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Self Created Valuation Boosts Apple Announces new Podcast push AI – A breakdown Playing them like a fiddle – Warner Brothers PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm-Up - A NEW CTP just announced - China releasing new AI models - AI - A breakdown - we are on overload - Big Employment news.... Markets - Self Created Valuation Boosts - Apple Announces new Podcast push - Playing them like a fiddle - Warner Brothers Quick Note - Going to rip up the playbook on something this week on TDI Podcast. Anyone who owns an annuity should listen to what is about to come on next Sundays show..... No Agenda... Olympics - Anything to discuss? MONEY FOR ALL - The average tax refund is 10.9% higher so far this season, compared to about the same point in 2025, according to early filing data from the IRS. - The 2026 tax season opened Jan. 26, and the average refund amount was $2,290 as of Feb. 6, up from $2,065 about one year prior, the IRS reported Friday night. - As of Feb. 6, the total amount refunded was more than $16.9 billion, up 1.9% compared to last year, according to the IRS release. That figure reflects current-year returns only. - This is partly because there were excess-witholdings from last year on the rules changed and paycheck withholdings were not adjusted. This is a one time situation.. Emplyment - 4.3% - "Better" than expected payrolls number - A major revision was released last Wednesday. Overall 2025 job growth was much weaker than initially reported. The total net change for the full year 2025 was revised down from +584,000 jobs to just +181,000 jobs (seasonally adjusted) — an average of only about 15,000 jobs added per month instead of ~49,000. This made 2025 one of the weakest years for job creation in recent non-recession periods. - Employment levels were consistently overstated throughout 2025 by roughly 800,000 to over 1 million jobs, peaking around mid-year. For example: By March 2025, the level was revised down by 898,000. By December 2025 (preliminary), down by 1,029,000. - Monthly changes were also adjusted downward in most cases (e.g., August's originally reported -26,000 became a larger loss of -70,000; September's +108,000 became +76,000). - The revisions reflect normal annual benchmarking, but this one was unusually large (larger than the typical 0.2% average over the prior decade), likely due to factors like overestimation of business births or other data mismatches. - In short, the data reveals that the U.S. labor market in 2025 was significantly softer than the monthly headlines suggested at the time — job growth was overstated by a substantial margin, painting a picture of a much weaker employment picture for the year. AI Updates - While U.S. markets have been focused on the impact of Anthropic and Altruist's tools on software and financial services, China's tech giants have released AI models this week that have shown advancements in robotics and video generation. - Google is reporting that China's AI models are just MONTHS behind western models - However - is this progress? In a video demo, Alibaba showed a robot with pincers for hands that appeared to be able to count oranges, pick them up and place them in a basket. It was also shown taking milk out of a fridge. - Alibaba on Monday unveiled a new artificial intelligence model Qwen 3.5 designed to execute complex tasks independently, with big improvements in performance and cost that the Chinese tech giant claims beat major U.S. rival models on several benchmarks. - Zhipu AI — which trades as Knowledge Atlas Technology in Hong Kong said the model approaches Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.5 in coding benchmarks while surpassing Google's Gemini 3 Pro on some tests. - Shares of MiniMax also jumped Thursday after it launched its updated M2.5 open-source model with enhanced AI agent tools. Grok Update - Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot, has been gaining ground in the U.S. over the past months, data showed, even as it draws global censure and regulatory scrutiny after being used to generate a wave of non-consensual sexualized images of women and minors. - U.S. market share of the tool rose to 17.8% last month from 14% in December, and 1.9% in January 2025, according to data from research firm Apptopia. - Men are still the largest % users of Grok ~ 78% (down from 89% in April 2025) AI Market Share - ChatGPT's share slumped to 52.9% last month from 80.9% in January last year, while Gemini's grew to 29.4% from 17.3% over the same period. AI Market Share InfoGrapic and AI Understanding - Have we gone through this? - At its core, AI is technology that lets machines perform tasks that normally require human intelligence — things like understanding language, recognizing images, making decisions, or solving problems. - Modern AI (especially since ~2022) is dominated by machine learning — systems that learn patterns from huge amounts of data instead of being explicitly programmed rule-by-rule. - Inference is the "using" or "applying" phase of AI — when a trained model takes new input and produces an output / prediction / answer. Contrast with training (the "learning" phase): ------ Training ? Like a student studying for years: very compute-heavy, expensive, done once (or rarely) on massive servers/GPUs, adjusts billions of parameters based on examples. ------ Inference ? Like the student taking a test or doing their job: much faster, cheaper, runs on your phone/laptop/cloud, uses the fixed knowledge from training to respond instantly. - gentic AI takes regular AI (like chat models) to the next level: instead of just answering questions or generating text, these systems act autonomously to achieve goals with minimal human help. "Agentic" comes from "agency" — the ability to make decisions, plan, use tools, take actions, adapt, and even learn from results — like a smart digital employee rather than just a smart answer machine. AI Infographic Last AI Item - A shortage of memory chips is hammering profits, derailing corporate plans, and inflating price tags on various products, with the crunch expected to get worse. - The fundamental reason for the squeeze is the buildout of AI data centers, with companies like Alphabet and OpenAI buying up large shares of memory chip production, leaving consumer electronics producers fighting over a dwindling supply. - The resulting price spikes are causing concern, with some warning of "RAMmageddon" and others predicting that memory chip prices will go "parabolic", bringing lavish profits to some companies but painful prices to the rest of the electronics sector. Here is something: - Gallup will no longer track presidential approval ratings after nearly 90 years - Founded by George Gallup in 1935, the Washington, DC-based management company began tracking the president's job performance 88 years ago. - Gallup told USA TODAY it will no longer publish "favorability ratings of political figures," a decision it said "reflects an evolution in how Gallup focuses its public research and thought leadership." - Gallup said the ratings are now "widely produced, aggregated and interpreted, and no longer represent an area where Gallup can make its most distinctive contribution." - "Our commitment is to long-term, methodologically sound research on issues and conditions that shape people's lives," the company wrote, adding that its work will continue through the Gallup Poll Social Series, the Gallup Quarterly Business Review, the World Poll and more. - Seems like they are unable to SHAPE opinion due to social media etc.....? Apple Podcast Update - Big news! - Apple on Monday announced that it will bring a new integrated video podcast experience to Apple Podcasts this spring. - The move comes as video viewership continues to reshape podcasting. About 37% of people over age 12 watch video podcasts monthly, according to Edison Research. - The update brings Apple Podcasts more in-line with its competitors Spotify, YouTube and now Netflix, which have increasingly leaned into video podcasting. -“Twenty years ago, Apple helped take podcasting mainstream by adding podcasts to iTunes, and more than a decade ago, we introduced the dedicated Apple Podcasts app,” said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Services, in a statement. “ - By bringing a category-leading video experience to Apple Podcasts, we're putting creators in full control of their content and how they build their businesses, while making it easier than ever for audiences to listen to or watch podcasts.” M&A - Texas Instruments Inc. has reached an agreement to buy Silicon Laboratories Inc. for about $7.5 billion, deepening its exposure to several markets for chips. - Silicon Labs investors will receive $231 in cash for each share of the company's common stock and the transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027. - The transaction still needs to win approval by investors in Silicon Labs and shares of Silicon Labs surged by 51% to $206.48 after the announcement. Inflation - This helps - PepsiCo, will cut prices on core brands such as Lay's and Doritos by up to 15% following a consumer backlash against several previous price hikes, the snacks and beverage maker said on Tuesday after it topped fourth-quarter results. Miran - Moving - Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran is leaving his post as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, CNBC has confirmed. - He joined the CEA in January 2025, but had been on leave from that post since last September when he filled the unexpired term of former Fed Governor Adriana Kugler.- He reamins on Fed board No Biggie???? - There are some astonishing cased being reported of Bad AI in the operating room - JNJ's TruDi Navigation System - Since AI was added to the device, the FDA has received unconfirmed reports of at least 100 malfunctions and adverse events. - At least 10 people were injured between late 2021 and November 2025, according to the reports. Most allegedly involved errors in which the TruDi Navigation System misinformed surgeons about the location of their instruments while they were using them inside patients' heads during operations. - Cerebrospinal fluid reportedly leaked from one patient's nose. In another reported case, a surgeon mistakenly punctured the base of a patient's skull. In two other cases, patients each allegedly suffered strokes after a major artery was accidentally injured. Cuba - The main airport has putt out a bulletin that they are out of Jet Fuel - Blackouts and lack of other fuels are creating big problems - No airlines have stopped running at this point, but many will as they cannot refuel - This is a bigger problem for cargo planes (supplies) that may not be able to risk flying to Cuba as they will not be able to get out. Dalio Warning - Legendary investor Ray Dalio said on Tuesday the world was “on the brink” of a capital war. - He said central banks and sovereign wealth funds were already preparing for measures like foreign exchange and capital controls. - "When money is weaponized using measures like trade embargoes, blocking access to capital markets, or using ownership of debt as leverage." - “Capital, money, matters,” Dalio said Tuesday. “We're seeing capital controls … taking place all over the world today, and who will experience that is questionable. So, we are on the brink — that doesn't mean we are in [a capital war now], but it means that it's a logical concern.” - Could this be why gold and siver are being hoarded (physical assets over digital currency? - Is China's edict to banks to diversify away from US Treasuries a sign? Self Boosted Valuation - Waymo is aiming to raise about $16 billion in a financing-round that would value it at nearly $110 billion, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter. - Alphabet would provide about $13 billion to the autonomous driving firm while the rest would come from investors including Sequoia Capital, DST Global and Dragoneer Investment Group, the report added. - Soooooo - Waymo is a unit of Alphabet.... Alphabet providing 80% of the funding that boosts valuations..... Hmmmmmmmm Warner Brothers - Warner Bros Discovery Inc is considering reopening sale talks with Paramount Skydance Corp after receiving its amended offer. - The Warner Bros board is discussing whether Paramount could offer a path to a superior deal, which may ignite a second bidding war with Netflix Inc. - Paramount submitted amended terms that addressed several concerns, including covering a fee owed to Netflix and offering to backstop a Warner Bros debt refinancing. Economics Coming Up - Short Week - plenty of Reports - Wednesday - Durable Goods, Housing Starts, Industrial Production, FOMC Minutes - Thursday - Philly Fed, Initial Claims - Friday: PCE, Personal Income and Spending, GDP for Q4 (3.6%) ----- New Home Sales, UMich Feb Final Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? ANNOUNCING THE THE CLOSEST TO THE PIN for CATERPILLAR Winners will be getting great stuff like the new "OFFICIAL" DHUnplugged Shirt! FED AND CRYPTO LIMERICKS See this week's stock picks HERE Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter
Kia ora.Welcome to Tuesday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.Today we lead with news Taiwan's export prowess shows no signs of flagging.But first, US inflation expectations fell to 3.1% in January, the lowest in six months, compared to 3.4% in December. Consumers expect a slowdown in prices for petrol, and a slight easing in rent rises. But they still expect food prices to rise 5.7% over the next year.The release of US labour market data, and their CPI update later in the week is where the focus is currently. And the US dollar is weak again, back near its post-pandemic low.In China, their economy is gearing up for the Year of the Horse. China's Spring Festival holiday starts a week from today on February 17 and runs to March 3, 2026.Taiwanese exports in January were spectacular yet again. They were up +70% year-on-year to an all-time high of US$66 bln in the month, following stunning +43% growth in the previous month. Analysts were expecting a +50% rise. It is a virtuous result with every category of their export trade rising. Exports to the US jumped +150%, and are now accounting for one third of their third export trade - about the same as it is toi China.Malaysia's industrial production rose +4.8% in December from a year ago, the sixth straight month it has expanded by more than +4%.In Australia, household spending fell -0.4% in December on a seasonally adjusted basis. The only category that rose notably was alcohol sales. This follows rises of +1.0% in November and +1.4% in October. Household spending over the year remains high, up +5.0% in the year to December 2025.The UST 10yr yield is now just over 4.20%, and little-net change from yesterday.The price of gold will start today up +US$107 from yesterday at US$5073/oz. Silver is up a sharp +US$5.50 at US$83.50/oz after recovering from a 2026 low.American oil prices are up +US$1 at just on US$64.50/bbl, while the international Brent price is now just under US$69/bbl.The Kiwi dollar is up +30 bps against the USD from yesterday, now just under 60.5 USc. Against the Aussie we are down -½c at 85.3 AUc. Against the euro we are down -10 bps at just on 50.8 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today just over 63.9, and up +10 bps from yesterday.The bitcoin price starts today at US$70,013 and down -1.0% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been moderate at just on +/- 2.5%.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston and we'll do this again tomorrow.
