Tokyo Inflation Beats Forecast, Keeping BOJ on Rate Hike Path
Tokyo's inflation held steady in November, keeping the Bank of Japan on track for an interest rate hike in coming months. Consumer prices excluding fresh food in the capital advanced 2.8% this month from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Friday, as gains in electricity costs accelerated while those for processed food slowed. That was a tad stronger than the median economist forecast of 2.7% and matched the result for the previous month. And - China's real estate sector suffered another blow after China Vanke Co. proposed delaying repayment on a local bond, sending some of its notes plunging to record lows and fueling concerns about Beijing's willingness to support even the largest distressed developers. For more on what is moving the markets in Asia, we spoke to Paul Dobson, Bloomberg's Executive Editor for Asia Markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Hong Kong High Rise Fire, Fed Cut Bets Continue
Hong Kong's worst residential fire in more than half a century has killed at least 44 people and left hundreds missing, as rescue workers race to extinguish the blaze and Chinese President Xi Jinping urges all-out efforts to reduce casualties. Rescue efforts continued overnight after a fire that began around 3 p.m. Wednesday turned an eight-tower housing block in northern Hong Kong into an inferno, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Officials said the blaze began on a section of the bamboo scaffolding encasing the complex, which is still widely used in the city. Bloomberg's Minmin Low is on site. Investors continue to keep an eye on the increasing probability of a December interest rate cut. What does that mean for Asian Markets? We heard from Hartmut Issel, UBS Wealth Management Head of APAC Equities and Credit. He spoke to Bloomberg's Avril Hong and Shery Ahn on the Asia Trade. Plus - Wall Street extended its rally on Wednesday. Tech stocks led the climb in US equities as rising expectations for interest-rate cuts helped carry traders' newfound optimism into the Thanksgiving break. Also, the latest Fed survey showed little change in US economic activity during recent weeks. The so-called Beige Book also found employment declined slightly -- and prices rose moderately. We spoke to Patrick Kennedy, Founding Partner at All Source Investment Management.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Asia Stocks Rise on Fed Rate Cut Bets
Asian stocks extended their gains into a third day, tracking advances on Wall Street as weak US consumer data lifted bets on a Federal Reserve interest-rate cut next month. MSCI's regional stock gauge rose 1.2%. Almost all of the 11 industry groups in the index advanced, with as many as three stocks gaining for every one that fell. That came after US benchmarks posted their third day of gains. Chinese equities opened steady as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. shares fell as much as 2.8% in Hong Kong trading after its earnings. For more outlook on the markets, we spoke to William Bratton, Head of Cash Equity Research for the Asia Pacific at BNP Paribas. Plus - US consumer confidence slid in November by the most in seven months on growing anxiety about the labor market and the economy. The Conference Board's gauge decreased 6.8 points to 88.7, data out Tuesday showed. The figure was weaker than all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. A gauge of expectations for the next six months declined to the lowest level since April, while a measure of present conditions slumped to a more than one-year low. And in regards to individual stock movers, Alphabet Inc. came off session highs that had driven the search giant closer to a $4 trillion valuation, after The Information reported that Meta Platforms Inc. is in talks to use Google's AI chips. Shares of Nvidia Corp., Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Oracle Corp. remained lower. We get perspective from Jim Worden, CIO, The Wealth Consulting Group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday held their first talks since agreeing to a tariff truce last month, discussing trade, Taiwan and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Trump said the telephone call was "very good" and that the leaders spoke about purchases of soybeans and other farm products as well as curbing shipments of illegal fentanyl. The US president said he agreed to visit Beijing in April, and that he had invited Xi for a state visit next year. "Our relationship with China is extremely strong!" Trump posted on social media. "There has been significant progress on both sides in keeping our agreements current and accurate. Now we can set our sights on the big picture." But the US president's readout of the call sidestepped one issue — the self-governing island of Taiwan — that was a central focus for Xi. The Chinese leader told Trump that the return of Taiwan to China is a key part of the post-World War II international order, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement. Xi also said the two countries should keep the positive momentum generated during their meeting last month in South Korea and expand cooperation, the statement said. There is a lot to be said about artificial intelligence. Nvidia reported earnings last week that beat analyst expectations. Also, the White House says President Trump is weighing whether to allow Nvidia Corp. to sell advanced artificial intelligence chips to China and will be the one to make a final decision on the matter. For more on the AI trade, we speak to Ritesh Ganeriwal, Syfe's Head of Investment and Advisory. Plus: Investors are boosting bets on the Federal Reserve cutting rates next month. For more, we spoke to Rob Haworth, Senior Investment Strategy Director, U.S. Bank Asset Management Group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Early Talks on Nvidia H200s to China, Week Ahead for Markets
US officials are having early discussions on whether to let Nvidia sell its H200 artificial intelligence chips to China, according to people familiar with the matter. Helen Zhu, Managing Partner and CIO at NF Trinity, recaps last week in the AI trade, and the current the appetite for risk assets. Plus, markets are looking ahead to more shutdown-delayed data and the Fed's Beige Book survey. Grace Glockner, Director of National Accounts & Investment Team Member at Scharf Investments, discusses the AI trade, the recent consumer sentiment data, and how "Steady Eddie" companies are shaping her outlook for the New Year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join Bloomberg Daybreak Asia for business and finance news centered in the Asia-Pacific region, along with insight and analysis on the day's top stories in global markets.