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☆ India to focus on growth, jobs in last full budget before 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman holds up a folder with the Government of India's logo as she leaves her office to present the federal budget in the parliament, in New Delhi, India, February 1, 2023. REUTERS/Adnan AbidiNEW DELHI, Feb 1(Reuters) - India will focus on economic growth and job creation, the finance minister said on Wednesday presenting the government's last full budget in parliament before a general election due next year that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is projected to win. The aim is to have strong public finances and a robust financial sector for the benefit of all sections of the country, Nirmala Sitharaman said. She added that despite a global slowdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, the Indian economy was "on the right track". Sitharaman is expected to lower the government's fiscal deficit while announcing spending and other measures to keep India as one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world.

The trade gap with China widened 28% in April-December 2022 from the same period a year earlier, as India's domestic demand continued to support Chinese imports while COVID lockdowns in China crimped imports from India. If a trading partner were found to have engaged in unfair practices, it would be necessary to introduce safeguards such as the imposition of anti-dumping duties, the official said. India's federal trade ministry and China's embassy in New Delhi did not immediately respond to requests for a comment. The officials said India would also intensify checks on imported goods to make sure they adhere to national quality standards, the two government officials added. The government is also likely to detail some of the steps to tackle the issue in the Feb. 1 budget.

New Delhi, Jan 27 (Reuters) - India's federal government is likely to keep its gross market borrowing below 16 trillion rupees ($196 billion) for 2023/24 as it does not want to destabilise the bond market with any negative surprises, two sources close to the deliberations said. "Feedback from the market participants is that a borrowing of 15.5-16 trillion rupees can be absorbed well in the next financial year," one of the officials told Reuters. The government has so far raised 12.93 trln rupees up to Jan. 27, which is 91% of the overall gross borrowing target of 14.21 trillion rupees in the 2022/23 fiscal year which ends on March 31. Traders are waiting for the Union budget on Feb. 1, with the government's fiscal consolidation path and its borrowing calendar for fiscal year 2024 set to be the next market-moving trigger. In a Reuters poll, economists forecast the government will borrow a record 16 trillion Indian rupees in the fiscal year to March 2024 on higher infrastructure spending.

☆ We expect Thailand's central bank to hike interest rates by 25 basis points, JPMorgan says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | 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 EmailWe expect Thailand's central bank to hike interest rates by 25 basis points, JPMorgan saysRajeev Batra of the investment bank says it expects the Bank of Thailand to hike rates by 25 basis points today and again sometime this quarter.

REUTERS/Anushree FadnavisJan 24 (Reuters) - India is likely to peg its nominal gross domestic product (GDP) growth at around 11% in the annual budget next week, marking a slowdown from its estimate for the current fiscal year due to the prospect of weak exports, two government officials said. Nominal GDP growth — which includes inflation and is the benchmark used to estimate tax collections — could be pressured by suppressed external demand next year due to a likely U.S. recession, said the sources, who declined to be named as discussions are not yet public. The government expects nominal growth of 15.4% for the current fiscal year that ends on March 31. With nominal GDP of 10.6%-11%, India's gross tax collection growth rate is likely to be around 8% in 2023/24, compared with 14.5% in the current year, due to base effect, said Gaura Sengupta, an economist at IDFC First Bank. The real GDP growth is expected to be pegged at 6.0%-6.5% in the Economic Survey of 2022/23, one of the officials said.

☆ India ICICI Bank’s profit jumps 34% in October-December
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, Jan 21(Reuters) - India's ICICI Bank (ICBK.NS) on Saturday reported a 34.2% increase in net profit for the October-December quarter, on the back of improved revenues and healthy loan growth. Net profit for the quarter was 83.12 billion Indian rupees ($1.03 billion) up from 61.94 billion rupees in the same quarter a year earlier. That was in line with analysts' forecast of 81.25 billion rupees, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Net interest income, the difference between interest earned and paid, rose 34.6% to 164.65 billion rupees from 122.36 billion rupees last year. However, provisions and contingencies increased to 22.57 billion rupees from 16.44 billion rupees in the September quarter.

Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) was the latest to join the list as it said it was cutting 12,000 jobs on Friday. The gains made communication services stocks (.SPLRCL) the top gainer among major S&P 500 sectors, climbing 2.7%, with information technology (.SPLRCT) in tow, helped by a 1.6% rise in Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O). Analysts now expect year-over-year earnings from S&P 500 companies to decline 2.9% for the fourth quarter, according to Refinitiv data, compared with a 1.6% decline in the beginning of the year. Weighing on the S&P 500, Eli Lilly & Co fell 1.7% after the U.S. health regulator rejected the accelerated approval of its Alzheimer's drug. The S&P index recorded no new 52-week high and four new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 35 new highs and 13 new lows.

Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) was the latest to join the list as it said it was cutting 12,000 jobs on Friday. "And we already have some insight into that because a lot of them have been coming out with massive layoffs." ET, Dow e-minis were down 10 points, or 0.03%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 9 points, or 0.23%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 77.25 points, or 0.68%. The S&P 500 (.SPX) has lost 2.5% so far in the week and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) is down more than 2%. Also on the radar are comments from Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker and Fed Governor Christopher Waller.

The Labor Department's report showed a surprise fall in U.S. weekly jobless claims, highlighting labor market resilience in a higher interest rate environment. "There's virtually no signs of any weakness in the labor market and that's one of the things the Fed's been leaning against to keep rates higher for longer." The S&P 500 (.SPX) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) are now headed for their third straight day of declines. Shares of both the companies fell around 2%, and were among the top drags to the benchmark S&P 500 and Nasdaq (.IXIC) indexes. Industrial (.SPLRCI) and consumer discretionary stocks (.SPLRCD) were among the leading decliners on the S&P 500, down 1.5% and 1.7%, respectively.

☆ Futures fall as weak data fuel recession worries, Fed comments on tap
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures down: Dow 0.52%, S&P 0.54%, Nasdaq 0.61%Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures fell on Thursday after weak economic data fueled recession worries, while investors await comments from more Federal Reserve officials for clues on the central bank's path of monetary tightening. "For once bad news really was bad news because of the implications it might have for interest rates. Weak retail sales suggested consumers' resilience may have been pushed beyond breaking point," said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. Analysts now expect year-over-year earnings from S&P 500 companies to decline 2.6% for the quarter, according to Refinitiv data, compared with a 1.6% decline in the beginning of the year. ET, Dow e-minis were down 173 points, or 0.52%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 21.25 points, or 0.54%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 69.5 points, or 0.61%.

Before the market opened, U.S. economic data showed retail sales and producer prices declined more than expected in December, while production at U.S. factories fell more than expected and November output was weaker than thought. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) fell 613.89 points, or 1.81%, to 33,296.96 and the S&P 500 (.SPX) lost 62.11 points, or 1.56%, to 3,928.86. Today's economic data served as a trigger to initiate a profit taking spell and the groups with most profits to take have been the ones that have done best last year," said Stovall. Earlier in the day, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard and Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester stressed on the need to raise rates beyond 5% to bring inflation to heel. The S&P 500 posted nine new 52-week highs and 2 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 78 new highs and 20 new lows.

Markets reacted positively to data, which showed retail sales and producer prices declined more than expected in December. However, the gains were short-lived as St. Louis Fed President James Bullard and Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester stressed on the need to raise rates beyond 5% to bring inflation to heel. U.S. stock markets have started 2023 on a strong footing on hopes that a moderation in inflationary pressures could give the Fed cover to dial down the size of its interest rate hikes. Declining issues outnumbered advancers for a 1.23-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 1.53-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded nine new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 63 new highs and 12 new lows.

A reading from the Commerce Department showed retail sales fell 1.1% in December, compared with expectations of a 0.8% drop. Another report showed U.S. producer prices rose less than expected year-on-year in December, adding to evidence of a moderation in inflation. Earnings from big U.S. banks were a mixed bag, with many stockpiling rainy-day funds preparing for a looming recession. Shares of other major carriers including American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O), Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) and Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) rose between 1.6% and 2.2%. IBM Corp (IBM.N) slipped 1.5% after Morgan Stanley downgraded the company's shares to "equal weight" from "overweight", citing slowing revenue growth.

