Goldman Sachs: China’s ‘exit wave’ on reopening weighs on economy
China’s “exit wave” in its reopening process has slowed the economy significantly, Goldman Sachs economists said in a report.
“The ongoing ‘exit wave’ following China’s faster-than-expected reopening has weighed heavily on economic activity in recent months, due to a surge in infections, a temporary labor shortage, labor and supply chain disruptions,” he said in a report. .
“It is very surprising in our view that the figures reported for December were not worse,” the economists said.
– Jihye Lee
Credit Suisse says iron ore prices will hit around $130-$140 this year
Iron ore prices are expected to hover around $130 to $140 as traders focus on reopening China, said Saul Kavonic, head of energy and resources research at Credit Suisse.
“We expect the $130-140 mark to be where prices end and cap this year,” he said.
While the past few weeks of strong iron ore demand have been boosted by speculative buying and holiday buying, he said markets are currently watching the progress of China’s reopening and the rollout of any revival of infrastructure.
He said these measures “will sustain this demand for iron ore through this year into next year.”
Australian mining giant Rio Tinto released its fourth-quarter production results, slightly above estimates.
“The real purpose [of] Rio has been on iron ore, which underpins the entire sector for the past few months, which was ultimately a call that finally came to fruition late last year and early this year.” , did he declare.
Rio TintoShares of had last traded down 1.11%.
—Lee Ying Shan
China retail sales beat estimates, economy grows more than expected
Retail sales in China in December beat estimates, falling just 1.8% on an annualized basis, significantly better than the 8.6% drop projected in a Reuters poll.
Industrial production also rose 1.3% in December, beating expectations for a 0.2% increase.
In the fourth quarter, the Chinese economy grew by 2.9% on an annualized basis, better than the expected growth of 1.8%. Although quarterly growth was flat, it still beat expectations of a 0.8% contraction.
Despite better than expected data, the Chinese Offshore Yuan weakened sharply from 6.7403 to 6.7563 against the US Dollar soon after the release.
Alibaba shares rise after Ryan Cohen reportedly takes a stake in the company
Alibaba shares rose after the Wall Street Journal reported that Ryan Cohen had acquired a stake in the company “worth hundreds of millions of dollars”.
Cohen, who founded online pet retailer Chewy and is also chairman of GameStop, is privately pushing Alibaba to accelerate and further strengthen its stock buyback program, according to the Journal report.
Hong Kong-listed shares of Alibaba rose 2% in the first hour of trading. The stock has since pared its gains to trade roughly flat.
– Jihye Lee
China’s Liu He to meet US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is due to meet Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, China’s Commerce Ministry said in a statement.
The two men will hold a meeting to “strengthen the coordination of macroeconomic and financial policies”, the ministry said.
The meeting will take place in Zurich on January 1st. 18, the statement said, adding that the two will discuss the implementation of agreements reached between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping late last year in Bali, Indonesia.
The sit-down will mark the first face-to-face meeting between Yellen and Liu.
Separately, Politico reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing on February 2. 5-6, citing Washington-based diplomats familiar with the matter.
– Jihye Lee
Singapore’s non-oil domestic exports fell more than 20% in December
Singapore’s non-oil domestic exports fell 20.6% in December on an annualized basis, a further decline from the 14.7% decline seen in November.
The sharp drop was mainly due to exports to China, Indonesia and Hong Kong, according to the government statement. Exports to South Korea and Japan have increased, he added.
The country’s total trade fell 7.7% in December from a year ago, with exports falling 7.1% and imports also falling 8.2%.
– Jihye Lee
CNBC Pro: This Global Under-the-Radar Carbon Capture Stock Could Soar 65%, Investment Banks Say
Shares of an under-the-radar carbon capture company are expected to rise 65% on growing global demand for emissions-reducing technologies, according to investment banks analyzing the stock.
The company’s latest innovation, revealed last week, could reduce the energy needed to capture carbon and improve the company’s profitability in the future, according to analysts at a German investment bank.
CNBC Pro subscribers can learn more here.
—Ganesh Rao
Where are the major indices after the first two weeks of trading in 2023
With the first two weeks of trading of 2023 complete, all three major indices are up so far for the year.
The Nasdaq Compound leads the way, adding 5.9% as investors bought battered tech stocks on growing hopes of an improving landscape for growth holdings. The S&P500 and Dow followed, gaining 4.2% and 3.5% respectively.
—Alex Harring
Stock futures open lower
Stock futures were down despite the market having had a winning week.
Futures contracts linked to the Dow Jones fell 0.1%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures fell 0.2% and 0.4% respectively.
—Alex Harring
.