and the Rockefeller Foundation to mobilise private capital. "We believe you can have high-integrity, accountable, transparent credit which will help us to be able to put some money on the table," he said, acknowledging widespread criticism of voluntary carbon offset schemes. He said ETA principles also called for a near-term, inclusive and comprehensive approach to deliver on broader sustainable development goals and support power sector-wide energy transition. Reporting by Rachna Uppal and Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi inflation edges up to 3.3% in December
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's annual inflation rate ticked up to 3.3% in December from 2.9% in November, government data showed on Sunday, with price rises again driven mainly by housing costs. Prices rose 0.3% month on month in December, compared with a 0.1% monthly rise in November, Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics said. The statistics authority said the rise was "as a result of the increase in actual rentals for housing by 1.1%." The housing category rose 1.8% in 2022, "mainly resulting from the increase in actual rentals for housing by 2.0%," the authority said. The finance ministry, in its 2023 budget statement, had said it expected an average inflation rate of 2.6% at the end of 2022.

☆ Gulf bourses wobble; Egypt edges up
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Stock markets in the Gulf wobbled on Sunday with the Qatari index extending losses for a third session. Most Gulf currencies are pegged to the dollar and Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates usually mirror any monetary policy change in the United States. Elsewhere, Saudi Arabian Mining Co (Ma'aden) (1211.SE), the Gulf's largest miner, retreated 1.2%, ending two sessions of gains. However, Qatar National Bank (QNB) (QNBK.QA), the Gulf's biggest bank by assets, gained 0.7%, ending three sessions of losses. Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30) added 0.1%, helped by a 5.3% jump in El Sewedy Electric (SWDY.CA).

☆ Dubai property price rises may slow further in 2023, real-estate consultancy says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Yousef Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dubai's property sector surged in 2020 as it opened up again during the pandemic before most major cities and as rich buyers snapped up luxury units, boosting a sector that had been sluggish since the 2014-15 oil price crash. Buyers from Pakistan were sixth, Lebanon seventh, China eighth, the United States and Canada ninth and Kyrgyzstan 10th, Betterhomes said in a report. Among residents of Dubai, Indians were the top buyers, followed by Britons, Russians, Italians and Canadians. Concerns of oversupply have long plagued the sector which saw a property bubble burst in 2009-2010, causing prices to plunge by more than half. Waind expects 30,000-35,000 new units in 2023, which he viewed as "a lack of supply in this market with population growth".

☆ Eni announces new gas discovery offshore Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MILAN, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Italian energy group Eni (ENI.MI) said on Sunday it had made a new gas discovery in an Egyptian offshore field in the Eastern Mediterranean sea. State-controlled Eni is looking for new gas sources as it aims to completely replace gas imports from Russia by 2025 following the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The new discovery is located in the Nargis-1 exploration well and "can be developed leveraging the proximity to Eni's existing facilities", the group said in a statement. km Nargis Offshore Area concession operated by Chevron (CVX.N), with a 45% interest in it. Eni also holds a 45% stake, while Tharwa Petroleum Company SAE holds a 10% interest.

☆ Iraqi PM supports indefinite U.S. troop presence, Wall Street Journal reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani defended the presence of U.S. troops in his country and set no timetable for their withdrawal, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Sunday. Referring to the U.S. and NATO troop contingents that train and assist Iraqi units in countering Islamic State but largely stay out of combat, Sudani said that the foreign forces are still needed. "Elimination of ISIS needs some more time," he said in the interview. "I don’t see this as an impossible matter, to see Iraq have a good relationship with Iran and the U.S.," Sudani told the newspaper. Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Iran restricts supply of cheap oil to Syria, doubles the price for crude, Wall Street Journal reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Iranian officials have told Syria they would now have to pay more for additional shipments of oil, which will double the price to a market rate of more than $70 a barrel, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. Iran has also refused new deliveries on credit and asked Syria to pay in advance for new oil supply, WSJ said. Reporting by Shubhendu Deshmukh in Bengaluru; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German hard coal importers able to replace Russian supply -industry body
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Traders have found new focal points: United States, South Africa and Colombia," industry association VDKi said in a statement. Between January and October 2022 Russia still accounted for a leading 34% of hard coal volumes imported by Germany, data presented by VDKi showed. That reflected Russia's role as a major supplier before the EU introduced a ban on Russian coal imports last August amid sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Hard coal imports into Germany last year amounted to 43 million tonnes, 4.7% more than recorded in 2021, preliminary VDKi data also showed. Out of the total, 30 million tonnes were steam coal for electricity plants, up 11.7% year-on-year, and 11 million tonnes were coking coal for steelmaking, down 7.3%.