APAC stocks eventually traded mixed after initially taking their cue from Wall Street, although volumes and news flow remained subdued as markets wound down for the holiday period.JPY extended its prior session's advances, and USD/JPY eventually dipped under 156.00, whilst the CNH saw notable strength. US President Trump said the US will keep the ships and oil seized near Venezuela.Novo Nordisk (NOVOB DC) said the Wegovy pill is approved in the US as the first oral GLP-1 treatment for weight management.European equity futures are indicative of an uneventful cash open with the Euro Stoxx 50 U/C after cash closed -0.3% on Monday.Looking ahead, highlights include German Import Prices (Nov), Spanish GDP Final (Q3), US Richmond Fed (Dec), Durable Goods (Oct), GDP Advance (Oct), PCE Prices (Q3), Industrial Production, Consumer Confidence, Canadian GDP, BoC Minutes (Dec Meeting), Supply from US. Click for the Newsquawk Week Ahead.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
US President Trump said US will keep ships and oil seized near Venezuela.European bourses are mixed on either side of the unchanged mark, US equity futures are mostly incrementally firmer ahead of US data.DXY is under pressure whilst the JPY continues to strengthen; Antipodeans benefit from strength in metals prices.JGBs lead global fixed income higher after PM Takaichi rejected any "irresponsible bond issuance or tax cuts", via a Nikkei interview.Crude benchmarks trade rangebound, whilst spot gold eyes USD 4.5k/oz to the upside.Looking ahead, highlights include US Richmond Fed (Dec), Durable Goods (Oct), GDP Advance (Oct), PCE Prices (Q3), Industrial Production, Consumer Confidence, Canadian GDP, BoC Minutes (Dec Meeting), Supply from US.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
This week on TrendsTalk, ITR Economist Taylor St. Germain shares a long-term economic outlook that every business leader should be planning for now. With strong GDP and Industrial Production growth expected through 2029, the real risk is not the next few years but how prepared your business will be when the downturn arrives around 2030. Learn which markets are positioned to outperform, why waiting to react is costly, and how today's growth cycle creates rare opportunities for diversification, market share gains, and strategic acquisitions. Are you using the next four years wisely? Click here to buy our webinar, Strategic Shifts for Resiliency in the 2030s Great Depression, here → https://hubs.la/Q03VQwhz0
Kia ora,Welcome to Tuesday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.And today we lead with news long term bond yields are on the move higher again with the UST 10yr at a 4 month high, but the Japanese yen is now at a 27 year high. The Australian equivalent is at a 2 year high and threatening a 14 year benchmark, while the NZGB 10 year is at a 5 month high.In the US, the top-line survey of inflation expectations seems stable at a highish 3.2% for the year ahead, 3.0% for 5 years ahead. But within that are some signals that have garnered attention. Expectations for food rose to 5.9%, petrol climbed to 4.1%, medical care surged to 10.1% (the highest since January 2014), college education increased to 8.4%, and rent jumped to 8.3%. The main reason the overall lid remained is that house price expectations fell. The survey indicated that consumers expect a worsening financial situation.The failure of the Trump Administration to get a deal out of China for agricultural exports is seeing them scrambling to support their farmers with direct subsidies.There was another US Treasury auction today, the ever-popular 3 year Note. But offer volumes fell more than -7% for this event. It delivered a median yield of 3.57%, little-changed from the 3.54% at the prior equivalent event a month ago.In Japan, a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.5 struck northeastern Japan late Monday night, with aaa a tsunami warning for coastal areas of Hokkaido issued.Japan's GDP contracted -0.6% in Q3 2025 from Q2, a larger fall than the flash estimate of a -0.4% decline and market forecasts for a -0.5% drop. The latest figure followed a downwardly revised -0.5% growth in Q2 and marked the first quarterly contraction since Q1 2024, with business spending slipping for the first time in three quarters.In China, they released November trade data overnight and their exports rose by +5.9% from a year ago to an eleven-month high, much better than the expected +3.8% rise and recovering from the -1.1% fall in October. There was a notable surge in exports to non-US markets. A lower than expected rise in imports delivered at trade balance exceeding +US$110 for the month and extending their rise that started with the Trump challenge in late 2024. Separation from the US has delivered a rising export dividend for China. For the eleven months of 2025 so far, the Chinese trade surplus has now exceeded US$1 tln.Over all of 2025 to the US, their exports fell -18% and their imports fell -13%. To Australia, China's exports are up +8% while imports are down -8%. To New Zealand, China's exports are up +4% while their imports are up +10%.As good as these export numbers are for China, they are also going into debt at an equally impressive rates. China's central government will likely issue more than CNY12 tln (US$1.7 tln) of new debt in 2026, with a fiscal deficit ratio of at least 4%. There is alarm in some quarters as the expansionist policies get the official tick..In Europe, German industrial production rose +1.8% in October from September, sharply outperforming market expectations for a -0.4% decline. It was the strongest monthly gain since March. Year on year it is up +0.8%. The Germans measure this metric in real, inflation-adjusted terms.The UST 10yr yield is now at 4.17%, up another +3 bps from this time yesterday. The price of gold will start today at US$4191/oz, and down -US$6 from yesterday.American oil prices are down -US$1 at just over US$59/bbl, while the international Brent price is just under US$63/bbl.The Kiwi dollar is marginally softer from yesterday, now at just under 57.7 USc, down -10 bps. Against the Aussie though we are up +10 bps at just on 87.1 AUc. Against the euro we are unchanged at 49.6 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at 61.9, and little-changed from yesterday.The bitcoin price starts today at US$89,846 and up +0.4% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest, at just over +/- 1.6%.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston. And we will do this again tomorrow.
US equities were higher in Wednesday trading though stocks ended a bit off best levels, with the Dow Jones, S&P500, and Nasdaq closing up 86bbps, 30bps, and 17bps respectively. Themes of the day highlighted in mixed headlines regarding Microsoft customer AI adoption versus Marvell data center growth. Softening labor market, support for more Fed cuts, also highlighted in November ADP private payrolls falling 32K versus expectations to increase by~10K, while Industrial Production met, and ISM Services and S&P Services PMI came in ahead. December FOMC decision on deck for next week, with probably of additional 25bp cut just below 90%.
