Asian equities tracked Wall Street’s gains as cooling US core inflation kept alive the prospect of Federal Reserve easing this year. The yen climbed on Bank of Japan rate-hike expectations. Gauges in Australia, Hong Kong and South Korea all advanced, sending an index of Asian equities higher for a third day. The S&P 500 rose 1.8% Wednesday, the benchmark’s best day since the November election, which erased its 2025 decline. US stock futures declined. The yen rose on a report that BOJ officials see a good chance of a rate increase next week as long as Donald Trump’s arrival at the White House doesn’t trigger too many negative surprises. Treasuries were little changed while an index of the dollar halted a two-day losing streak. Swap traders are back to fully pricing in a Fed rate reduction by July following the US inflation report, reinstating bets that were dashed when December jobs data came in stronger than expected. But the renewed appetite for risk will be tested in the coming days as the Fed and the Bank of Japan hand down policy decisions and Trump takes office. Japan’s currency rallied as much as 0.8%, before paring gains, as BOJ officials were said to acknowledge there’s a likelihood the rate will be raised from 0.25% at the end of its two-day meeting on Jan. 24. That’s so unless Trump ruffles markets or changes expectations about the global economy at the start of his presidency. The cooling in the dollar’s rally helped put emerging-market currencies on course for a third day of gains, their longest run of increases in over a month. The Thai baht, Taiwanese dollar and the Russian ruble all strengthened. The South Korean won swung to a loss after central bank Governor Rhee Chang-yong said all six members of the board were open to a rate cut in the next three months. Elsewhere in Asia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s profit in the December quarter topped estimates with a 57% rise, giving a boost to investors hoping to see the AI hardware spending spree extend into 2025. The company’s shares in Taipei jumped by the most since October.
In commodities, oil held a powerful, early-year advance on mounting concerns about risks to global supplies, and as commercial crude inventories in the US posted their longest run of declines since 2021. Gold slipped. Later Thursday, the European Central Bank will release its meeting minutes while US data to be released includes initial jobless claims and retail sales, providing investors with a broader picture of the health of the world’s largest economy. The so-called US core consumer price index — which excludes food and energy costs — increased 0.2% in December. That marked the first stepdown in the rate in six months. From a year ago, it rose 3.2%. That’s still above the Fed’s 2% target. A handful of Federal Reserve officials said the data offered confidence that inflation would continue to ebb. “The process of disinflation remains in train. But we are still not at our 2% goal, and it will take more time until we can achieve that on a sustained basis,” New York Fed President John Williams said Wednesday. Maintaining the dollar as the world’s reserve asset is critical to US economic health and the nation’s future, Scott Bessent, Donald Trump’s nominee for Treasury secretary, will tell a Senate committee, according to prepared remarks. US After Hours SEZL +11.7% soars on uplifting guidance; SNAP -2.4% and META -1.3% slipping on reports Trump may suspend enforcement of TikTok ban.
Nikkei +0.33% Hang Seng +1.17% CSI +0.10% Shanghai +0.24% Shenzen +0.38%
Eur$ 1.0286 CNH 7.3494 CNY 7.3316 JPY 156.22 GBP 1.2216 CHF 0.9126 RUB 102.5106 TRY 35.4658 WTI$ 80.23 +0.24% Gold 2,693 -0.12% BTC 99,700 +0.02% ETH 3,374 -1.72%
S&P +0.11% Nasdaq +0.13% EuroStoxx +0.21% FTSE +0.22% Dax -0.01% SMI +0.50%
Macro :
- Dealmakers fear cross-border M&A will be hostage to Trump diplomacy
- Israel and Hamas Reach a Deal to Pause 15-Month-Long War in Gaza
