DUBAI, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Here are some factors that may affect Middle East stock markets on Sunday. Reuters has not verified the press reports and does not vouch for their accuracy. INTERNATIONAL/REGIONAL* GLOBAL MARKETS-Stock performance in 2017 points to wealth for many nations * MIDEAST STOCKS-UAE markets rise at end of very poor year; some fund managers expect better 2018 * U.S. crude ends y...Read More
Not the place you would think.Read full newsRead More
SEOUL, Dec 31 (Reuters) - South Korea's central bank chief on Sunday said monetary policy should remain accommodative in 2018 because inflationary pressure is weak even as the economy is expected to post solid growth in the coming year."Inflationary pressure from the demand side isn't forecast to be big and so monetary policies should remain accommodative for the time being," Bank of Kor...Read More
For the third consecutive week, gold has rallied. This culminates with today’s nine dollar move, effectively taking prices above $1300 on a closing basis. Beginning in mid-December when the former correction ran its course, gold has closed higher week in and week out. The net result of this rally, when added to gains realized in 2017, is a 13% increase in value.While a 13% price gain is abso...Read More
For the third consecutive week, gold has rallied. This culminates with today’s nine dollar move, effectively taking prices above $1300 on a closing basis. Beginning in mid-December when the former correction ran its course, gold has closed higher week in and week out. The net result of this rally, when added to gains realized in 2017, is a 13% increase in value.While a 13% price gain is abso...Read More
* Factory growth eases slightly as expected but still solid* Confirms view of gradual economic slowdown, not a sharp one* Smog war, cooling property weigh, but exports picking up* Service sector growth remains robust (Adds details of output trends, new orders, prices, CFLP estimate of 2017 growth)By Ben Blanchard and Elias GlennBEIJING, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Growth in China's manufacturing sector slo...Read More
BEIJING, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Growth in China's manufacturing sector slowed slightly in December as a crackdown on air pollution and a cooling property market weigh on the world's second-largest economy.The official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) released on Sunday dipped to 51.6 in December, compared with 51.8 in November. But it remained comfortably above the 50-point mark that separates growth...Read More
(Repeats to attach to alert)BEIJING, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Growth in China's manufacturing sector slowed slightly in December as a crackdown on air pollution and a cooling property market weigh on the world's second-largest economy.The official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) released on Sunday dipped to 51.6 in December, compared with 51.8 in November. But it remained comfortably above the 50-poin...Read More
BEIJING, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Growth in China's services industry picked up in December, an official survey showed on Sunday, as the sector continued to show solid expansion.The official non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 55 from 54.8 in November.China's leaders are counting on growth in services and consumption to rebalance their economic growth model from its heavy reliance...Read More
EURUSD just topped 1.20 as the dollar index continues its post-Christmas Day collapse. US equity markets are also getting hammered...Read full newsRead More
(Adds details, context)GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dec 30 (Reuters) - D emocratic Republic of Congo's government on Saturday ordered telecommunications providers to cut internet and SMS services across the country ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations.Grassroots Catholic activists have called for marches in major cities on Sunday to demand that President Joseph Kabila commit to...Read More
(Adds details, context)GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo's government on Saturday ordered telecommunications providers to cut internet and SMS services across the country ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations.Grassroots Catholic activists have called for marches in major cities on Sunday to demand that President Joseph Kabila commit to n...Read More
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dec 30 (Reuters) - D emocratic Republic of Congo's government on Saturday ordered telecommunications providers to cut internet and SMS services across the country ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations on Sunday."It is for reasons of state security ... In response to violence that is being prepared ... the government has the duty to take all measu...Read More
BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:43 A.M.) - An Iranian Salafist jihadist group with ties to Syria's Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front (currently called Ha'yat Tahrir al-ShRead full newsRead More
TBILISI, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Georgia's economy expanded by 4.8 percent year-on-year in the first 11 months of 2017, official data showed on Saturday, up from 2.4 percent in the same period of 2016.Economic growth accelerated thanks to higher exports and remittances from abroad.In November alone, gross domestic product grew by 3.7 percent after expanding 5.7 percent in October. In November a year ag...Read More
FRANKFURT, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The man in charge of carrying out the European Central Bank's bond purchases sees "a reasonable chance" the 2.55 trillion euros stimulus programme will not be extended again when it expires in September, he told a Chinese financial magazine.Benoit Coeure, the ECB board member in charge of its market operations, was once a key supporter of President Mario Dra...Read More
BUCHAREST, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Romania plans to sell 4.5-5.0 billion euros of eurobonds on the international markets and an indicative 48-50 billion lei of domestic debt next year, the finance ministry said on Saturday.The external borrowings level would depend "on the developments, conditions and opportunities offered by these markets," it said. If conditions were favourable, the ministr...Read More
At what point does hyperbole become fake news?Because an article on Axios decrying the ill effects of fake news starts:Donald Trump in one year has done more to discredit and diminish truth, facts and media than any other figure in our lifetime.Oh boy. Where to start? I guess the first thing is first: this is not a defense of Donald Trump. Surely he has tweeted and said many things that can be con...Read More
2017 is almost over. What did we learn about gold during this time?Gold May Prosper in Good TimesFirst, gold may shine in unpleasant macroeconomic outlook. Generally, gold performs the best during economic slowdown or turmoil. In 2017, the economic conditions were far from recessionary climate. Global economic growth accelerated and became more synchronized among countries. The U.S. economy perfor...Read More
Our proprietary cycle indicator is up.To public readers of our updates, our cycle indicator is one of the most effective timing tool for traders and investors. It is not perfect, because periodically the market can be more volatile and can result in short term whipsaws. But overall, the cycle indicator provides us with a clear direction how we should be speculating.InvestorsDuring a major buy sign...Read More