Kia ora,Welcome to Thursday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.And today we lead with news financial markets are absorbing some conflicting American data, and moving sideways today, with the USD easing.There were two services PMIs for the giant US economy out today. The ISM version edged up slightly for November, notable because it was expected to edge down. And the result is the best in nine months for this metric. The continued expansion in both business activity and new orders drove this outcome. Similarly, the S&P Global version for the US service sector reported an expansion although less than in October. Both surveys noted high embedded inflation however.US industrial production rose +0.1% in September from August, following a downwardly revised -0.3% drop in August. This means from a year ago, American industrial production is up +1.6%. Better than a decline but nothing like how the tariff-effects were sold. This activity was far better in the Obama years.But the ADP private sector payrolls report for November brought tough news. Businesses cut -32,000 jobs in November, following an upwardly revised +47,000 gain in October. Analysts were expecting this report to show a +10,000 rise based on ADP's weekly reporting. It is the biggest decline in payrolls since March 2023, led by a -120,000 drop at small businesses. We won't get the official non-farm payrolls report for November until December 17 (NZT), in its delayed restart.And the volume of mortgage applications in the US fell by -1.4% from the previous week in the last week of November to the lowest level in nearly three months. And that happened even though the key mortgage rates fell to a four week low.US vehicle sales were modest in November. They rose from October to 15.6 mln units but that is a long way down from the 16.7 mln in November 2024.Across the Pacific in China, their services sector continues to expand, driven by a sustained increase in new business, though the expansion slowed since October.China's local government debt continues to balloon as the lingering real estate slump has led to decreased income from property sales, pushing local government bond issuance for the year to a record high. The total owed by local governments and the local government financing vehicles that fund their projects now sits at a remarkable ¥134 tln (NZ$33 tln).In the EU, producer prices were little changed in October from September, but from a year ago they have dipped -0.2%. So no inflation pressures from this direction.In Australia, their economy grew less than expected in Q3-2025. Economic activity expanded +0.4% from the June quarter. Markets had expected a +0.7% expansion as it had in Q2-2025. Still, it was the 16th straight quarter of expansion. On a yearly basis, their GDP rose +2.1%, less than forecasts of +2.2% and after a +2.0% growth in Q2.The UST 10yr yield is now at 4.07%, down -3 bps from this time yesterday.The price of gold will start today at US$4218/oz, and up +US$32 from yesterday.American oil prices are +50 USc firmer at just over US$59/bbl, while the international Brent price is now at just under US$663/bbl.The Kiwi dollar is up +40 bps from yesterday, still at just under 57.7 USc. Against the Aussie though we are unchanged at just on 87.4 AUc. Against the euro we have also held at 49.4 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just under 62.1, and up +20 bps from yesterday.The bitcoin price starts today at US$92,535 and up +1.9% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest, at just on +/- 1.8%.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston. And we will do this again tomorrow.
Kia ora,Welcome to Tuesday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.And today we lead with news the global economic expansion is tailing off as we come to the end of 2025.First in the US, we can report that new orders in their factory sector are falling. That is a key factor that has driven the closely-watched ISM manufacturing PMI lower, for a ninth consecutive month, and falling at a faster pace. Survey respondents cite problems with the tariff-taxes, and "trade confusion". And they report high price pressure, and rising The November result is below the deterioration expected. It's a result that has cast a pall over Wall Street today.But the ISM report is only one perspective. The rival S&PGlobal factory PMI reported a November expansion, even a modest rise in new orders. But it also noted that a lot of this 'positive activity' is related to inventory building which won't be sustainable without final customer demand. Financial markets seemed to ignore this alternate PMI.The Canadian factory PMi wasn't positive either for November which reported a marginal contraction. Interestingly, it also reported lower inflation pressures.These two North American factory PMIs feed into a global report that has overall output and new orders rising at slower rates but business optimism rising to a five-month high.In India, their October report for industrial production brought an unexpectedly sharp slowdown, hardly above year-ago levels when +4% year-on-year gains had become the norm for the past two years. We will need to wait for their November result to see if October was just an aberration. They will be hoping so.In Japan, their central bank governor has been speaking and has hinted that a rate hike at their next meeting on December 19 is a live possibility. (see pages 6 & 7.)In China, the alternative PMI to the official version has also slipped in a similar way. The S&PGlobal manufacturing sector PMI shows that conditions deteriorated in November, not by a lot, but certainly going the wrong way. There was no growth in new orders.In Australia, the Melbourne Institute inflation gauge for November rose again and is now further above the RBA's 2-3% inflation target range. Interestingly, while this result is higher, it is lower than the official October CPI rate of 3.8%.After a -2.6% quarter-on-quarter fall in Australian company profits in Q2-2025, they were expected to bounce back in Q3-2025. But in the event they stalled, unchanged, in a disappointing outcome and only +1.1% higher than year-ago levels.And staying in Australia, the Cotality house price tracking rose +1.0% in November, a slight softening from the +1.1% gain in October. Annual growth lifted to +7.1%, with quarterly gains tracking a +13.2% annualised pace. Sydney and Melbourne are the laggards, indicating that affordability has reached its serviceability limits.The UST 10yr yield is now just on 4.09%, up +7 bps from this time yesterday.The price of gold will start today at US$4233/oz, and up just +US$15 from yesterday. But silver has surged again to a new record high of US$58.50/oz, up +US$2 from yesterday.American oil prices are -50 USc softer at just over US$59/bbl, while the international Brent price is unchanged at just on US$63/bbl. And we should probably also note that natural gas prices are rising and are now at their highest except for the pandemic period.The Kiwi dollar is unchanged from yesterday, still at just under 57.4 USc. Against the Aussie we are down -10 bps at just on 87.5 AUc. Against the euro we have held at 49.4 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just over 61.9, and up +10 bps from yesterday.The bitcoin price starts today at US$85,426 and down -7.0%% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been very high, at just on +/- 4.3%.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston. And we will do this again tomorrow.
Kia ora,Welcome to Monday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.And today we lead with news we are waiting for the first indications of retail sales, as the US and EU economies make their run to the end-of-year holiday season. It is this retail impulse that powers much of the global economy.Also, in the week ahead we will get local and Australian building consent data, and the Aussies will release the Q3-2025 GDP growth rate, expected to be +2.2% from a year agoIn the US, there will be more catch-up official data releases but their non-farm payroll data for November has been delayed until mid-December now. However ADP will release its new weekly update and the Challenger job cut report will still come out on time. There will be PMIs for the US and no-one expects much change in any of this. Of special interest will be the end-of-week release of the UofM sentiment survey. Few see any improvement there either with it hovering around record lows.Elsewhere there will be a raft of PMI and trade and inflation releases from many countries. And the Indian central bank meets and is widely expected to cut its policy rate by -25 bps to 4.25% despite the surging growth. Fast-falling food prices means inflation is seen as under control there.Over the weekend India said their economy expanded by +8.2% in September from the previous year from the previous year and well above the expected +7.3% Q3-2025 rise and above the +7.8% growth rate from Q2-2025. It was the sharpest annual growth rate rise since March 2024. India trimmed its GST rates and increased government spending when they were faced with swingeing US tariffs, and that, along with re-orienting trade has supported consumer confidence and private investment. In late September, they simplified their multi-slab GST system with the rates for most goods falling from 12% or 28%, to 5% and 18%. This change has been a big part of their boost, giving more of an effect than anticipated.China said its official November PMIs were weaker and their tepid expansion has turned into a general but small contraction. The main change was for their services sector, shrinking for the first time in three years and joining the ongoing small contraction in their factory sector. That factory sector has now contracted for eight straight months. Both measures would be a lot worse if they didn't have deflation in their input costs. The private S&PGlobal version isn't expected to vary much from that when it is released later today, although it may be on the more positive side. Either way, these indicators are not pointing to an economy expanding like their GDP claims.Japan said retail sales were +1.7% higher in October than a year ago (real) and that was very much better than the +0.8% expected and the +0.2% in September. And Japanese industrial production rose +1.5% in the year to October, an unexpected second consecutive month of expansion and the October month also came in much better than expected.In South Korea there was a big separation between the two sectors. Industrial production declined, and quite sharply in October, although this largely reverses the big surge in September. And their retail sales took an unexpected surge, up +3.5% from September to be +2.2% higher than a year ago.In Canada, they released their September GDP growth outcome over the weekend and their forecast for October. The picture was mixed and they seem to be settling into a bit of a yo-yo pattern. July was up +0.3% for the month, August down -0.3%, September up +0.2% and October's 'flash' result down -0.3%. There is a tendency for the 'flash' results to be revised higher. Generally their goods-producing sector is marginally weaker while their services sector is mixed. From a year ago, Canada's economic activity is up +1.4%.Early reports of US retail trade over the weekend seem positive, but heavily focused online.The UST 10yr yield is now just on 4.02%, unchanged from Saturday but down -5 bps from a week ago.The price of gold will start today at US$4218/oz, and up +US$7 from Saturday. And that is a +US$134/oz rise for the week, or +3.2%.Silver surged in Friday US trade to a record high US$56.50/oz. Chinese inventories have dropped to their lowest level in a decade following heavy shipments to London triggered by a supply squeeze. A Comex outage in the US didn't help either.American oil prices are unchanged from Saturday to be just on US$59.50/bbl, while the international Brent price is little-changed at just over US$63/bbl. A week ago these prices were US$58/bbl and US$62.50/bbl, so a +US$1.50 rise in the US but far less internationally.The Kiwi dollar is up another +10 bps from Saturday, now at just under 57.4 USc. A week ago it was at 56.1 USc so a +120 bps rise since then or a +2.1% appreciation. Against the Aussie we are little-changed overnight at just on 87.6 AUc. Against the euro we have held at 49.4 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just under 62, and essentially unchanged from Saturday, up +110 bps for the week.The bitcoin price starts today at US$91,838 and up +1.5% from Saturday. And it is up +6.9% from this time last week. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been low however, at just on +/- 0.9%.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston. And we will do this again tomorrow.
