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

The Nifty 50 index (.NSEI) was up 0.46% at 18,097.45, as of 09:17 a.m. IST, and the S&P BSE Sensex (.BSESN) rose 0.47% to 60,850.63. Capping the gains in domestic equities are oil prices, which rose in thin trade on fears of supply disruption due to winter storms across the United States. Brent crude <LCOc1) rose above $84 per barrel while Nymex crude jumped above $80 per barrel. Higher oil prices hurt oil-importing countries like India, where crude constitutes the bulk of the country's import bill. ($1 = 82.6500 Indian rupees)Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Eileen SorengOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Here’s our third-quarter earnings report card for all the stocks in our portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

Third-quarter earnings season is finally behind us — and like the prior quarter, results were solid overall compared to analyst forecasts. Danaher (DHR) reported sales and earnings beats on the back of better-than-expected results in all three segments of the health technology company. While U.S. customer traffic was down in the quarter, management noted that it improved sequentially and improved throughout the quarter. Still the luxury hotel and casino company reported solid third-quarter results boosted by its U.S. properties. Amazon (AMZN) reported results that were disappointing, to say the least, and compounded by guidance that was even worse.

☆ 'The ICU is full': medical staff on frontline of China's COVID fight say hospitals are 'overwhelmed'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Martin Quin Pollard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Bernstein's account reflects similar testimony from medical staff across China who are scrambling to cope after China's abrupt U-turn on its previously strict COVID policies this month was followed by a nationwide wave of infections. "The hospital is just overwhelmed from top to bottom," Bernstein told Reuters at the end of a "stressful" shift at the privately owned Beijing United Family Hospital in the east of the capital. In the past month, Bernstein went from never having treated a COVID patient to seeing dozens a day. Elsewhere in China, medical staff told Reuters that resources are already stretched to the breaking point in some cases, as COVID and sickness levels amongst staff have been particularly high. The National Health Commission did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the concerns raised by medical staff in this article.

The country spent big on quarantine and testing facilities over the past three years rather than bolstering hospitals and clinics and training medical staff, these people said. "There is no transition time for the medical system to prepare for this," said Zuofeng Zhang, professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. The failure to boost vaccination rates among the vulnerable could imperil China's health system, more than a dozen experts said. The death of a 23-year-old medical student in Chengdu on Dec. 14 fueled public ire at the strain on China's health system. Chen Jiming, a researcher at China's Foshan University, said there was every chance that China's medical system could cope now that the country has ended quarantine for asymptomatic and mild cases.

☆ China limits how it defines Covid deaths in official count
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Deaths that occur in patients with pre-existing illnesses are not counted as Covid-19 deaths, said Wang Guiqiang, the head of infectious disease at Peking University's No. The clarification of how China officially records Covid-19 deaths comes as cases have soared across the country amid the loosening of restrictions. "So limiting a diagnosis of death from Covid to someone with a Covid positive test and respiratory failure will very much underestimate the true death toll associated with Covid." That narrower criteria means that China's Covid-19 death toll will always be significantly lower than those of many other nations. The World Health Organization states in guidelines that "probable" Covid-19 cases and deaths where Covid-19 was a contributing factor should also be counted as Covid-19 deaths.

The methods for counting COVID deaths have varied across countries in the nearly three years since the pandemic began. CAN CHINA'S COVID DATA BE TRUSTED? With one of the lowest COVID death tolls in the world, China has been routinely accused of downplaying infections and deaths for political reasons. Globally, the study estimated 18.2 million excess deaths in 2021-2022, compared with reported COVID deaths of 5.94 million. China actually cut its accumulated death toll by one on Dec. 20, bringing the total to 5,241.

☆ Oil prices little changed as U.S. crude drawdown offsets China COVID worries
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Isabel Kua | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies United States of America FollowSINGAPORE, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Oil prices were little changed on Wednesday as a larger-than-expected draw in U.S. crude stocks offset worries about rising COVID-19 cases in top oil importer China. Gasoline inventories rose by about 4.5 million barrels, while distillate stocks rose by 828,000 barrels, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "A larger-than-expected draw in U.S. inventories, coupled with U.S. plans to refill their Strategic Petroleum Reserve have supported oil prices," said Serena Huang, head of APAC analysis at Vortexa. Oil prices were boosted by these comments which suggest that OPEC+ may continue to keep supply tight to support oil prices, CMC Markets analyst Tina Teng said. Growing worries about a surge in COVID-19 cases in China as the country begins dismantling its strict zero-COVID policy kept oil prices from moving higher.