A reading from the Commerce Department showed retail sales fell 1.1% in December against expectations of a 0.8% drop, while a separate report showed producer prices declined more than expected in December. Traders' bets of a 25-basis point rate hike rose after the data, while U.S. 10-year Treasury yields fell to a four-month low. Analysts now expect year-over-year earnings from S&P 500 companies to decline 2.6% for the quarter, according to Refinitiv data, compared with a 1.6% decline in the beginning of 2023. Among major S&P 500 sectors, consumer discretionary stocks (.SPLRCD) were up 1%, leading gains. U.S. stock markets have started 2023 on a strong footing on hopes that a moderation in inflationary pressures could give the Fed cover to dial down the size of its interest rate hikes.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) fell 3.5% after the bank reported a bigger-than-expected drop in quarterly profit, weighing the most on the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI). "Widely expected to be awful, Goldman Sachs' quarterly results were even more miserable than anticipated," said Octavio Marenzi, chief executive at consultancy Opimas. The S&P 500 energy (.SPNY) and consumer staples (.SPLRCS) sectors were up about 0.6% each, while financial stocks (.SPSY) fell 0.6%. Earnings from Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley wrap up a mixed reporting season for big banks, most of which have put aside rainy-day funds to prepare for a looming recession. Analysts expect year-over-year earnings from S&P 500 companies to decline 2.4% for the quarter, according to Refinitiv data.

☆ Futures slip ahead of Goldman, MS earnings as China data hits sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures down: Dow 0.18%, S&P 0.22%, Nasdaq 0.31%Jan 17 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures started the week lower ahead of quarterly results from Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, with downbeat economic data from China denting investor sentiment globally on Tuesday. Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) were set to wrap up a mixed season for big bank earnings with their fourth-quarter results due before the bell. Analysts expect year-over-year earnings from S&P 500 companies to decline 2.2% for the quarter, according to Refinitiv data as of Friday. The S&P 500 (.SPX) and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) indexes closed at one-month highs on Friday, with the former up 4.2% so far in 2023. ET, Dow e-minis were down 61 points, or 0.18%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 9 points, or 0.22%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 35.5 points, or 0.31%.

JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) fell 1.2% as it set aside $1.4 billion in anticipation of a mild recession, even after beating quarterly profit estimates. The bank's Chief Executive Jamie Dimon listed a number of uncertainties facing the economy including geopolitical tensions and sticky inflation. Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) reported better-than-expected profit, with CEO Brian Moynihan also acknowledging an "increasingly slowing economic environment". Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) and Citigroup Inc (C.N) fell short of quarterly profit estimates, sending their shares down 3.9% and 0.6% respectively. Keeping the pressure off the Dow Jones, UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH.N) rose 1.9% after beating Wall Street expectations for fourth-quarter profit.

☆ Futures subdued as focus shifts to results from big U.S. banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

With the Federal Reserve's aggressive tightening campaign to combat inflation, higher borrowing costs have prompted consumers and businesses to curb their spending, impacting banks' profits as demand for credit slows. "Bank earnings are going to be a big test," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK. "It will be interesting to see whether they (banks) have made any further provisions for non-performing loans, how they see demand for loans." Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N), BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) and UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH.N) are also scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings on Friday. ET, Dow e-minis were up 10 points, or 0.03%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 0.5 points, or 0.01%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 16.5 points, or 0.14%.

☆ Wall St ends up as data suggests inflation may be on downward trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Friday brings results from a number of big U.S. banks, kicking off the start of the fourth-quarter earnings season for S&P 500 companies. Microsoft (MSFT.O) shares rose 1.2%, providing the biggest boost to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, while energy shares also were higher along with oil prices. The S&P 500 is now up 3.7% for the year so far. Also, overall S&P 500 earnings are expected to have declined year-over-year in the fourth quarter, according to IBES data from Refinitiv, which would be the first quarterly U.S. earnings decline since 2020. The S&P 500 posted 14 new 52-week highs and one new low; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 96 new highs and 16 new lows.