Kia ora,Welcome to Wednesday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.And today we lead with news bond markets are ramping up their defensive posture, especially in the US, as American economic data fades further.But first up today, there was a GlobalDairyTrade Pulse powder auction today and prices slipped again. They were down -1% from the prior full event a week ago for SMP and dived a rather sharp -4% for WMP. This will keep downward pressure on pay-out forecasts for the current season, especially the WMP result.In the US, the ADP weekly employment report said a net -13,500 US jobs were lost last week, the largest weekly drop since ADP started releasing their weekly data. The pace of payroll shrinkage seems to be rising in the US.American retail sales growth slowed to +4.3% in September from the + 5.0% rise in August. On a monthly basis, retail sales rose +0.2%, half the expected +0.4% increase and suggesting the weakness is concentrated recently. Observers will be watching the weak car sales component, especially.Producer prices rose +2.7% in September from a year earlier, exactly as expected.Pending home sales fell -0.4% in October from year-ago levels, the second consecutive monthly dip, and the eighth of 2025. However they did record a seasonal rise from September.The latest factory survey from the Richmond Fed covering the mid-Atlantic states was quite negative.And the Dallas Fed services survey was downbeat too, although the contraction there was at a slower pace than in October.So it will be no surprise to learn that the Conference Board's consumer sentiment survey was also quite negative, falling sharply and mirroring the similar University of Michigan survey. Perceptions of inflation rose, to 4.8%.And traditional Thanksgiving travel plans are being scaled back. They were expecting a rise this year, but the economic situation and uncertainties about disruptions are seeing an unexpected rise in cancellations, so a decline is now anticipated.Across the Pacific in South Korea, consumer sentiment is rising. Their central bank's survey revealed a Composite Consumer Sentiment Index at the highest reading since November 2017. Their renewed confidence follows a major trade agreement with the US and stronger-than-expected economic growth.In Taiwan, retail sales rose +1.9% in October from the same month a year ago, a bounce-back from the -1.6% dip in September. Meanwhile their industrial production expanded sharply again, up another +14.5% on that same year-on-year basis, although the pace of expansion seems to be slowing a bit even if it is strong.The UST 10yr yield is now under 4.00%, down -5 bps from this time yesterday to 3.99% as a defensive mood takes hold.The price of gold will start today at US$4138/oz, and up +US$42 from yesterday.American oil prices have fallen -US$1 from yesterday to be just on US$57.50/bbl, with the international Brent price now just on US$62/bbl.The Kiwi dollar is holding at just under 56.1 USc, and little-changed from yesterday. Against the Aussie we are up +10 bps at just under 87 AUc. Against the euro we have dropped -20 bps to 48.5 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just under 60.8, and little-changed if soft.The bitcoin price starts today at US$86,996 and down -0.3% from yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest at just on +/- 1.2%.Today, the RBNZ will review the OCR and issue its final Monetary Policy Statement of the year. Join us from 2pm when we will start our full coverage.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston. And we will do this again tomorrow.
APAC stocks were pressured following the sell-off stateside, where tech was hit on valuation and China AI race concerns, while sentiment was also not helped by recent hawkish-leaning Fed rhetoric and mixed Chinese activity data.Chinese activity data was mixed, in which Industrial Production disappointed and Retail Sales marginally topped estimates, but both showed a slowdown from the previous, while Chinese House Prices continued to contract.US BLS said it is working on a plan to release the delayed data and stated, "We appreciate your patience while we work to get this information out ASAP, as it may take time to fully assess the situation and finalise revised release dates", according to WSJ.UK PM Starmer and Chancellor Reeves reportedly ditched budget plans to increase income tax rates, according to FT.European equity futures indicate a lower cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.3% after the cash market closed with losses of 0.8% on Thursday.Looking ahead, highlights include German Wholesale Price Index (Oct), French/Spanish CPI Final (Oct), EU Trade Balance (Sep), EU GDP Flash Estimate (Q3), Speakers including ECB's Cipollone, Elderson & Lane, Fed's Bostic, Schmid & Logan, Earnings from Swiss Re, Allianz & Siemens Energy.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
Kia ora,Welcome to Friday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.And today we lead with news that we have unexpectedly weak data from China and unexpectedly strong data from Australia.But first in the US, it is back to work for their Federal government after the record 43 day shutdown impasse ends - at least until January 30 when the current deal needs renewal again. Missed official data releases there may in fact be skipped, so there may not be a catch-up until the next scheduled releases.Meanwhile, American companies continue with their big job cuts.Across the Pacific in China, their new yuan loan levels for October came in unexpectedly weak. They dropped sharply to just ¥220 bln, down from ¥1.3 tln in September and ¥500 bln in October last year. Markets had expected ¥500 bln, so the actual data underscores the continued weakness in credit demand. To put it in perspective, apart from July's unusual dip, this October result is their weakest of any month in at least ten years.After a disappointing retreat in August, EU industrial production bounced back far less in September than expected. It is now only +1.2% higher (real) than a year ago, less than the expected +2.1% rise most analysts had anticipated. They will be disappointed, but for them at least it is still growing in real terms.In Australia, they delivered another very strong set of employment data with jobs expanding by +42,200 and full time jobs expanding by +55,300. Their jobless rate fell more than expected to 4.2% (NZ is 5.3%.) This, along with inflation above target, will have the RBA thinking hard about their December 9 cash rate target which is currently 3.6%. Aussie bond yields spiked higher on the news, taking the NZGB yields up with them.Australian consumer inflation expectations slipped slightly to 4.5% in November from 4.8% in October, the lowest reading since August. Actual CPI inflation in September came in at 3.5%.Also in Australia, the opposition Liberal Party has dumped its commitment to net zero policies, a capitulation that will likely isolate it further from the electorate. It will now really struggle to hold its big city electorates from spirited challenges by teal candidates. In an odd 'compromise' they committed to staying in the Paris Agreement, but without Net Zero that is just greenwashing which will fool no-one. We are probably witnessing the demise of a political party that once was their 'natural' governing political force. Australia will now need a proper liberal opposition to Labor, maybe one born out of the teals.Just as the Aussie Liberals were making that Trumpish decision, the IEA released its 2025 World Energy Outlook. It concluded that technology has moved so far so fast that "options to reduce emissions substantially are well understood and, in many cases, cost effective." From here, staying with fossil fuels will come with cost penalties.Globally, freight rates for containerised cargoes dipped -5% this past week mainly on China-US rates, although China-EU rates rose marginally. Overall that makes them -46% lower than year-ago levels. Bulk freight rates are little-changed this week, to be +25% higher than year-ago levels.The UST 10yr yield is now at 4.10%, up +4 bps from yesterday at this time.The price of gold will start today at US$4198/oz, up another +US$8 from this time yesterday. It is rising again but it is still below its record US$4350 on October 21, 2025. Silver is moving up too, now at US$53/oz but again still lower than its its recent peak of US$54.50 on October 17, 2025American oil prices have recovered +50 USc from yesterday to be just on US$59/bbl, with the international Brent price now over US$63/bbl.The Kiwi dollar is now at just on 56.7 USc, and up +10 bps from yesterday. Against the Aussie we have held at 86.6 AUc. Against the euro we are down -10 bps at 48.7 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just under 61.2 and little-changed from yesterday.The bitcoin price starts today at US$101,032 and down another -0.6% from yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest at just on +/- 1.5%.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston. And we will do this again on Monday.
This week on TrendsTalk, ITR Economist Taylor St. Germain provides an update on the US Economic Policy Uncertainty Index. After record highs earlier this year, uncertainty has been cut in half, setting the stage for accelerating growth in both CAPEX and Industrial Production. Taylor explains why this shift supports ITR Economics' positive outlook through 2026 and what it means for business leaders preparing for expansion. Are you ready to keep pace with growth?
In this episode of Crazy Wisdom, host Stewart Alsop sits down with Harry McKay Roper, founder of Imaginary Space, for a wide-ranging conversation on space mining, AI-driven software, crypto's incorruptible potential, and the raw entrepreneurial energy coming out of Argentina. They explore how technologies like Anthropic's Claude 4.5, programmable crypto protocols, and autonomous agents are reshaping economics, coding, and even law. Harry also shares his experiences building in Buenos Aires and why hunger and resilience define the city's creative spirit. You can find Harry online at YouTube, Twitter, or Instagram under @HarryMcKayRoper.Check out this GPT we trained on the conversationTimestamps00:00 – Stewart Alsop welcomes Harry McKay Roper from Imaginary Space and they jump straight into space mining, Helium-3, and asteroid gold. 05:00 – They explore how Bitcoin could hold value when space mining floods markets and discuss China, America, and global geopolitics. 10:00 – Conversation shifts to Argentina, its economic scars, cultural resilience, and overrepresentation in startups and crypto. 15:00 – Harry reflects on living in Buenos Aires, poverty, and the city's constant hustle and creative movement. 20:00 – The focus turns to AI, Claude 4.5, and the rise of autonomous droids and software-building agents. 25:00 – They discuss the collapse of SaaS, internal tools, and Harry's experiments with AI-generated code and new workflows. 30:00 – Stewart compares China's industry to America's software economy, and Harry points to AI, crypto, and space as frontier markets. 35:00 – Talk moves to crypto regulation, uncorruptible judges, and blockchain systems like Kleros. 40:00 – They debate AI consciousness, embodiment, and whether a robot could meditate. 45:00 – The episode closes with thoughts on free will, universal verifiers, and a playful prediction market bet on autonomous software.Key InsightsSpace and Economics Are Colliding – Harry McKay Roper opens with the idea that space mining will fundamentally reshape Earth's economy. The discovery of asteroids rich in gold and other minerals highlights how our notions of scarcity could collapse once space resources become accessible, potentially destroying the terrestrial gold economy and forcing humanity to redefine value itself.Bitcoin as the New Standard of Value – The conversation naturally ties this to Bitcoin's finite nature. Stewart Alsop and Harry discuss how the flood of extraterrestrial gold could render traditional stores of value meaningless, while Bitcoin's coded scarcity could make it the only incorruptible measure of worth in a future of infinite resources.China and the U.S. in Industrial Tug-of-War – They unpack the geopolitical tension between China's industrial dominance and America's financial hegemony. Harry argues the U.S. is waking up from decades of outsourcing, driven by China's speed in robotics and infrastructure. This dynamic competition, he says, is good—it forces America to build again.Argentina's Culture of Hunger and Resilience – Living in Buenos Aires reshaped Harry's understanding of ambition. He contrasts Argentina's hunger to survive and create with the complacency of wealthier nations, calling the Argentine spirit one of “movement.” Despite poverty, the city's creative drive and humor make it a living example of resilience in scarcity.AI Is Making Custom Software Instant – Harry describes how Claude 4.5 and new AI coding tools like Lovable, Cursor, and GPT Engineer make building internal tools trivial. Instead of using SaaS products, companies can now generate bespoke software in minutes with natural language, signaling the end of traditional software development cycles.Crypto and AI Will Merge Into Incorruptible Systems – Harry envisions AI agents on-chain acting as unbiased judges or administrators, removing human corruption from law and governance. Real-world tools like Kleros, founded by an Argentine, already hint at this coming era of algorithmic justice and decentralized decision-making.Consciousness and the Limits of AI – The episode closes on a philosophical note: can a robot meditate or clear its mind? Stewart and Harry question whether AI could ever experience consciousness or free will, suggesting that while AI may mimic thought, the uniquely subjective and embodied nature of human awareness remains beyond automation—for now.