☆ Japan warns of China's COVID situation, cuts view on factory output
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The economic report from the Cabinet Office comes as Japan, the world's third-largest economy, wrestles with sluggish global growth and high import costs that have weighed on its exports and manufacturing activity. "If China's infection situation impacts on supply chains or trades, it could also impact on Japan's economy as we've seen earlier this year," a Cabinet Office official said. Meanwhile, Tokyo upgraded its view on business sentiment for the first time in a year to say it was showing signs of recovery. In other key economic areas, the Cabinet Office left its view on private consumption unchanged saying it was moderately picking up. The report reiterated that the government expects the Bank of Japan to achieve its 2% price target stably based on the economy, prices and financial situation.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose $1, or 1.31%, to $76.19 after climbing 90 cents on Monday. Oil prices have been buoyed by U.S. plans announced last week to buy up to 3 million barrels of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after this year's record release of 180 million barrels. A weaker dollar has also supported prices, making oil cheaper for those holding other currencies. "The oil demand outlook will be key for how high crude prices can go," he said, adding that clarity on that could prove elusive given mixed signals on the reopening of China's economy. While China has been relaxing pandemic restrictions, a surge in COVID-19 cases has been bearish for oil markets because of uncertainty over the country's economic recovery, said CMC Markets analyst Tina Teng.

☆ Hayman Capital's Kyle Bass on China's Covid shift and what it means for global business
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | 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 EmailHayman Capital's Kyle Bass on China's Covid shift and what it means for global businessKyle Bass, founder and CIO of Hayman Capital Management, joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss China's move to reopen its economy following nearly three years of stringent Covid-19 restrictions.

☆ Morning Bid: Land of the rising yields
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan. In the last major central bank set-piece of the year, the BOJ raised its long-standing cap on 10-year Japanese government bond yields by quarter of a percentage point to 0.5% - sending those yields and the yen surging and squeezing stocks further. Yet most investors felt that was only likely when BOJ chief Haruhiko Kuroda stepped down in April. Japan's 10-year bond yields immediately almost doubled close to the new 0.5% target, with U.S. Treasury and European sovereign debt yields rising in their slipstream. Apart from the timing, the BOJ move marks a significant moment in draining the world economy of central bank liquidity pumped in to support economies during the pandemic.

☆ Analysis: Global economy bets on China learning to live with COVID
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Mark John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda cited the resurgence of virus cases in China as putting downward pressure on the global economy, while Taiwan listed the spread of COVID-19 in China as one big uncertainty facing its economy. But equally, those inflationary pressures could be cancelled out if China's woes led to softer global demand for commodities. The New York Fed's Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, launched about a year ago, already edged higher in October and November in a moderate reversal of a persistent loosening of global supply bottlenecks seen through most of 2022. Much will depend on the policy response of Chinese leaders who have pledged to support the slowing economy and to cushion the impact of rising COVID-19 infections. The World Bank now sees China's economy growing 2.7% this year and 4.3% in 2023, somewhat slower than its September forecasts of 2.8% and 4.5%, respectively.

☆ From recovery to regulation: How China's tech giants could fare in 2023 after a bruising year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

But investors are starting to feel slightly more optimistic toward Chinese tech giants in 2023. Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesIt's been another rough year for China's tech stocks. Xin Sun King's College LondonHow the exit from zero-Covid is handled could ultimately determine the extent of the rebound for China tech. Since the start of 2021, the Hang Seng tech index in Hong Kong, which includes most of China's tech giants, has fallen more than 50%. Firstly, Chinese tech firms have been cutting costs and exiting non-core businesses in order to boost profitability.

☆ China smartphone maker Xiaomi to slash 15% of jobs - South China Morning Post
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 20 (Reuters) - China's Xiaomi Corp (1810.HK) has started laying off workers in several units of its smartphone and internet services business, reducing its workforce by about 15%, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday. The Hong Kong newspaper cited social media posts by affected employees and local Chinese media, saying China's social media platforms, including Weibo, Xiaohongshu and Maimai, have been flooded with posts about the job cuts. Xiaomi in November reported a 9.7% fall in third-quarter revenue, hit by China's COVID-19 restrictions and softening consumer demand. Revenue from smartphones, which make up roughly 60% of its total sales, fell 11% year-on-year, Xiaomi said. read moreReporting by Donny Kwok; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Smartphone maker Xiaomi to slash 10% of jobs amid China's COVID battle
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 20 (Reuters) - China's Xiaomi Corp (1810.HK) has started laying off workers in its smartphone and internet services business, joining a long list of Chinese tech firms cutting jobs as the country battles COVID-19 outbreaks. China's social media platforms, including Weibo, Xiaohongshu and Maimai, have been flooded with posts about the job cuts this week. Chinese local media first reported on Monday that the job cut would affect 15% of Xiaomi's payroll, citing unnamed sources. Xiaomi in November reported a 9.7% fall in third-quarter revenue, hit by China's COVID-19 restrictions and softening consumer demand. Revenue from smartphones, which make up roughly 60% of its total sales, fell 11% year-on-year, Xiaomi said.

HONG KONG, Nov 28 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Protests across China underscore a rising fear among people that President Xi Jinping’s stringent pandemic restrictions may be here to stay. Still, new daily cases hit over 40,000 on Nov. 27. Cities accounting for 65% of the country's GDP are under some sort of lockdown as of Friday, per Goldman Sachs analysts. Any end to the near-daily mandatory Covid tests and strict quarantine rules will be bumpy due to a huge unvaccinated population. As of November, about 27 million citizens aged 60 and above have not been jabbed against Covid, Breakingviews calculated from official data, and another 36 million elderly people have yet to receive their second dose.

