Year: 2019

Highlights of this day in history: U.S. and Britain strike Afghanistan; Achille Lauro hijacked; Supreme Court pick Clarence Thomas faces damaging claims; Matthew Shepard beaten to death; Singer John Mellencamp born; ‘Cats’ hits Broadway. (Oct. 7) …read more […]

Asian shares were mixed Monday, following a healthy report on U.S. jobs, while investors cautiously awaited the upcoming trade talks between the U.S. and China. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost early gains to be down 0.2% in morning trading at 21,358.56. Markets in China were closed for a holiday. …read more […]

As much as $71 billion of Japanese coal assets could be at risk as the economic viability of plants is undermined by cheaper renewable energy, research by the University of Tokyo, Carbon Tracker and the Carbon Disclosure Project showed on Sunday. The report, called Land of the Rising Sun and Offshore Wind, used project financial models to analyse the economics of new and existing coal plants in Japan. It found that Japan’s planned and existing coal capacity could be jeopardised by low utilisation rates and cheaper renewable energy, namely onshore and offshore wind and large-scale solar photovoltaics (PV). …read more […]

Oct.06 — Eugenia Victorino, head of Asia strategy at SEB, and Lindsey Ford, foreign policy fellow at Brookings Institute, discuss the U.S.-China trade negotiations and their impact on markets. They speak on “Bloomberg Markets: China Open.” …read more […]

(Bloomberg) — A range of indicators including investor positioning before the most recent slump in markets suggests that the drawdown is about half finished, and will prove to be less painful than the rout last December, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. analysis.“Since corrections tend to be largest when markets are expensive and over-owned and when market depth is poor, these indicators give a sense of vulnerability even if they cannot anticipate the timing of a random shock,” John Normand, head of cross-asset fundamental strategy at JPMorgan, wrote in an Oct. 4 note. “Entering October, vulnerabilities were moderate rather than …read more […]

(Bloomberg) — Oil kept falling after its biggest weekly drop since July as signs that reaching a comprehensive U.S.-China trade deal will be tough gave no respite from a worsening demand outlook.Futures in New York edged lower after losing 5.5% last week. Chinese officials are signaling they’re increasingly reluctant to agree to a broad deal pursued by President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the discussions, before high-level talks between the two sides that are set to resume this week.Oil fell for eight days through Thursday as a slew of disappointing economic data highlighted the increasing toll the trade …read more […]

Oil prices fell on Monday, extending last week’s heavy losses, with traders fearing the global economic slowdown will weigh on future oil demand growth while pegging hopes for a rebound on progress in talks this week on ending the U.S.-China trade war. Brent crude futures edged down 24 cents to $58.13 a barrel by 0147 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at $52.69, down 12 cents. Both contracts ended last week with a more-than-5% decline after dismal manufacturing data from the United States and China, as the lingering row between the world’s top …read more […]

Oil prices fell on Monday, extending last week’s heavy losses, with traders fearing the global economic slowdown will weigh on future oil demand growth while pegging hopes for a rebound on progress in talks this week on ending the U.S.-China trade war. Brent crude futures edged down 24 cents to $58.13 a barrel by 0147 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at $52.69, down 12 cents. Both contracts ended last week with a more-than-5% decline after dismal manufacturing data from the United States and China, as the lingering row between the world’s top …read more […]

U.S. gold futures inched 0.1% higher to $1,513.90 an ounce. The next round of U.S-China trade negotiations, likely to be in Washington on Oct. 10-11, will be in focus to see if the two sides can end their year-long trade spat that has upset economic growth around the world and raised concerns of a possible recession. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday there is a “very good chance” of a trade deal with China. …read more […]

(Bloomberg) — China has added more than 100 tons of gold to its reserves since it resumed buying in December, reinforcing its standing as one of the major official accumulators as central banks stock up on the precious metal.The People’s Bank of China picked up more gold last month, raising holdings to 62.64 million ounces in September from 62.45 million in August, according to data on its website. In tonnage terms, the latest inflow totals 5.9 tons, and follows the addition of about 99.8 tons over the prior nine months.Bullion hit the highest level in more than six years in …read more […]

As Rudy Giuliani was pushing Ukrainian officials last spring to investigate one of Donald Trump’s main political rivals, a group of individuals with ties to the president and his personal lawyer were also active in the former Soviet republic. This circle of businessmen and Republican donors touted connections to Giuliani and Trump while trying to install new management at the top of Ukraine’s massive state gas company. …read more […]

The geopolitical risk premium in oil has seemingly evaporated, and as oil prices continue to inch lower, OPEC might have to do more to calm the markets …read more […]