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☆ 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%.

☆ European shares rise on China reopening cheer, slow pace of rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SummarySummary Companies STOXX 600 up 0.1%Jan 11 (Reuters) - European shares edged up on Wednesday, lifted by Bayer and LVMH, while optimism over reopening in China and hopes of less aggressive U.S. interest rate hikes aided the sentiment. The pan-regional STOXX 600 (.STOXX) gained 0.1% by 0818 GMT. Signs of slowing wage inflation last week had boosted bets of a less aggressive tightening by the Fed and the European Central Bank. Energy stocks (.SXEP) advanced 1.0%, while miners (.SXPP) gained 1.7%, as commodity prices rose on optimism over top consumer China's reopening. Bayer (BAYGn.DE) rose 2.1% after Bloomberg reported that activist investor Bluebell is pushing for a breakup of the German pharmaceutical company.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond surges for third day in meme-stock rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Medha Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A person exits a Bed Bath & Beyond store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., June 29, 2022. Among the top three companies traded on Fidelity's retail platform, Bed Bath & Beyond jumped 69% during the session and then another 20% after the bell. On Tuesday, Bed Bath & Beyond said it would lay off more employees to cut costs after reporting a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss. The rise and fall of Bed Bath & BeyondShort interest in Bed Bath & Beyond is $82.7 million, or 52.07% of its free float, analytics firm S3 Partners said in a research note. Bed Bath & Beyond's options volume was running nine times what is typical, based on recent trading, according to Trade Alert data.

☆ European shares head for best week since November, inflation data in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Bansari Mayur Kamdar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) was flat by 0915 GMT. For the week so far, it was up 3.4% following a drop in natural gas prices and upbeat economic data. All eyes are on the December euro zone inflation data due at 1000 GMT, with economists expecting prices to have declined year-on-year for a second consecutive month. "Inflation readings in the euro zone were not all good news, and core inflation remains high," analysts at UBS Global Wealth Management said in a note. "Despite the encouraging data (this week), we expect central banks to stick with a hawkish stance at this time."

☆ Big Pharma drags European shares down; inflation data in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Bansari Mayur Kamdar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The market was hoping the minutes could be a "blueprint to a pivot," said Danni Hewson, an analyst at AJ Bell. Healthcare stocks (.SXDP) dragged, with pharma giants like Novartis AG (NOVN.S) and Sanofi (SASY.PA) shedding more than 1% each. Investors await producer price data, due at 1000 GMT, for clues on the impact of the European Central Bank's aggressive tightening to tamp down inflation. Retail stocks were battered last year, posting their worst annual performance since 2008, as rising interest rates and high inflation put pressure on household budgets. Reporting by Bansari Mayur Kamdar in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay Dwivedi and Eileen SorengOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Futures muted as Fed minutes confirm more tightening ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wall Street's main indexes erased some of their gains on Wednesday after meeting minutes showed the Fed was laser-focused on fighting inflation even as officials agreed to slow the interest rate hiking pace to limit risks to economic growth. "The meeting minutes suggested 'more evidence' is needed to confirm inflation is under control," said Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor. "Consequently, the Fed is expected to continue raising interest rates, with hawkish policy a continued headwind for equities into 2023." This comes a day after data showed a moderate fall in U.S. job openings, indicating a still tight market. ET, Dow e-minis were up 13 points, or 0.04%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 3.25 points, or 0.08%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 13.5 points, or 0.12%.

☆ Amazon layoff signals more pain for tech sector as recession fears mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 5 (Reuters) - The massive job cuts by Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), one of the biggest private employers in the United States, show the wave of layoff sweeping through the tech sector could stretch into 2023 as companies rush to cut costs, analysts said on Thursday. The drop in demand amid a steep rise in borrowing costs has led several executives from the sector to admit they hired in excess during the COVID-19 crisis. "Some of us will remember 2000 to 2003 after a massive bubble fed by cheap money, high investor expectations and plentiful cash," said Mould. "Whether we see a repetition or not will be very interesting as there is a danger of that." Reporting by Nivedita Balu, Yuvraj Malik and Bansari Mayur Kamdar in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