☆ China's COVID surge hits Beijing trading floors, Shanghai finance hub
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SHANGHAI, Dec 19 (Reuters) - COVID-19 is sweeping through trading floors in Beijing and spreading fast in the financial hub of Shanghai, with illness and absence thinning already light trade and forcing regulators to cancel a weekly meeting vetting public share sales. Internal surveys by several big asset managers and banks suggest more than half of their employees in Beijing, the epicentre of the virus surge, have tested positive. Stock trading volume also eased last week. DISRUPTIONThe pandemic also has an impact on initial public offerings (IPOs), with the China Securities Regulatory Commission calling off a weekly meeting vetting them last week. To be sure, years of strict COVID rules have left a lot of businesses well placed to handle disruption.

Reuters could not immediately establish if the deaths were due to COVID. The NHC also reported 1,995 symptomatic infections for Dec. 18, compared with 2,097 a day earlier. A hashtag on the two reported COVID deaths quickly became the top trending topic on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform on Monday morning. But it is not just the elderly that are wary of vaccines in China. While China's medical community in general doesn't doubt the safety of China's vaccines, some say questions remain over their efficacy compared to foreign-made mRNA counterparts.

☆ Commodities outlook hinges on China's Covid situation, strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | 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 EmailCommodities outlook hinges on China's Covid situation, strategist saysIan Roper of Astris Advisory Japan says "the key question is going to be how quickly can economic activity pick up post-Chinese New Year."

[1/5] People wait to purchase medicine at a pharmacy, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Beijing, China December 16, 2022. REUTERS/Xiaoyu YinBEIJING/SHANGHAI, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Funeral homes across China's COVID-hit capital Beijing, a city of 22 million, scrambled on Saturday to keep up with calls for funeral and cremation services as workers and drivers testing positive for the novel coronavirus called in sick. In Beijing, which has yet to report any COVID deaths since the policies changed on Dec. 7, sick workers have hit the staffing of services from restaurants and courier firms to its roughly one dozen funeral parlours. "We've fewer cars and workers now," a staffer at Miyun Funeral Home told Reuters, adding that there was a mounting backlog of demand for cremation services. China's health authority last reported COVID deaths on Dec. 3, in Shandong and Sichuan provinces.

SYDNEY/BEIJING, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The rising alarm over COVID-19 spreading in China was felt in pharmacies in Hong Kong, Macau, and in some neighbourhoods in Australia, as people hunted for fever medicines and virus test kits to send to family and friends on the mainland. Several shops have since imposed limits on how much customers can buy, and drugmakers are ramping up production. They like to hoard medicines before they even get sick," said a doctor in Shanghai. "I have friends in Beijing who asked me to send over some flu medicines and rapid tests. And the government-backed Sinopharm Group has tripled daily production capacity of key drugs, state run CCTV reported, due to a sharp increase in demand for medicines to treat fever and cough symptoms.

☆ Here's our November rapid-fire update on all 33 stocks in Cramer's Charitable trust portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Here's a rapid-fire update on every stock in the CNBC Investing Club portfolio. Estee Lauder (EL) — New Club members who want to start a position in the cosmetics giant could do so at these levels. We'd advise Club members do so the same, even if we still like the company's defensive nature. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

☆ China's COVID spike not due to lifting of restrictions, WHO director says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The comments by the WHO's emergencies director Mike Ryan came as he warned of the need to ramp up vaccinations in the world's No. Speaking at a briefing with media, he said the virus was spreading "intensively" in the nation long before the lifting of restrictions. "There's a narrative at the moment that China lifted the restrictions and all of a sudden the disease is out of control," he said. "The disease was spreading intensively because I believe the control measures in themselves were not stopping the disease. Beijing started pivoting away from its signature "zero-COVID" policy this month after protests against the economically damaging curbs championed by President Xi Jinping.

☆ Jim Cramer's Investing Club meeting Tuesday: Inflation cools, stock trim, Eli Lilly
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. Wait to buy Eli Lilly Eli Lilly (LLY) said Tuesday it expects 2023 revenue to grow ahead of Wall Street expectations. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

☆ Food inflation: Tight grain, oilseed supplies to keep prices elevated
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Naveen Thukral | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"As this stage, it looks highly unlikely, if we look at the global production prospects for cereals and oilseeds." Wheat, corn and palm oil futures have from dropped from record or multi-year highs but prices in the retail market remain elevated and tight supplies are forecast to support prices in 2023. Food imports costs are already on course to hit a near $2 trillion record in 2022, forcing poor countries to cut consumption. Corn and soybeans climbed to their highest in a decade, while Malaysia's benchmark crude palm oil prices climbed to a record high in March. For rice, prices are expected to remain high as long as export duties imposed earlier this year by India, the world's biggest supplier, remain in place, traders said.

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