APAC stocks were higher amid tailwinds from recent trade-related rhetoric, including US President Trump's comments on Friday that 100% tariffs are not sustainable and that he will be meeting with Chinese President Xi.Nikkei 225 surged to a fresh all-time high above the 49,000 level amid a reignition of the Takaichi trade with the LDP leader on track to become Japan's first female PM following an agreement to form a coalition with Japan's Innovation Party.In China, PBoC maintained LPRs as expected, whilst Chinese GDP, Industrial Production and Retail Sales either matched or topped forecasts, and the CPC Central Committee is also holding a four-day closed-door meeting through to Thursday.US President Trump said on Friday that they are getting along with China, and it looks like the meeting with China will go forward, while he could move the November 1st deadline up if he wanted. Trump added that they will make a deal that will be good for both countries and thinks they will be in a strong position in trade talks with China.Israel's Channel 12 reported that Israel was attacking Gaza, while the Israeli military said Hamas carried out multiple attacks against Israeli forces beyond the ‘yellow line', violating the ceasefire; both sides later said they will adhere to the ceasefire once again.S&P lowered France to 'A+' from 'AA-'; Outlook Stable, while it cited heightened risks to budgetary consolidation; European equity futures indicate a positive cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.8% after the cash market finished with losses of 0.8% on Friday.Looking ahead, highlights include German Producer Prices (Sep), Canadian Producer Prices (Sep), US Leading Index (Sep), New Zealand Trade (Sep), CCP 4th Plenum (20th-23rd), Speakers including ECB's Schnabel & RBA's Jones, Supply from EU & Italy, Earnings from Sandvik, Zions Bancorp & Cleveland Cliffs.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
Kia ora,Welcome to Thursday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.And today we lead with news inflation is getting entrenched in the US and policymakers are starting to look away from the threat under political pressure.But first, US mortgage applications fell for a third consecutive week with both refinance and new home applications decreasing. This came even though benchmark 30 year mortgage rates fell too. But the overall activity level is significantly higher than at this time last year.In New York state, factories there reported that their new order levels stopped falling. And they shipped more in the past month. That brought a good rebound in the New York Fed's Empire factory survey in October, making back September's drop and almost back to the August levels. One of the reasons respondents feel better about the situation is that their price increases are sticking and they are absorbing less of their tariff-tax cost increases.Supporting that are two private CPI tracking services who say that consumer prices picked up even more in September, one even suggesting CPI inflation ran at over +6% in September.And that inflation is rising is confirmed in the October Beige Book release today by the Fed. They noted tariff-induced costs were reported in all districts, as input costs increased at a faster pace due to both these higher import costs and the higher cost of services. Overall, they say American economic activity changed little on balance since the previous report, with three Districts reporting slight to modest growth in activity, five reporting no change, and four noting a slight softening. Consumer spending, particularly on retail goods, inched down in recent weeks.Across the Pacific, China said its consumer prices stayed in mild deflation, now running -0.3% lower in September from a year ago. Beef and lamb prices are rising now, but milk prices are still falling.Meanwhile Chinese producer prices, already in moderate deflation, eased back to a -2.3% decrease, from August's -2.9%.China also released its monthly new yuan loan data overnight. They came in at almost ¥1.3 tln, double the unusually low August level but still short of the almost ¥1.5 tln expected. September's get a seasonal boost normally and those factors were evident this year too. But still, the latest level was lower than the ¥1.6 tln in September 2024. Credit demand remains slightly subdued.India said its September exports rose +6.1% to US$36.4 bln, building on the August increase. Their exports to the US are only 20% of all their exports and less than half of those are caught up in punitive tariff-taxes. And even among those, it is the Americans paying, it seems.The EU said their industrial production rose again August from a year ago. Although the rise was a modest +1.1% from a year ago, that is an inflation-adjusted 'real' gain. In fact, their have reported gains on that basis for the past seven consecutive months which is unusual for them. For the prior 38 months they consistently reported year-on-year decreases. It's a turn up they will take.In Australia, the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Leading Index for Q3-2025 suggests that the Australian economy is only expanding at the long term trend pace, but the pace is picking up marginally. They expect 2025 to come in below trend, but 2026 to edge up to trend levels.And Australia fell almost -66,000 homes short in the year to June of the aspirational +240,000 new homes built needed to the Government's target of 1.2 million new homes in the five years to 2029. That's a -27% shortfall in year one, not a great start because it is actually the weakest annual rise in three years. A shortfall like this will underpin prices for existing houses and make housing sharply less affordable.The UST 10yr yield is now at 4.05% and up +2 bps from this time yesterday. The price of gold will start today at US$4196/oz, up +US$52 from yesterday.American oil prices are little-changed at just under US$58.50/bbl, with the international Brent price now just over US$62/bbl.The Kiwi dollar is at just on 57.2 USc, essentially unchanged from yesterday. Against the Aussie we are down -320 bps at 87.8 AUc. Against the euro we are down -10 bps at 49.2 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just on 61.7, down -10 bps from yesterday. Also, see this.The bitcoin price starts today at US$110.890 and down another -1.5% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest at just over +/- 1.3%.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston. And we will do this again tomorrow.
Kia ora,Welcome to Tuesday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.And today we lead with news gold is soaring on US missteps, and oil is falling as demand falters while supply is rising fast.Overnight US data was mixed. August pending home sales came in a little better than expected, up +4.0% from July, but only up +3.8% from year ago levels which themselves were relatively stunted. Less than 20% of American realtors expect the next three months to improve.But the Dallas Fed factory survey reported a sharpish turn lower, a second consecutive monthly contraction in manufacturing activity and the steepest since June. But they still have growth, just far less. New orders dipped again. Costs continue to rise faster than selling prices.The chances of a US federal government shutdown are rising with compromise no longer in anyone's vocabulary. Trump thinks no-one will blame him for his intransigence.And apparently, the next US tariff target is movie production - something both Australian and New Zealand creative industries will look at with trepidation.Singapore reported their producer prices rose. They grew by +1.1% in August from a year ago, after a -2.4% drop in the previous month. And this was their first producer price inflation since March 2025.Later today, China will release its August PMI data, the key releases before their Golden Week holiday break that starts tomorrow.In India, industrial production rose +4.0% in August from a year ago, slowing slightly from the upwardly revised 4.3% growth rate in July, but less than the expected +5% increase. Still, the result continued a reasonable first half of the year, showing that initial tariffs by the Americans did not have a significant immediate impact on their industrial activity.But today's big news will be the RBA's upcoming rate review. Analysts expect no change at 3.6%. Financial markets are of the same view with nothing priced in to secondary market wholesale rates. But the RBA will be weighing the impact of relatively strong labour markets, good economic growth, low budget deficits and a strong fiscal impulse, along with rising CPI inflation touching 3.0% in August. Waiting could leave them with a harder-to-control inflation problem, although to be fair, no-one expects a rise today even if many think it would be warranted and wise.The UST 10yr yield is now at 4.14%, down -5 bps from yesterday.The price of gold will start today at US$3830/oz, up +US$72 from yesterday and a new all-time high. Silver had yet another big spurt, now almost at US$47/oz. This latest surge puts the US gold stockpile at Fort Knox and the NY Fed now worth more than US$1 tln.American oil prices are down a sharpish -US$2 at just over US$63/bbl, with the international Brent price now just over US$67.50/bbl. With global demand wavering, the planned OPEC increase, plus the resumption of Iraqi oil from their Kurdistan region has traders talking about a glut.The Kiwi dollar is at just over 57.8 USc and up +10 bps from yesterday. Against the Aussie however we are down -25 bps at 87.9 AUc and that is the lowest in three years. Against the euro we are little-changed at 49.3 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just on 65.1, down -10 bps.The bitcoin price starts today at US$113,795 and up +3.2% from yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest at under +/- 1.8%.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston. And we will do this again tomorrow.
Kia ora,Welcome to Wednesday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.And today we lead with news markets now universally expect the American central bank to cut rates tomorrow by -25 bps.But today, the overnight dairy auction brought a much better result than expected with the declines for both WMP and SMP nowhere near as sharp as indicated by the earlier derivatives pricing. That will very much ease the pressure on any farm gate payout forecasts. The detail is interesting. There was notably softer demand from China for WMP, but that was countered by stronger SE Asian demand. Cheddar cheese prices rose because of some unexpected demand from North America, But mozzarella prices dived -9.6% on weak Chinese demand. Overall prices slipped just -0.8% in USD, but there were down a sharpish -2.9% in NZD as the greenback took a tumble overnight.Meanwhile, US retail sales rose in August and by a little more than expected. They were up +5.0% after a +4.1% rise in July. But this data is not inflation-adjusted in the way that other countries report. We will have to wait for sales volume data later in the month.And US industrial production rose in August too, but only up +0.1% from the prior month and only after a -0.4% revised fall in July. Year-on-year it is up +0.9%, about average for 2025, but hardly evidence of manufacturing reshoring.Homebuilder sentiment was flat in August as reported by the NAHB survey. It is remaining at the very low levels we have seen since May, and very much lower than this time last year. They are pinning their hopes on Fed rate cut(s) delivering a changed outlook.And staying in the US, crypto giant Binance looks like its lobbying and support of Trump will see the US Justice Department drop a key oversight requirement in its US$4.3 bln settlement of allegations that it didn't do enough to prevent money laundering. So, pay the money, get no oversight, and go back to enabling money laundering. A real Trump-type deal.Meanwhile, Canadian CPI inflation rose from 1.7% in July to 1.9% in August, a lesser rise than was anticipated. Meanwhile there was a rather sharp fall in housing starts there in August, down -16% from July to 245,791 units from a revised 293,537 in July and well below market expectations of 277,500. But they were still +10% higher than year-ago levels. A rate cut is coming in Canada tomorrow too.In China, there are some signs that Beijing's stimulus could be working. Steel output not only stopped falling, it actually picked up in the first two weeks of September, defying downbeat expectations. And iron ore prices rose too recently.In the EU, industrial production rose more than anticipated in July, although the expectations aren't high.The UST 10yr yield is now at 4.03%, down -1 bp from yesterday at this time. The price of gold will start today at US$3,686/oz, up +US$7 from yesterday.American oil prices are up +US$1 at just over US$64.50/bbl, with the international Brent price firmish just over US$68.50/bbl.The Kiwi dollar is at just on 59.9 USc and up +20 bps from yesterday. Against the Aussie we are up +10 bps at 89.6 AUc. Against the euro we are down -20 bps at 50.5 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just over 66.7, little-changed from yesterday.The bitcoin price starts today at US$116,480 and up +1.3% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has again been low at just under +/- 0.8%.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston. And we will do this again tomorrow.