On the benchmark S&P 500 index, rate-sensitive real estate stocks (.SPLRCR) led the losses with a 2.2% drop, while financials (.SPSY) slipped 1%. The ADP National Employment report showed a much greater-than-expected rise in private employment in December, while another report showed weekly jobless claims fell last week. The reports came a day after data showed a moderate fall in U.S. job openings, in growing evidence that the labor market remains tight. A strong labor market has been a concern for markets pummeled by rising borrowing costs as it gives the Federal Reserve a reason to raise rates for longer than expected this year. The more comprehensive nonfarm payrolls report is due on Friday, which would provide further clues on labor demand and the rate hike trajectory.

☆ Upbeat economic data powers European shares to third day of gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Bansari Mayur Kamdar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) rose 0.8%, while France's CAC 40 (.FCHI) added 1.3%. Data on Wednesday showed euro zone business activity contracted less than initially thought, suggesting the bloc's recession may not be as deep as feared. Further, preliminary data showed inflation in France slipped in December from a record high in the previous month, tracking a slew of encouraging data from improving euro zone manufacturing numbers to a slowdown in Germany's inflation. The STOXX 600 index has risen 3% in the first three trading days of the new year, helped by strong economic data, easing of natural gas futures and hopes of a post-COVID recovery in China despite surging cases. Meanwhile, data showed fresh food prices at British supermarkets in early December were 15.0% higher than a year earlier, weighing on UK sentiment.

☆ European shares rise with focus on German inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Bansari Mayur Kamdar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The pan-regional STOXX 600 (.STOXX) rose 1.6% in early trading, to its highest level in more than two weeks. Germany's CPI data, due at 1300 GMT, could provide a preview for inflation in the euro zone, with investors waiting to see if cost pressures in the region have weakened after the European Central Bank's aggressive monetary policy tightening. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said inflation was expected to peak at the start of 2023 before then retreating. European stocks ended their first session of the year higher on Monday after euro zone manufacturing data suggested the worst had passed as supply chains begin to recover and inflationary pressures ease. Data on Tuesday also showed material shortages eased further in Germany's manufacturing sector towards the end of the year.

☆ European shares start 2023 on upbeat note on encouraging factory data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Bansari Mayur Kamdar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The pan-regional STOXX 600 (.STOXX) rose 0.8%, supported by consumer discretionary stocks. "With 10-year bund yields above 2.50%, relaxed year-end trading and the probable drop in HICP inflation are raising hopes for an upbeat start into the year," Commerzbank Research analysts said in a note, referring to the euro zone consumer prices inflation data due later this week. Rate-sensitive technology stocks (.SX8P), among the worst-performing shares last year, rose 1.5% on the day, despite more hawkish signals from the European Central Bank. Bond yields of Europe's largest economy, Germany, dropped from their highest levels in more than a decade as investors braced for inflation data this week. The German DAX (.GDAXI) gained 1.0%, while other European exchanges also started the year on a positive note.

☆ European shares slip as COVID surge in China weighs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The region-wide STOXX 600 (.STOXX) fell 0.4%. China-exposed luxury firms such as LVMH (LVMH.PA) and Richemont (CFR.S) weighed on the European index in early trading. Energy stocks (.SXEP) fell 0.6%, while miners (.SXPP) dipped 0.3%, tracking weakness in commodity prices. Consumer staples such as Nestle (NESN.S) and L'Oreal SA (OREP.PA) fell 1.2% and 0.5%, respectively. Reporting by Bansari Mayur Kamdar in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.VOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ European shares muted, UK outperforms as China-exposed stocks jump
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Bansari Mayur Kamdar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The region-wide STOXX 600 (.STOXX) was flat as of 9:31 GMT, while the FTSE 100 <.FTSE> advanced 0.7% as commodity-linked and China-exposed stocks jumped in early trading. The UK market, which was closed for holidays since its half-day trading on Friday, is playing catch-up, analysts said. The FTSE 100 index has benefited this year from its exposure to commodities as prices of oil and base metals have rallied amid the Russia-Ukraine war. Meanwhile, STOXX 600 was headed for an annual loss of 12.2% as concerns about an economic recession due to aggressive monetary policy tightening by central banks globally weighed on the European index. The technology sector (.SX8P) weighed on STOXX 600 on Wednesday, tracking the overnight fall in U.S. peers as rising yields pressured the interest rate sensitive shares, a recurring theme this year.

