Category: Economies

SEC May Expand Oversight to Key Treasury Market Platforms: Chair

WASHINGTON—The chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said on Tuesday it will consider new oversight rules for some platforms for trading U.S. Treasuries, in a move aimed at boosting transparency and competition. Gary Gensler said he asked staff to revisit a 2020 proposal issued under the Trump administration intended to treat electronic trading…


Stocks Gain, Pushing the Dow Jones Industrials Over 36,000

Wall Street added to its recent run of milestones today as stock indexes hit new highs again and the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 36,000 points for the first time. The Dow and benchmark S&P 500 each rose 0.4 percent. The Nasdaq gained 0.3 percent. The three indexes also notched all-time highs on Monday….


Australia Ratifies World’s Biggest Trade Agreement With 15 APAC Countries

Australia has ratified one of the biggest trade deals spanning the Asia-Pacific region, but has maintained “grave concerns” over the political situation in Burma, also known as Myanmar. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) includes 15 signatories, covering 2.2 billion people, and 29 percent of global GDP. The 15 countries include ASEAN nations, Burma, Vietnam,…


China’s Economy Is Stuttering. Here’s Why

News Analysis China’s Manufacturing Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) fell 0.4 percentage points in October to 49.2—any number below 50 represents a contraction in manufacturing production—according to official figures from the National Bureau of Statistics. The data was worse than expected with market analysts expecting a figure of 49.7. This is the second consecutive month the…


Stagflation Concerns Split Wall Street as US Economy Slows

News Analysis Wall Street is split on the U.S. economy possibly facing a stagflation threat in the post-pandemic recovery. Stagflation—a trifecta of slowing economic growth, rising inflation, and high unemployment—is the talk of the finance industry. Goldman Sachs analysts recently revealed that stagflation is “the most common word in client conversation.” The widespread discussions come…


StanChart Flags Flat Annual Income Despite Strong Q3 Profit; Shares Drop

LONDON—Standard Chartered forecast flat income for the full year amid “uneven” economic recovery from the pandemic, even as it turned in a stronger-than-expected quarterly pre-tax profit, sending its shares lower on Tuesday. CEO Bill Winters, who has won plaudits from investors for repairing the balance sheet and slashing thousands of jobs since taking the top…


Taiwan to Woo Backers at APEC for Bid to Join Pacific Trade Pact

TAIPEI—Taiwan will seek support for its bid to join a trans-Pacific trade pact when it attends a meeting of economic leaders of the Asia–Pacific group APEC next week, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tuesday. China, which has also applied to join the pact, opposes Taiwan’s membership and has increased military activities near the island which…


Refiner Marathon Beats Profit Expectations on Robust Fuel Demand

Marathon Petroleum Corp. beat quarterly profit estimates on Tuesday as a rebound in fuel consumption helped the largest U.S. refiner tide over the surging cost of crude oil. Marathon’s results followed strong earnings from other energy companies. Valero, which was the first major U.S. refiner to report quarterly earnings, and PBF beat analysts’ estimates as…


Ralph Lauren Warns of Higher Supply Chain Costs to Meet Holiday Demand

Ralph Lauren Corp. said on Tuesday it expects to face higher shipping and commodity costs in the next few months as the high-end apparel maker is spending heavily to ensure stores are stocked with its Polo shirts and sports jackets during the holiday season. The New York-based company’s shares fell 4 percent in morning trade…


China’s New Pig Farmers Aim to Ride out Boom-Bust Cycle

CHONGQING, China—China’s huge hog sector is struggling with excess production after millions of small, often first-time, pig farmers entered the industry to capitalize on record profits during a swine-fever related shortage. Now, even as prices hover below the cost of production and the government urges them to cull their herds, many of the newcomers are…