Kia ora,Welcome to Friday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand.I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz.And today we lead with news markets have brushed off the Nvidia result and chosen to extend their risk appetite. The S&P500 is at another new record high. But bond markets aren't so sure this is justified.In the real world, US initial jobless claims were little-changed last week from the prior week, both in actual terms and from what seasonal factors would have suggested. There are now 1,945,000 people on these benefits, +101,500 more than at the same time last year.The American GDP Q2-2025 GDP was revised slightly higher in its second estimate than the first mainly due to a slightly smaller decline in investment.Pending home sales fell -0.4% in July from June, extending the -0.8% drop in the prior month to mark the first back-to-back contraction since January. They were down -0.7% from a year ago as the American housing market seems in a long-term slow decline having never really recovering from the pandemic period.The Kansas City Fed factory survey was stable overall but that was despite a fall in export orders and elevated cost pressures. survey. There was a modest rise in August from July, but most metrics are still lower than a year ago.Earlier today there was a much less supported US Treasury seven year bond auction (-11% less bid value) but the median yield fell to 3.87% from 4.06% at the prior equivalent event a month ago.In Canada they reported that average weekly earnings were up +3.7% to C$1,302 in June, following a +3.3% increase in May.In India, industrial production rose in July and the pace picked up by more than expected. The expansion was +3.5% when +2.1% was anticipated, and more than double the pace of June's +1.5%.In Europe, despite their inflation pressures being modest and on target, settling it at 2.0%, the overnight release of the ECB minutes revealed a split among policy makers on how to assess future risk. They left their policy rate unchanged despite some thinking rates need to go lower to support growth and counter US tariffs, while others thinking the risk of future inflation is rising. Despite that split review, in the end the decision to hold rates unchanged was unanimous.Global container shipping freight rates fell -6% last week from the week before to be -60% lower than year-ago levels, although that year-ago base reflected unusual stress in the Red Sea shipping lanes. Once again, the recent falls are all to do with outbound trade from China. Interestingly, Chinese shippers are now targeting Australia and New Zealand, along with the Middle East because of the higher rates they can get in these alternative trades. Bulk cargo rates are little changed week-on-week but are up nearly +20% from a year ago.The UST 10yr yield is now at 4.21%, down -3 bps from yesterday at this time.The price of gold will start today at US$3,415/oz, up +US$20 from yesterday.American oil prices are little-changed at US$64/bbl with the international Brent price is still just under US$68/bbl.The Kiwi dollar is at just on 58.9 USc and up +30 bps from yesterday at this time. Against the Aussie we are up +10 bps at 90.1 AUc. Against the euro we are unchanged at 50.4 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just on 66.4, and up a net +10 bps from yesterday.The bitcoin price starts today at US$112,596 and up +0.2% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest at just under +/- 1.1%.You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz.Kia ora. I'm David Chaston. And we will do this again on Monday.
Tune in every Monday morning ahead of the New York opening bell as Ulrike Hoffmann-Burchardi, CIO Americas and Head of Global Equities for UBS Wealth Management, briefs you on the most important market drivers in the week ahead, along with opportunities beyond the consensus. This week – key macro releases, including CPI, Retail Sales, and Industrial Production data, along with the remains of the Q2 corporate earnings season.
Fed Decision and Market Reactions - July 30th Recap In this episode of Dividend Cafe, Brian Szytel recaps the outcomes of the recent Federal Reserve meeting held over the past two days. The Fed decided to maintain interest rates between 4.25% and 4.5%, which led to mixed reactions in the market. Despite initial market rallies, comments by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell led to a reversal, resulting in a net loss for the DOW and modest movements in the S&P and Nasdaq. Significant data discussed includes the better-than-expected Q2 GDP figures and fluctuating private payroll and housing sales data. Brian also touches on the historical context of industrial production and productivity growth post-2008 financial crisis. The episode closes with a Q&A segment, addressing the broader economic trends and their implications. 00:00 Introduction and Market Overview 00:08 Fed Meeting Insights and Market Reactions 01:51 Economic Calendar Highlights 04:11 Industrial Production and Productivity Post-Financial Crisis 05:30 Q&A and Conclusion Links mentioned in this episode: DividendCafe.com TheBahnsenGroup.com
In this week's episode, we cover a wide range of reports that touch on inflation, consumer spending, manufacturing activity, and what might come out of the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on July 30. We also analyze the moves in both the bond markets and equities caused by the rumors of President Trump's desire to remove Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Lastly, we discuss the potential for antitrust activity among the most influential companies in the technology sector, colloquially known as the Magnificent 7.Speakers:Brian Pietrangelo, Managing Director of Investment StrategyGeorge Mateyo, Chief Investment OfficerRajeev Sharma, Managing Director of Fixed IncomeStephen Hoedt, Head of Equities 00:57 – The Consumer Price Index – a measure of inflation – increased in both overall and core (which excludes food and energy prices) figures in June, both month over month and year over year. The next release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures Index (PCE) – another measure of inflation – is expected on July 31.02:03 – The U.S. Census Bureau released its monthly report on advance monthly retail sales, which was positive for the economy and showed an 0.6% increase in consumer spending for June.02:46 – The Federal Reserve's latest Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization report showed a 0.3% uptick in manufacturing in June, which was a very welcome sign because April and May figures were relatively flat, and March was negative.03:27 – The Fed released its Beige Book report, which comes out in advance of the upcoming FOMC meeting. Overall, it shows cautiously positive signs across the twelve districts, with five reporting slight or modest gains, five with flat activity, and modest declines for the remaining two.04:12 – We note three themes to pay attention to over the next few weeks in addition to the upcoming FOMC meeting: President Trump's ongoing or extended pause on tariffs, the PCE inflation report, and updated figures on the labor market.05:08 – Because the CPI data was higher than expected, market expectations of the Fed issuing a July rate cut are down to under 5%, while expectations of a September rate cut are around 60%. Still, a growing contingency is betting on the next rates cuts coming as late as the fourth quarter of this year or not at all until 2026.06:27 – The bond market reacts to this week's economic news with front-end yields, which are more sensitive to Fed policy, moving lower more rapidly than longer-ended yields, which are more sensitive to the economy and inflation.07:56 – The Merrill Lynch Option Volatility Estimate (“the MOVE Index”,) – which tracks volatility in the bond market – spiked on reports that Trump was thinking of removing Fed Chair Jerome Powell, but quickly came back down and remains stable, signaling a resilient bond market.09:56 – An overall analysis of the economy and markets considering this week's rumors of Powell's potential ouster, the more likely potential of his serving out his full term, and conversations of who might come next. We look to historical precedent during Richard Nixon's presidency for what might happen in the future.13:29 – The equities market continues to see all-time highs and will likely remain high in August before anticipated cooling beginning in September. Technology sector stocks lead the market rally, with some lagging in healthcare and consumer staples.17:36 – Stocks of the Magnificent 7 are buoying the markets partly because of their high trading volume and concentration. More singularly focused companies like Microsoft and NVIDIA seem immune from government interference, but more-diversified companies like Meta and Alphabet might be more susceptible to anti-trust efforts.20:19 – The overall economic outlook is positive for now. Recession fears and tariff-related volatility are coming down, but can come back at any moment. The implications for your portfolio are to balance risk and remain diversified to offset potential future fluctuations.Additional ResourcesKey Questions: What Is in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and How Does It Compare to Current Law?Key Questions | Key Private Bank Subscribe to our Key Wealth Insights newsletterWeekly Investment Brief Follow us on LinkedIn
Positive Market Trends and Economic Indicators Update In this episode of Dividend Cafe, hosted by Brian Szytel on Wednesday, July 16th, the positive movements in the financial markets are highlighted, including a rise in the DOW, S&P, and Nasdaq, and a drop in the 10-year yield. The episode discusses the significantly cooler than expected Producer Price Index (PPI) for June, which aligns with favorable inflation targets and hints at potential reductions in consumer prices. Other positive economic signals include an increase in industrial production and optimistic comments in the Fed's latest page book. Additionally, Brian addresses viewer questions about the stability of New York City bonds amidst a potential declining tax base and the feasibility of replacing income tax with a consumption tax, providing detailed insights into these financial concerns. The episode concludes with a preview of the upcoming economic data releases for the remainder of the week. 00:00 Welcome to Dividend Cafe 00:08 Market Overview: A Positive Day 00:34 Producer Price Index Insights 01:50 Industrial Production and Economic Activity 02:31 Financial Sector Highlights 03:12 Q&A: New York City Bonds and Tariffs 05:19 Upcoming Economic Indicators 05:36 Closing Remarks Links mentioned in this episode: DividendCafe.com TheBahnsenGroup.com
US President Trump says he is working on five to six trade deals and there will probably be two to three deals by August 1st. Also notes that pharma tariffs will probably begin at month-end and initial tariffs on pharmaceuticals will be lowEuropean bourses are mixed having clambered off early morning lows, Autos/Tech lags following results from Renault and ASML.US equity futures trade on either side of the unchanged mark, NQ lags as it digests ASML's results where it walked back on its 2026 growth outlook amid tariff uncertainty.DXY essentially flat awaiting US PPI, GBP digests hot inflation metrics.EGBs slightly heavy into the MMF, Gilts lag on CPI, USTs flat before PPI.Looking ahead, US PPI, Industrial Production & Capacity Utilisation, Speakers including Fed's Barkin, Barr, Cook, Hammack, Logan, Kugler & Williams. Earnings from J&J, PNC, BAC, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
APAC stocks were mostly subdued following the lacklustre handover from Wall St.US President Trump says he is working on five to six trade deals and there will probably be two to three deals by August 1st.European equity futures indicate a marginally softer cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.2% after the cash market closed with losses of 0.3% on Tuesday.DXY is fractionally softer after gaining again yesterday, EUR/USD has returned to a 1.16 handle, Cable sits sub-1.34 pre-CPI.France's Marine Le Pen warned that if French PM Bayrou does not revise his public spending plan they "will seek to topple him".Looking ahead, highlights include UK CPI, US PPI, Industrial Production & Capacity Utilisation, Fed's Barkin, Barr, Cook, Hammack, Logan, Kugler & Williams, Supply from Germany, Earnings from J&J, PNC, BAC, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, ASML & Sandvik.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
Contact us today to learn more about how you can benefit from Financial Resilience! → https://hubs.la/Q035Qlcs0 This week on TrendsTalk, ITR Economist Taylor St. Germain highlights US Industrial Production, noting it is gaining momentum and is forecasted to improve steadily through 2026. What are the main sectors driving this growth? Are you positioning your business to make the most of the growth ahead? Watch the full episode to learn more!