☆ Oil rises on China demand hopes, U.S. inflation in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Alex Lawler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary China reopening leads to optimism demand will riseLooming EU ban on Russian oil products imports in focusComing up: U.S. CPI data, 1330 GMTLONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Oil rose about 1% on Thursday supported by optimism over China's demand outlook and hopes that upcoming inflation data from the United States will point to a slower increase in interest rates. Top oil importer China is reopening its economy after the end of strict COVID-19 curbs, boosting optimism that demand for fuel will grow in 2023. The market is also bracing for an additional curb on Russian oil supply due to sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said the upcoming EU ban on seaborne imports of petroleum products from Russia on Feb. 5 could be more disruptive than the EU ban on seaborne imports of crude oil from Russia implemented in December 2022. Additional reporting by Laura Sanicola and Emily Chow; editing by Jason Neely and Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"There are plenty of other people who can take measures to combat climate change and I worry that people, in their great enthusiasm for doing good, are actually putting at risk central bank independence," King said. They were in a minority in a conference packed with central bankers who had long accepted they had some duty towards the environment and, in many cases, were already taking some steps. "It would be misleading to use tighter financing conditions as a scapegoat for further delays in the green transition," Schnabel said. "By saying we have a role to play in helping to finance the green transition... we are increasing this misunderstanding of what our role is," said Wunsch, Belgium's central bank governor. Singapore's Ravi Menon, meanwhile, said central bankers should do much more to help the economy reduce its emissions than just focussing on the risks.

☆ Britain to push ahead with readying ground for a digital pound
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Getting the design of a digital pound right is a bigger priority than a rapid launch, Britain's Financial Services Minister Andrew Griffith said on Tuesday. China has pushed ahead with piloting a digital yuan and the European Central Bank is studying a digital euro, piling pressure on Britain to do the same and keep abreast of advances in financial technology. The finance ministry is due to launch in the coming weeks a public consultation on the attributes of a digital pound. A digital pound raised many public policy issues, he said. The first case use of a digital pound would probably be in the settlement of wholesale financial transactions, he added.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) in October fined Alphabet Inc-owned Google (GOOGL.O) $161 million for exploiting its dominant position in Android, which powers 97% of smartphones in India, and asked it to change restrictions imposed on smartphone makers related to pre-installing apps. "Google will be required to make far-reaching changes to the Android mobile platform which has been in place for the last 14-15 years." Google licenses its Android system to smartphone makers, but critics say it imposes restrictions like mandatory pre-installation of its own apps that are anti-competitive. The CCI in October ordered Google to not prohibit un-installing of its apps by Android phone users in India -- currently, one can't delete apps such as Google Maps or YouTube from their Android phones when they come pre-installed. "No other jurisdiction has ever asked for such far-reaching changes based on similar conduct," Google said in its court submissions.

☆ Venator Materials' investor pushes for board change amid plummeting stock price
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

J&T wrote that it has tried to work constructively with the Venator board since May 2022 but has encountered "apparent delay tactics and gamesmanship." "We strongly urge you to immediately add myself and another independent director to be nominated by us to the Board," the letter said. Venator said it has an open dialogue with all shareholders and has worked to engage in "constructive conversations" with J&T. Venator was spun off from chemical company Huntsman Corp (HUN.N) and its share price tumbled 71% in the last 52 weeks. While Venator rivals have directors with broad experience, the Venator board's skills are focused mainly on the chemicals industry and have prevented it from creating "a go-forward strategy to restore confidence among investors," the J&T letter said.

REUTERS/Adriano MachadoSAO PAULO/LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Brazilian equities were higher in choppy trade on Monday, a day after thousands of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings in the capital, echoing the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington. On Friday, both had performed better after Lula said the economy may grow while government finances are kept in check. On Monday hundreds of Brazilian police in riot gear and some on horseback amassed at an encampment of Bolsonaro supporters near Brasilia's army headquarters. "I think the situation will quickly normalize," said Cristian Maggio, head of portfolio strategy at TD Securities in London. "Yet, it is an event worth keeping an eye on, as it may not be fully over just yet."

☆ Investor Ubben takes 0.8% stake in Bayer, boosting share price
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of Bayer Mexico is pictured at the company's plant in Lerma, Mexico November 10, 2022. Inclusive Capital said in a statement it had acquired 8.18 million Bayer shares as of Jan. 5, which works out at about 407 million euros ($435 million) based on that day's closing price. The Financial Times, which earlier reported Ubben's investment, said the stake was worth $500 million. Bayer shares gained almost 4% on the news to their highest level in about a month. Bayer' stock market value is about $50 billion for all its businesses including pharmaceuticals, consumer health products, seeds and pesticides, well below the $63 billion deal value for its 2018 takeover of Roundup-maker Monsanto.

Global stocks rallied and the dollar dropped. The upbeat market momentum continued on Monday, with Asian stocks up after China reopened its borders, bolstering the outlook for the global economy. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose to its highest in more than six months. Redha said that there was "over-excitement" in the market reaction to the U.S. jobs data, and that more wage data would be needed. Emerging market stocks (.MSCIEF) were up 2.4% on the day, and have risen by more than 20% since their October lows.

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