Stocks

Bloomberg South Africa’s main stock index erased a retreat of as much as 0.4% to be 0.1% higher as of 9:36 am in Johannesburg, with the extension of a Brexit deadline, progress on vaccine deployment and US stimulus talks supporting investor appetite for riskier assets. Bank stocks were higher, benefiting as the rand gained due to the favorable risk sentiment. …

Bloomberg Even if everyone agrees that vaccines will ignite the economy next year, Wall Street’s collective consciousness has no idea what it will mean for stocks. Forecasts among the people paid to fashion such estimates are all over the map — to an almost historic degree. The most bullish, Dubravko Lakos-Bujas at JPMorgan, predicts the return to normal will serve …

Bloomberg Most equities markets in the Middle East advanced as investors looked to the rollout of mass vaccination programs for a fresh spur to prices. Saudi Arabia’s Tadawaul All Share Index gained the most in the region, climbing 0.3% in 10:27 am local time. Gauges in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Kuwait also rose, while Oman’s benchmark index slipped. Saudi …

Bloomberg Sri Lanka’s credit rating was pushed further into junk at S&P Global Ratings, which cited the nation’s deteriorating fiscal position as a risk to the sovereign’s ability to service debt. The country’s long-term foreign-currency credit rating was cut to CCC+ from B-, with a stable outlook, according to a statement from S&P. Sri Lanka’s credit score is now the …

Bloomberg Global stocks climbed towards another record high as hopes for a US stimulus deal countered concern about a surge in coronavirus cases. Treasuries slipped with the dollar. Cyclical banking and energy firms led European shares higher at the opening, after equities rose in much the Asia Pacific. Britain’s pound rallied as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to …

Bloomberg More than $722 billion worth of Chinese stocks will be unlocked for sale next year, testing a market where valuations are at a five-year high. That would be the largest amount since at least 2011, according to China Merchants Securities Co. It’s also equivalent to about 7% of the value of the entire Chinese equity market, data compiled by …

Bloomberg Most stocks dropped and US futures retreated as investors focused on swelling coronavirus infections and tougher restrictions. After global equities hit an all-time high last week, sentiment has softened this week in the face of a worsening virus trends, with Hong Kong shutting gyms and New York warning that indoor dining might soon close. S&P 500 futures slipped 0.3% …

Bloomberg India’s record-breaking equity rally will continue next year, with banks and other stocks taking over as drivers from the nation’s largest company Reliance Industries, some fund managers say. Reliance has accounted for nearly a fifth of the 75% surge in the S&P BSE Sensex from its March bottom, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That’s about double the contribution …

Bloomberg South Africa’s main stock benchmark index halted a five-day rally, dropping 0.1% by 9:45 am in Johannesburg and slipping from the highest close since April 2019, as a downturn in miners and weakness among banks pulls the market lower. The gauge joined peers in Asia in declining on Tuesday, as swelling coronavirus infections across the US weighed on risk …

Bloomberg Global stocks retreated from an all-time high and the pound weakened the most in three months on concern that Brexit talks could collapse. The pound slid 1.3% against the dollar with officials on both sides pessimistic about the prospect of a breakthrough. Banks and retailers led losses in the Stoxx 600 Index, while the export-heavy FTSE 100 Index climbed …