- India achieves 'historic' space docking mission
- Dollar Bulls Overstretched Enough to Signal Peak May Be In
- Advent Said to Name D’Angelo to Lead Health Care Deals in Europe
- Euro to Fall Below Parity in 2025 on Tariffs, ECB, UBS Predicts
- Crypto Exchange Kraken Says Chief Legal Officer Santori Leaves
- EM Assets Inch Higher Ahead of Trump’s White House Return
- EM Assets Inch Higher Ahead of Trump’s White House Return
- Geller’s $10.4 Billion Multifamily Office Is Acquired by Corient
- Short Seller Hindenburg Research to Be Disbanded, Founder Says
- FTC Chair Khan on Deere Suit, Big Tech and M&A (Video)
- Waltz: Trump Will Find a Way to Preserve TikTok, User Data
- Investors Seek $5 Billion for Basketball League to Rival NBA
Keep an eye on :
Keep an eye on :
- AKRBP NO : Aker BP Prelim 4Q Avg Production Beats Estimates
- ALO FP : Alstom in Pact With Metrolinx for GO Transit Cars Overhaul
- APAM NA : Universal Stainless Stockholders Approve Acquisition by Aperam
- ARYN SW : Aryzta Says it Expects to Achieve 2025 Targets One Year Early
- ASML NA : *TSMC SEES 2025 CAPEX $38B TO $42B, EST. $35.15B
- BX US : Blackstone Said to Seek $3 Billion in Dylan, Adele Rights Sale
- ROO LN : Deliveroo 4Q Gross Transaction Value Matches Estimates
- DNO NO : DNO 4Q North Sea Net Output 19,031 Boepd, Kurdistan 17,424 Boepd
- DKNG US : DraftKings, Flutter Slide as Maryland Proposes Tax Hike
- DD US : DuPont to Speed Up Sale of Electronics Unit, Retain Water Unit
- EIX US : Edison International Bonds, Shares Rally After Analyst Upgrade
- EIX US : Edison International Bonds, Shares Rally After Analyst Upgrade
- LLY US : Eli Lilly Wins US FDA Approval for Omvoh in Crohn’s Disease
- FAST NA : Fastned 4Q Revenue Related to Charging EU26.6M
- FM CN : First Quantum Minerals 2025 Copper Prod Forecast Misses Est.
- FRA GY : Fraport 2024 Frankfurt Airport Passenger Traffic rose 3.7% to 61.6M
- GEBN SW : Geberit FY Sales Matches Estimates
- IDIA SW : Idorsia Sees 2025 Net Revenue About CHF110M, Est. CHF122.3M
- INCY US : Incyte, Syndax’s Niktimvo Gets FDA OK in 9mg, 22mg Vial Sizes
- KER FP : Kering and Ardian in Investment Pact on Paris Real Estate
- KESKOB FH : Kesko Dec. Comparable Sales +3.9%
- LHA GY : Italy’s ITA Airways Names Joerg Eberhart CEO, New Board Slate
- META US : Meta Falls on Report Trump Considering Action to Stop TikTok Ban
- MOWI NO : Mowi Prelim 4Q Ebit About EU226M, Est. EU205.3M
- ORNBV FH : Orion Upgrades FY Outlook for 2024 on Better Than Expected Sales
- PARA US : Paramount Global falls as lawmaker says Skydance deal should get CFIUS scrutiny
- PLUG US : US to Finalize Billions in Funding for Rivian, Plug Before Trump
- RNO FP : Renault Group 2024 Global Vehicle Sales Up 1.3% vs. 2023, Renault Says New Model Launches Helped Bolster 2024 Deliveries, Renault Confident on Outlook for EV, Hybrid Sales This Year
- REP SM : Repsol 4Q Downstream Refining Margin/BBL Beats Estimates
- CFR SW : Richemont 3Q Sales at Constant Exchange Rates Beats Estimates
- RIO LN : Rio Tinto 4Q Pilbara Ore Shipments Misses Estimates
- RIO LN : GOP Eyes Fast-Track Budget Bill for Rio Tinto Mine Approval
- SFQ GY : SAF-Holland SE Prelim FY Sales About EU1.88B, Est. EU1.94B
- 3382 JP : KKR Considers Joining Seven & i Management Buyout After Apollo
- SLXN US : Silexion Therapeutics Shares Jump After Pancreatic-Cancer Treatment Data
- SIVE SS : Sivers Semiconductors Sets SEK105 million Shares ATM Offering
- STLA US : Stellantis 4Q Consolidated Shipments Decline 9% Y/y
- TSLA US : Tesla is offering Cybertruck discounts as EV market gets crowded
- 2330 TT : TSMC Profit Beats Estimates After Year of Rapid AI-Driven Growth
- UMG NA : Universal Music Plans US Share Sale for Pershing Square Stake
- VAIAS FH : great
- VOW GY : Exclusive-Chinese buyers interested in unwanted German Volkswagen factories, source says
- ZAL GY : Zalando Says 2024 Profitability Beat Guidance on Customer Growth