Global Markets:
- Asian stock markets: Nikkei up 0.35 %, Shanghai Composite lost 0.60 %, Hang Seng rose 0.70 %, ASX 200 gained 0.20 %
- Commodities: Gold at $1188 (+0.20 %), Silver at $16.86 (+0.05 %), WTI Oil at $50.95 (+0.30 %), Brent Oil at $53.70 (+0.15 %)
- Rates: US 10-year yield at 2.39, UK 10-year yield at 1.36, German 10-year yield at 0.28
News & Data:
- Australia Job Vacancies (Nov): +2.20% (prev +4.60%)
- Japan Leading Index (Nov, P): 102.7 (est 102.6, prev 100.8)
- Japan Coincident Index (Nov, P): 115.1 (est 115.0, prev 113.5)
- South Korea Unemployment Rate 3.4 % (prev 3.6 %)
- Oil prices edge up on reports of Saudi supply cuts, but details murky – RTRS
- Dollar edges up, markets await Trump news conference – RTRS
- World Bank sees higher 2017 global growth, uncertainty over U.S. policy – RTRS
- Asian shares at two-month high, markets await Trump news conference – RTRS
Markets Update:
Flows were light in Asia, amid a lack of data and events. The Dollar appreciated slightly against the Euro, Yen and the Pound, but fell against the Australian and New Zealand Dollar. USD/JPY started the trading day around 115.70 and rose to 116.25, while EUR/USD fell from 1.0565 to 1.0535. GBP/USD rose to almost 1.22 in the early Asian session, but eventually retraced the move and fell back to 1.2155. The currency is likely to remain under pressure in the near-term about renewed concerns about a hard Brexit.
Today, the focus will be on the first press conference by President-elect Donald Trump since he won the election. Ahead of that, we will also get the latest UK trade and manufacturing/industrial production data.
Upcoming Events:
- 09:30 GMT – UK Manufacturing Production
- 09:30 GMT – UK Industrial Production
- 09:30 GMT – UK Trade Balance
- 15:30 GMT – US Crude Oil Inventories