Tim Bohen focuses on companies impacted by the Israel/Iran conflict and reacts to the latest economic data. “I am very, very bullish America and where it's headed,” he says, and was disappointed by the latest Industrial Production numbers because of that. However, he acknowledges it will take years for manufacturing reshoring to make a noticeable impact. He reflects on his “buy-the-dip” call in April and says he'll keep buying now.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about
APAC stocks traded mixed/mostly lower with the region failing to coattail on Wall Street's gains, as geopolitical angst kept risk subdued.US President Trump posted that "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" before cutting his G7 trip short, stoking fears of a US military offensive. Sentiment later stabilised after CBS reported that the US is not joining Israel offensively in its military operations against Iran.BoJ maintained its rate at 0.5% as expected via unanimous vote, and is to reduce the amount of monthly JGB purchases by about JPY 200bln each quarter from April 2026 onward (as telegraphed); Tamura dissented on the taper plan.Japanese PM Ishiba and US President Trump did not reach a tariff agreement, but confirmed they are to continue tariff talks, according to Fuji TV.European equity futures are indicative of a softer open with the Euro Stoxx 50 future -0.6% after cash closed with gains of 1.0% on Monday.Looking ahead, highlights include German ZEW, US Export/Import Prices, Retail Sales, Industrial Production, BoJ Press Conference, BoC Minutes, G7 Leaders' Summit, IEA OMR, Supply from UK, Germany & US.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
US President Trump says he wants "a real end," with Iran "giving up entirely" on nukes”, via CBS's Jacobs.US President Trump says the EU is not yet offering a fair deal, there is a chance of a deal with Japan but they are "tough". Pharma tariffs coming soon.Stocks hit as Iran-Israel strikes continue and Trump posts that "everyone" should evacuate Tehran.FX markets in narrow ranges awaiting US Retail Sales; incremental strength in JPY post-BoJ, but Ueda sparked some weakness thereafter.Two-way action for JGBs; USTs just about firmer while EGBs & Gilts reside in the red.Crude moves higher as Trump cuts his G7 trip short and now awaiting developments from the situation in Iran.Looking ahead, US Export/Import Prices, Retail Sales, Industrial Production, BoC Minutes, G7 Leaders' Summit.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
APAC stocks were predominantly lower following the mixed handover from Wall St, where the major indices were somewhat choppy and small caps underperformed as yields edged higher.US equity futures were lacklustre with participants awaiting comments from Fed Chair Powell and a slew of US data releases.European equity futures indicate a slightly lower cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.3% after the cash market finished with losses of 0.2% on Wednesday.Iran is ready to sign an agreement with certain conditions in exchange for the lifting of sanctions and would commit to never making nuclear weapons, as well as getting rid of its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, according to a top advisor to the Supreme Leader cited by NBC News.Russian President Putin was not on a list of negotiators the Kremlin published for talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday.Looking ahead, highlights include German Wholesale Price Index, UK GDP, EZ Employment & GDP, US NY Fed Manufacturing, Jobless Claims, Philly Fed Index, PPI, Retail Sales & Industrial Production, IEA OMR, Speakers include ECB's Cipollone, Elderson & de Guindos, Fed Chair Powell & Barr, BoE's Dhingra, Supply from US.Earnings from Applied Materials, Take-Two, Alibaba, Walmart, Deere, Deutsche Telekom, Siemens, Allianz, Merck, Thyssenkrupp, RWE, Siemens, National Grid, United Utilities & Richemont.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
European equities are subdued awaiting US data and Fed Chair Powell; US equity futures also tilt lower (ES -0.6%).DXY is subdued and contained whilst havens seen some inflows amid the broader risk tone.Fixed income benchmarks trade slightly firmer into US data and Fed Chair Powell's speech. Crude futures are curtailed by Trump suggesting the US is getting close to a deal with Iran, while metals await data & Powell.Looking ahead, highlights include US NY Fed Manufacturing, Jobless Claims, Philly Fed Index, PPI, Retail Sales & Industrial Production, IEA OMR, Speakers include ECBʼs de Guindos; Fed Chair Powell & Barr, BoEʼs Dhingra. Earnings from Applied Materials, Take-Two, Alibaba, Walmart, Deere.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
“Watchdog” NGO attacks ivermectin as quack cancer fix—while studies support its potential benefits; China tariffs will impact supplements for humans—but also key nutritional ingredients for food, agriculture; Supreme Court rules on flavored vape products aimed at kids—as 17 year old cheerleader sidelined with “popcorn lung”; Tips for dealing with spring allergies.
This episode of Macro Mondays aired live at 12pm on Monday, the 14th of April, 2025. Join us LIVE every Monday at 12:30 PM UK time for Macro Mondays, where we break down the biggest financial market moves and what's coming next!
In this episode of Uncommon Sense with Ginny Robinson, I'm giving my take (to the best of my ability—because I'm not a tariff expert and neither are most of the people chiming in right now) on Trump's gutsy new tariff move. It's the one that's got half the country cheering and the other half clutching their pearls. While the media yells “economic suicide,” I'm here to suggest that this strategy might actually work—but not overnight. We'll talk about the possibility of long-term gain, the reality of short-term discomfort, and the cultural obsession with instant results when what's often required is patience. I will also go over our collective short attention spans and why longer attention spans are needed for understanding complex issues like this. Every answer won't fit in a 15 second soundbite. At the end of the day, we'll have to pray, wait, and see. Some of the smartest plays take time to unfold.—https://noblegoldinvestments.com/learn/gold-and-silver-guide/?utm_campaign=21243613394&utm_source=g&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=&utm_term=noble%20gold&seg_aprod=&ad_id=698073353663&oid=2&affid=1&utm_source=google&affiliate_source=googleads_brand_bmbc&utm_term=noble%20gold&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADQ2DzJSJ_mi5cJo8dO2FNUs7uNy-&gclid=CjwKCAjwktO_BhBrEiwAV70jXtjSCyioSM2Hz1McTAlR3f8t3KCDDN3-XBWLaIzwJmiEGe0ztxIk5RoCnM0QAvD_BwE
2025 ITR Economics Summit→ https://hubs.la/Q035QkjZ0 Contact us today to learn more about how you can benefit from Financial Resilience! → https://hubs.la/Q035Qlcs0 This week on TrendsTalk, ITR Economist Taylor St. Germain shares encouraging news – US Industrial Production is approaching Phase B, Accelerating Growth, indicating a positive outlook for 2025 and 2026 for the industrial economy. While it is normal to feel the negative effects from the past year despite this positive trend, tune in to discover how you can best prepare for the coming growth ahead!
Joe Cantu provides the Cantu Tactical Wealth Management 2025 Stock Market forecast as of February 16, 2025. He shows charts of the GDP, Gross Domestics Product, report for the United States. He display several other economic reports such as Industrial Production, Capacity Utilization and Employment. The Magnificent seven stocks are discussed with the performance for 2024. There is an interesting comparison of the S&P 500 Size weighted INDEX and the S&P 500 Equal Weighted INDEX for 2024 performance. This is a good video for retirement accounts and money management ideas.Link: "What is An ETF?" https://youtu.be/6ogG3qzF15EMagnificent 7 links: "What Are the Magnificent Seven Stocks?", https://www.wsj.com/buyside/personal-finance/investing/magnificent-7-stocks?utmhttps://youtu.be/UrYxlJ31r2I Youtube Link:
S&P Futures are trading slightly lower this morning with the pause in implementations of tariffs remaining the key headline. The key here is that it allows countries the opportunity to negotiate trade barriers ahead of any tariff action being implemented. Later this morning there are economic reports on Retail Sales and Industrial Production. ABNB, DKNG, FROG, GT, ROKU & WYNN are all higher after releasing their earnings reports. Monday is a holiday, on Tuesday morning watch for earnings from BIDU, FLR, GPC & MDT. The House Budget Committee passed a Budget Resolution and it will not go to the full House for a vote. Hong Kong markets surged as China's President is meeting with business leaders in an effort to expand growth. Oil prices are moving higher as tariff announcements are delayed.