☆ Russian rouble slips again as volatile year-end trade continues
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The rouble lost about 8% against the dollar last week and is on course for a hefty monthly decline after an oil embargo and price cap came into force. At 0705 GMT, the rouble was 1.1% weaker against the dollar at 71.19 , moving in the direction of the almost eight-month low of 72.6325 struck last week. It lost 0.5% to trade at 75.37 versus the euro and shed 1.4% against the yuan to 10.12 . Brent crude oil , a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was down 0.7% at $83.7 a barrel. For Russian equities guide seeFor Russian treasury bonds seeReporting by Alexander Marrow; Additional reporting by Bansari Mayur Kamdar; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Futures edge higher as investors assess China reopening
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Futures up: Dow 0.25%, S&P 0.19%, Nasdaq 0.14%Dec 28 (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Wednesday as investors weighed the unwinding of pandemic restrictions by China against surging COVID cases in the world's second largest economy. "If the Chinese reopening story is positive for oil and commodity prices, it's bad news for global inflation," said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote Bank. "The surge in Chinese demand will certainly boost inflation through higher energy and commodity prices and in response to higher inflation, the central banks will continue hiking rates." ET, Dow e-minis were up 84 points, or 0.25%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 7.25 points, or 0.19%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 15.75 points, or 0.14%. They hit their lowest level in more than two years in the previous session over demand worries in China.

☆ European shares gain on China recovery optimism
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Bansari Mayur Kamdar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) gained 0.4% to start the holiday-shortened week higher. China on Monday said it would drop its quarantine requirements for inbound visitors, further easing three-year border controls aimed at curbing COVID. While London and Dublin markets remained closed for the Christmas holiday, most European bourses advanced in early trading. Miners (.SXPP) and energy stocks (.SXEP) added 1.0% and 1.4%, respectively, as commodity prices jumped on hopes of demand recovery in top consumer China. Industrials (.SXNP) and banks (.SX7P) gained for a second straight session, lifting the broader European index.

The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, rose 0.1% last month after climbing 0.4% in October. On U.S. exchanges 7.75 billion shares changed hands on Friday compared with the 11.41 billion average for the last 20 sessions. Energy shares (.SPNY) stood out as the biggest advancers throughout the session as oil prices gained following news of Moscow's plans to cut crude output. Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by a 2.06-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.09-to-1 ratio favored advancers. The S&P 500 posted 2 new 52-week highs and 1 new low; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 49 new highs and 228 new lows.

☆ Rouble slumps to weakest vs dollar since May
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Alexander Marrow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

By 0939 GMT, the rouble was down 2.5% against the dollar at 70.60 , after hitting 70.7550 earlier. The rouble has already lost more than 8% this week against the dollar and around 12% since a cap on Russian oil prices came into force. FALLING REVENUESThe rouble has been catching up with the weakening of Russia's balance of payments, said Rachel Ziemba, founder of Ziemba Insights. "In recent months, Russian export revenues have fallen as it sharply reduced gas exports and the EU oil embargo is limiting oil revenues." The rouble-based MOEX Russian index (.IMOEX) was 0.6% higher at 2,131.8 points, rebounding from a near eight-week low hit in the previous session.

☆ Rouble slumps past 70 vs dollar for first time since May
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Alexander Marrow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

By 0713 GMT, the rouble was down 2.1% against the dollar at 70.31 , after hitting 70.6775 earlier. The rouble has been catching up with the weakening of Russia's balance of payments, said Rachel Ziemba, founder of Ziemba Insights. BCS World of Investments said the rouble continuing to plunge would likely also see the RTS index fall. The dollar-denominated RTS index (.IRTS) was down 1.3% to 654.6 points, flirting with more than two-month lows. The rouble-based MOEX Russian index (.IMOEX) was 0.5% higher at 2,130.6 points, rebounding from a near eight-week low hit in the previous session.