☆ Wall St gains; data suggests inflation may be on downward trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Labor Department's report showed U.S. consumer prices grew 6.5% on an annual basis in December, in line with expectations. Microsoft (MSFT.O) shares were providing the biggest boost to the S&P 500, energy shares also were higher along with oil prices. Friday brings results from a number of big U.S. banks, kicking off the start of the fourth-quarter earnings season for S&P 500 companies. Overall S&P 500 earnings are expected to have declined year-over-year in the fourth quarter, according to IBES data from Refinitiv, which would be the first quarterly U.S. earnings decline since 2020. The S&P 500 posted 14 new 52-week highs and one new low; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 80 new highs and 16 new lows.

The Fed raised the key rate by 50 basis points in December, after four back-to-back 75-bps hikes, but also indicated a prolonged period of rate hikes to above 5% in 2023. Traders' bets of a 25-basis point rate hike by the Fed in February shot up to 89% after the inflation data, from 77% previously. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners for a 2.31-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 1.63-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded eight new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 39 new highs and 10 new lows. Reporting by Shubham Batra, Amruta Khandekar and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The Labor Department's report showed U.S. consumer prices grew 6.5% on an annual basis in December, in line with expectations, from a 7.1% rise last month. Markets initially spiked lower after the data, but quickly reversed to edge higher as investors assessed the numbers. Consumer prices unexpectedly fell for the first time in more than 2-1/2 years in December, suggesting that inflation was now on a sustained downward trend. Some Fed policymakers earlier this week signaled the possibility of a 25-basis point hike during the February meeting, if the much-awaited consumer prices data further adds to evidence of a cooling economy. ET, Dow e-minis were up 138 points, or 0.4%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 17.25 points, or 0.43%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 45 points, or 0.39%.

☆ Futures muted ahead of key inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures muted: Dow, S&P flat; Nasdaq down 0.1%Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures were subdued on Thursday ahead of the keenly awaited December inflation data that would offer more clues on the Federal Reserve's path of monetary tightening. ET (1330 GMT), is expected to show U.S. consumer prices grew 6.5% year-on-year in December, moderating from a 7.1% rise in November. Wall Street's main indexes ended sharply higher on Wednesday, led by major technology stocks, with the S&P 500 (.SPX) and Nasdaq (.IXIC) gaining more than 1% each. This week marks the start of the quarterly earnings season, with big banks expected to report lower profits, while overall S&P 500 earnings are expected to decline year-over-year, according to Refinitiv. ET, Dow e-minis were up 1 point, S&P 500 e-minis were down 0.5 point, or 0.01%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 11 points, or 0.1%.

☆ Wall Street ends sharply higher on optimism before key inflation report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Among sectors, real estate (.SPLRCR) and consumer discretionary (.SPLRCD) were the day's strongest performers, while Microsoft (MSFT.O), Amazon.com (AMZN.O) and other mega-cap growth names gave the S&P 500 its biggest boost. The benchmark index is up so far for 2023 after falling sharply last year. REUTERS/Andrew KellyMoney market participants see a 75% chance the Fed will raise the benchmark rate by 25 basis points in February. This week also marks the start of the fourth-quarter earnings season for S&P 500 companies, with overall S&P 500 earnings expected to have declined year-over-year, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. The S&P 500 posted 11 new 52-week highs and 1 new low; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 98 new highs and 20 new lows.

☆ S&P 500 near flat as investors weigh chances of less aggressive rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Dow ended lower, and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) ended well off the day's highs. A consumer prices report due Thursday could be key for rate expectations, said Quincy Krosby, chief global strategist, LPL Financial in Charlotte, North Carolina. Also, S&P 500 companies are about to kick off the fourth-quarter earnings period, with results from top U.S. banks expected later this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) fell 112.96 points, or 0.34%, to 33,517.65, the S&P 500 (.SPX) lost 2.99 points, or 0.08%, to 3,892.09 and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) added 66.36 points, or 0.63%, to 10,635.65. The S&P 500 posted 13 new 52-week highs and two new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 129 new highs and 32 new lows.

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