Every once in a while, a single anecdotal data point captures the hearts and minds of bond traders. Often, it confirms their beliefs about the direction of the economy. It seems one such data point was a report this week that Taco Bell, the fast-food chain that sells double-stacked tacos for $1, would soon be offering a $100,000 salary for ...
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Boeing staff emails show missteps of Max crisis response
And you thought Boeing Co. couldn’t possibly have another “what were they thinking†737 Max moment. Last week, the airplane maker released a stunning batch of internal messages that paint a disturbing picture of employees’ efforts to avoid more rigorous scrutiny of the troubled Max and ensure only minimal training was required for pilots. The employees derided certain airline customers, ...
Read More »US futures gain, Europe shares drift; bonds slip
Bloomberg US equity futures advanced with Asian shares on Monday while Europe stocks fluctuated as investors showed mild optimism at the start of a busy week set to be dominated by the beginning of earnings season and the signing of a partial China trade deal. Bonds, the yen and gold retreated. Contracts on the S&P 500 signalled a rebound from ...
Read More »Philippine stocks start 2020 as most unloved among its Asian peers
Bloomberg When it comes to Philippine stocks, 2020 so far isn’t looking better than 2019. Barely two weeks into the new year, and the market is the worst performer among major Asian peers, with overseas fund withdrawals reminiscent of January 2008. Back then, fears of a US recession roiled global shares and pummeled Manila into a bear market. Last year, ...
Read More »Korea tourism stocks surge on bets for Chinese tourists
Bloomberg The years-long disputes between China and South Korea are getting resolved, and analysts at Nomura Holdings Inc expect Chinese tourists to return en masse to the Korean nation. That’s a boon for shares of cosmetics producers and travel-related companies. Amorepacific Corp, the maker of beauty products that are popular souvenirs among Chinese women, climbed as much as 6.6% on ...
Read More »Pound falls after Vlieghe joins chorus on potential rate cut
Bloomberg The pound dropped and gilts climbed after another member of the Bank of England’s (BOE) monetary policy committee pointed to a potential vote for an interest-rate cut this month and data showed the UK economy unexpectedly shrank in November. Sterling led losses among Group-of-10 currencies, on course for its fifth consecutive day of declines. Policy maker Gertjan Vlieghe said ...
Read More »China’s strengthening yuan is now smashing every key level in sight
Bloomberg With a trade deal nearly signed and China’s economy on steadier footing, the path for China’s yuan to strengthen is now wide open. The currency rose to a five-month high on Monday, punching past 6.9 per dollar for the first time since August. It also strengthened for a fourth session versus a basket of trading partners’ currencies. The move ...
Read More »Goldman planning to double China headcount in five years
Bloomberg Goldman Sachs Group Inc plans to double its headcount in China over the next five years, provided the Communist Party-ruled nation continues down the path of opening up its financial markets. The ambition to raise staffing to 600 is part of a five-year plan drawn up by executives at the New York-based investment bank, said a person familiar with ...
Read More »It’s going to get wilder for HK dollar traders
Bloomberg One assessment of the Hong Kong dollar’s dramatic turnaround in recent months is that it’s a sign of things to come. The moves reveal structural tightness in the city’s liquidity conditions, according to Morgan Stanley. Hong Kong banks have far less idle cash on hand, after the amount of funds on loan soared to the highest since 2002 relative ...
Read More »Hedge funds betting on China surged ahead in 2019
Bloomberg Hedge funds betting on Chinese equities surged last year, standouts in an industry that struggled to outsmart the longest-running bull market in history. A number of funds focused on mainland stocks posted double-digit returns in 2019, according to people familiar with the matter and investor letters seen by Bloomberg. Star performers included Greenwoods Asset Management’s $2.2 billion Golden China ...
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