The region-wide STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 1.7% higher, with consumer discretionary firms such as Adidas (ADSGn.DE) and Puma (PUMG.DE) leading gains after U.S. peer Nike beat quarterly revenue and profit expectations. Shares of Adidas and Puma rose 6.8% and 9.5%, respectively, while London-listed JD Sports (JD.L) jumped 6.1%, lifting the retail index (.SXRP). The euro STOXX 50 volatility index (.V2TX) hit its lowest level since January, reflecting easing anxiety among investors. British retailers also reported a surprise pick-up in demand in December, a Confederation of British Industry survey showed. Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Bansari Mayur Kamdar; editing by Uttaresh.V, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The announcement from the U.S. accounting watchdog removes the risk that around 200 Chinese companies, including Alibaba (BABA.N), could be kicked off U.S. stock exchanges. "This falls into the category of a game changing view of Chinese companies because the threat of their delisting seems to have been eliminated." Washington and Beijing reached a landmark deal in August to settle a long-running dispute over auditing compliance of U.S.-listed Chinese firms. Authorities in China have long been reluctant to let overseas regulators inspect local accounting firms, citing national security concerns. U.S. lawmakers in 2020 agreed to legislation that would oust Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges unless they adhere to American auditing standards.

"This falls into the category of a game changing view of Chinese companies because the threat of their delisting seems to have been eliminated," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Financial. However, the relief was not seen in Thursday's trading for U.S.-listed shares of Chinese companies, which were higher amid the news, but gave up gains and some ended sharply lower. Washington and Beijing reached a landmark deal in August to settle a long-running dispute over auditing compliance of U.S.-listed Chinese firms. Authorities in China have long been reluctant to let overseas regulators inspect local accounting firms, citing national security concerns. U.S. lawmakers in 2020 agreed to legislation that would oust Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges unless they adhere to American auditing standards.

☆ Crypto winter end in sight as Ethereum looks to shake the chills- analysts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

J.P.MORGAN:"We believe that the Ethereum Merge and really the Ethereum Surge could be a big factor in terms of increasing the use-cases for blockchain into new areas, including financial services," analysts said in an early December note. The Ethereum Merge was a major software upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain that went live in September and reduced its energy usage by 99.95%, according to developers. "We continue to see the Ethereum Surge as a catalyst for development in the cryptocurrency markets, which appears at least 6-12 months away." "From the China crackdown to the several price crashes in earlier 2022, crypto mining has shown an approximately 1-to-1 price-power relationship. Norwood expects the crypto market to pick up in about six months.

☆ Analysis: Peru markets take in political drama as investors focus on fundamentals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Rodrigo Campos | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Peruvian sol currency and dollar bond prices recovered early losses after President Pedro Castillo was removed in an impeachment trial following his attempt to dissolve Congress. The sol remains one of the few emerging market currencies with gains against the U.S. dollar so far this year. "So much political uncertainty is never welcome, yet the reason why markets have historically shrugged off political developments in Peru has to do with the fact that the country's fundamentals are decently strong." The sol fell over 2% against the dollar at its session low of 3.8898 before recovering slightly to trade down 1.4% at 3.8625 per dollar in early afternoon trading. Vice President Dina Boluarte was sworn as president through 2026 and the first woman to lead the Andean nation.

"Adding to the Fed's problems, monetary conditions have loosened in recent weeks as the dollar and longer-dated Treasury yields have fallen and credit spreads have narrowed. This is undoing the tightening effects of the Fed's recent rate rises." Investors now see an 87% chance that the Fed will increase interest rates by 50 basis points in December, down from 91% before the jobs data was published on Friday. Declining issues outnumbered advancers for a 5.14-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 3.09-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded two new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 15 new highs and 40 new lows.

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