European bourses & US futures began the session mixed but have deteriorated on geopols; Luxury lifted by Hermes post-earnings.USD remains pressured post-Trump tariff announcement, Antipodeans lead.Bonds retain a bearish bias but are off lows as geopolitics drives recent price actionGas continues to deflate, crude rangebound & metals advance.Russia has said its officials are not attending the Munich conference, US VP Vance & Ukraine's Zelensky set to meet at 11:00EST; recent remarks from Zelensky have tempered recent optimismLooking ahead, US Import/Export Prices, Retail Sales, Industrial Production, Capacity Utilisation & Manufacturing Output, BoC SLOOS, Speakers including & Fed's Logan.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
US President Trump signed a memorandum to introduce a reciprocal tariff plan; delayed implementation provided optimism regarding negotiations.APAC stocks were mostly higher following the positive handover from Wall St; S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed with gains of over 1%.European equity futures indicate a negative cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 future down 0.4% after the cash market closed with gains of 1.8% on Thursday.USD is steady after yesterday's heavy selling. EUR/USD trades around 1.0450 and Cable sits above 1.2550.Looking ahead, highlights include Germany Wholesale Price Index, EZ Employment, US Import/Export Prices, Retail Sales, Industrial Production, Capacity Utilisation & Manufacturing Output, BoC SLOOS, Speakers including ECB's Panetta & Fed's Logan, Earnings from Moderna, Hermes, Safran, Segro & NatWest.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
Geoff Bailey, Logistics Project Manager at minerals giant Imerys, describes the company's operations and the wide variety of end customers using silicates and other minerals in a conversation with Craig and JP. We discuss the importance of strategic site selection and transportation networks in bringing minerals to market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
APAC stocks were mixed in mostly rangebound trade after the uninspiring handover from Wall St and despite encouraging Chinese GDP and activity data.Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp were choppy with only mild support seen after GDP, Industrial Production & Retail Sales beat expectations with China's economy growing 5.4% Y/Y (exp. 5.0%) in Q4 and by 5.0% (exp. 4.9%) for 2024.DXY lacked conviction following the headwinds from a dovish Fed Waller; USD/JPY initially languished at its lowest in nearly a month; Antipodeans saw a muted reaction to Chinese data.Israel agreed to the Gaza hostage deal and the cabinet is to meet on Friday, according to Israeli media; Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gvir said he will resign from the government if the Gaza ceasefire deal is approved.European equity futures indicate a flat cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures U/C after the cash market closed with gains of 1.5% on Thursday.Looking ahead, highlights include US Industrial Production, CBO Budget and Economic Outlook, Comments from ECB's Cipollone, Earnings from SLB, Fastenal, Truist, State Street & Citizens.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
Jerome Powell's rate cut, market drops, economic risks, inflation, and the future of the economy.Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning at https://netsuite.com/goldFor 20% off your Momentous order, head to https://livemomentous.com and use code GOLD.Laughing Cats https://open.spotify.com/artist/2f3z6IPGfomCl9FsJeyb8dIn this milestone 1000th episode of the Peter Schiff Show Podcast, Peter broadcasts from an unconventional setup due to technical issues, as he covers a dramatic day in the markets. Jerome Powell's Federal Reserve announces a 25 basis points interest rate cut to meet market expectations, but the stock market reacts negatively with significant losses. Peter discusses the historic losing streak in the Dow, investor optimism around speculative assets, and the financial risks posed by an expensive market amidst rising inflation and interest rates. He critiques Jerome Powell's perception of a strong U.S. economy and labor market, highlighting negative data revisions and continuing economic vulnerabilities. Peter also addresses the implications of rising U.S. deficits, government spending, and a surging dollar on global inflation. He predicts further turbulence for the housing and financial markets, the potential for a bear market, and the likelihood of resumed Fed easing measures. Schiff concludes with insights on gold and silver investments, market disconnects, and political dynamics impacting economic policies.
Mining Stock Daily provides an update on Sierra Madre Gold and Silver's La Guitarra Mine, discussing the recent announcement of industrial production and the path towards commercial production. The discussion highlights production numbers, market valuation, and future projections for the company, including exploration plans and alignment with shareholders.
Collective Mining has discovered a new silver zone at Guayabales. Newcore Gold and Arizona Sonoran Copper has met test results to report. Defiance Silver published a mineral resource estimate for Tepal. Fortuna Mining updated its Mineral Reserves and Resource at Séguéla. Kingfisher Metals announced a financing. Sierra Madre Gold and Silver announced industrial production has begun at the Guitarra mine processing plant in Estado de Mexico. This episode of Mining Stock Daily is brought to you by... Arizona Sonoran Copper Company (ASCU:TSX) is focused on developing its brownfield copper project on private land in Arizona. The Cactus Mine Project is located less than an hour's drive from the Phoenix International airport. Grid power and the Union Pacific Rail line situated at the base of the Cactus Project main road. With permitted water access, a streamlined permitting framework and infrastructure already in place, ASCU's Cactus Mine Project is a lower risk copper development project in the infrastructure-rich heartland of Arizona.For more information, please visit www.arizonasonoran.com. Vizsla Silver is focused on becoming one of the world's largest single-asset silver producers through the exploration and development of the 100% owned Panuco-Copala silver-gold district in Sinaloa, Mexico. The company consolidated this historic district in 2019 and has now completed over 325,000 meters of drilling. The company has the world's largest, undeveloped high-grade silver resource. Learn more at https://vizslasilvercorp.com/ Minera Alamos is a gold developer and producer with its first low capex mine, Santana, continuing to work through start-up development. The company is also advancing the Cerro de Oro project through the permitting process. Minera is built around its operating team which brought 4 mines into production in Mexico over the last 13 years. It is fully funded with over $20-million dollars in working capital. Learn more at mineraalamos.com.
S&P Futures are trading lower this morning in a reaction to comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell that the Fed is not in a rush to lower rates. Put volumes soar in drug stocks as President-elect Donald Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic and critic of federal health agencies, to be his Secretary of Health and Human Services. Two key economic reports due out this morning, Retail Sales and Industrial Production. SEC filings displaying position adjustments at major funds continue to come in, AAPL is seeing an elevated number of firms existing positions in the last quarter. In Europe, stocks have gone from flat two lower as anxiety builds ahead of the U.S. markets open. Oil prices are slightly lower due to global demand concerns.
Weakness in today's Industrial Production print is one indicator that Charles Schwab's Liz Ann Sonders says create bumps in the Fed's road ahead. Even in stronger reports like Retail Sales, weaker sales in electronics can create trouble for the holiday shopping season. Liz Ann also looks into the connection between stocks and yields. ======== Schwab Network ======== Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribe Download the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185 Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7 Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watch Watch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-explore Watch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/ Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetwork Follow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetwork Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about
Is the Fed's latest rate cut a sign of turbulent times ahead or a smart move to sustain growth?In this week's episode of Facts vs Feelings, Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist at Carson Group, and Sonu Varghese, VP, Global Macro Strategist at Carson Group, examine the Federal Reserve's significant decision to cut interest rates by 50 basis points (or half a percentage point) — the first reduction since March 2020. This pivotal move carries major implications for investors, the economy, and overall market sentiment. Ryan and Sonu explore the reasoning behind the Fed's policy shift and explain what it means for those managing portfolios in today's financial landscape.Are we looking at a new phase of economic momentum, or are there hidden risks on the horizon? The hosts offer a detailed analysis, along with practical advice for financial advisors and investors adjusting their strategies in response to this new economic reality.Key Highlights:Federal Reserve's Rate Cut: The Fed's first interest rate reduction in over three years is framed as a strategic risk management tool designed to stabilize employment and promote sustained growth rather than a reaction to looming recession fearsResilient Economic Data: Despite the rate cut, key sectors like industrial production and retail sales continue to show strength. Robust growth in high-tech industries and online shopping underscores the overall resilience of the economyConsumer Debt and Health: While consumer debt has hit record highs, it remains manageable. Low delinquency rates and minimal bankruptcy filings suggest that household finances remain relatively stableStock Market Gains: Recent stock market gains are driven by strong corporate profit growth rather than inflated valuations. With healthy corporate balance sheets and expanding profit margins, the outlook for continued market growth remains positiveHousing Market Rebound: Although mortgage rates remain high, improvements in housing permits and starts suggest that the Fed's rate cuts are beginning to stimulate activity in the housing sector, a key driver of economic growthBond Market Reactions: Long-term treasury yields have risen despite the rate cut — a positive signal indicating confidence in the economy's future growth rather than fears of a potential recessionFuture Market Outlook: Historical data shows that markets often perform well after major Fed rate cuts, particularly when supported by strong economic momentum, as is currently the caseAnd much more!Resources:Any questions about the show? Send it to us! We'd love to hear from you! factsvsfeelings@carsongroup.com Connect with Ryan Detrick: LinkedIn: Ryan DetrickX: Ryan DetrickConnect with Sonu Varghese: LinkedIn: Sonu VargheseX: Sonu Varghese
htt Sarah Kaye has always been drawn to the tactile world of 3D creation. Fond memories of her mum's homemade play-dough and her insistence on clay projects in art class foreshadowed her future path. Sarah studied Product Design at Parsons School of Design and dug deeply into her minor in Ceramic for Industrial Production under the guidance of Marek Cecula. However, recognizing the practicalities of life after graduation, Sarah ventured into advertising as a Strategic Planner, where she discovered unexpected parallels of the design process and understanding consumer behavior - thinking about product use and the consumer's experince of them. In Seattle, Sarah was accepted to the two year Pottery Northwest residency program, the last group of residents to be guided by the delight that is Wally Bivens. Starbucks recruited Sarah for a project while still in the program there, as did a local espresso machine manufacturer. Twelves years later, SKaye Ceramics is based in Seattle's Georgetown and Sarah has close ties to the coffee community who have been the patron saints of her small business. http://ThePottersCast.com/1023
Stocks rise; auto manufacturing rebounds after strike resolution; services sector activity picks up; hiring quickens in December.