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The final hurdle to BoE's verdict is the MORNING BID EUROPE - UK inflation
Rae Wee gives us a look at what the European and global markets will be like tomorrow. The Bank of England will announce its rate decision on Thursday, which is expected to be a razor-thin vote. The expectation is that 'the headline and core consumer price indexes will have decreased on a month-to-month basis. This would allow policymakers to feel more comfortable about lowering rates on Thursday. In October, headline inflation eased to 3.6% annually - still far above the BoE target of 2% but its first decline since May. The UK's high inflation rate has divided policymakers on the issue of whether inflation or job losses are the greatest threat to the economy. The data released on Tuesday shows that the unemployment rate in Britain has reached its highest level since the beginning of 2021, and the private sector's pay growth is at its lowest in five years. Even though markets are convinced that the BoE will reduce rates this week, a major surprise in the inflation data on Wednesday is more likely to affect policymakers' future rate outlook. Investors will scrutinise the data to see if and when another cut is likely. Oil prices rose on Wednesday, after U.S. president Donald Trump ordered a "total and complete" ban on all oil tankers sanctioned by the U.S. entering or leaving Venezuela. This sparked new geopolitical tensions in a period of concern over demand. This is the latest move by Washington to put pressure on Nicolas Maduro’s government and target its main source for income. Stocks were in a lurch on the broader market as the long-awaited U.S. jobs report was not greeted with much enthusiasm. The focus is now on the rate decisions of the BoE, the European Central Bank, and the Bank of Japan, which will be announced later this week. In China, the story was a tale of diverging fortunes. Shares of AI chipmaker MetaX integrated?Circuits surged 700% on their debut on the market, with investors eagerly attempting to profit from a government initiative to reduce reliance upon AI chips made in?U.S. majors. Property developer China Vanke wants to extend grace period of a 2 billion Yuan ($283.6 Million) bond payment from five trading days to 30, underlining the persistent challenges facing the country's struggling property sector. The following are key developments that may influence the markets on Wednesday. UK inflation rate (November) Fed's Waller Williams and Bostic talk
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Silver reaches $65 for the first time, gold increases as US unemployment rate rises
On Wednesday, silver jumped above the $65 per ounce mark?for the first time. Gold edged up after a?U.S. The jobs data revealed a softening of the labour market. This rekindled expectations for further rate cuts in 2019. It also boosted demand for precious metals. Silver spot was up by 3.2% to $65.80 per ounce, after reaching a session high of $65.99. Gold prices at the spot price rose by?0.5%, to $4322.93 per ounce as of 0407 GMT. U.S. Gold Futures rose 0.5% to $4.352.60. Kunal Shah is the head of research at Nirmal Bang Commodities. He said: "There's a major short squeeze (so, speculative trading) in silver...and we don't see the supply side reacting?the right way after the U.S. included silver on the critical minerals list." Shah noted that the current trend could push the price of silver to $70.00 in the short term. The rally came after U.S. data showed that the unemployment rate increased to 4.6% in December, exceeding a polled forecast of 4.4%. GoldSilver Central MD Brian Lan stated that the unemployment data had definitely helped precious metals, and weakened the dollar. This has led investors to seek out other asset classes with higher returns in order to hedge against risk. Investors are now awaiting the U.S. Consumer Price Index on Thursday, and the Personal Consumption Expenditures -index, Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation, on Friday. The Fed announced its final quarter-point cut in rates last week. Chair Jerome Powell’s comments were perceived to be less hawkish that expected. The traders still expect two 25-basis-point cuts each in 2026. In low-interest rate environments, non-yielding investments?such as bullion? tend to perform well. Palladium, which had been at a record high for two months, fell 0.8% after a 2.1% increase to $1,591.0. (Reporting by Ishaan Arora in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich, Ronojoy Mazumdar and Subhranshu Sahu)
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Copper prices increase as the market evaluates US job data
Copper prices rose on Wednesday. The latest US labour market data revealed a rebound of?job creation but a higher unemployment rate in November. As of 0330 GMT, the most traded?copper contracts on the Shanghai Futures Exchange increased?0.30%, to?92550 yuan (about $13,139.40) per ton. The benchmark copper for three months on the London Metal Exchange rose 0.97%, to $11,704 per ton. Data showed that the U.S. job growth recovered in November despite unemployment being at a record high. Copper prices, on the other hand, have remained above $11,600 per ton. This is due to?supply concerns and prospects of a boom in demand from data centres, as well as energy transition. Shanghai aluminium rose 0.83% per ton to 21,975 Yuan, while London's benchmark aluminium?rose 0.42%, to $2,888.50. After failing to reach a power agreement with the government, the Australian mining company South32 announced on Tuesday that it would put its Mozal Smelter under care and maintenance in March. Analysts at ING Economics wrote in a report that the decision by South 32 to close its smelter "should keep long-term global inventories low while prices will?see further upside next year". Nickel has recovered after a sell-off since Monday. The benchmark three-month Nickel?rose by 1.07% and the most traded nickel on SHFE rose by 0.67%. On Tuesday, the Shanghai nickel reached a low of 40 months while on Monday, the London benchmark hit a low of?eight months. Zinc fell 0.86% on SHFE. Lead dropped 0.77%. Tin rose 1.42%. Wednesday, December 17 DATA/EVENTS (GMT) 0700 UK CPI, Core CPI YY Nov 0700 UK Services MM, YY Nov 0900 Germany Ifo Business Climate New Dec 0900 Germany Ifo Curr Conditions, Expectations New Dec 1000 EU HICP Final MM, yy Nov ($1 = 7.0437 Chinese renminbi) Wednesday, December 17, DATA/EVENTS, (GMT) 0700 UK CPI Core CPI YY, Nov 0700 UK CPI Services, MM, Nov 0900 Germany Ifo Business climate New Dec 0900 Germany Ifo Currency Conditions, Expectations, New Dec 1000 EU HiCP Final MM YY, Nov (1 Chinese Yuan = 7.0437 Renminbi). (Reporting and Editing by Dylan Duan, Lewis Jackson, Ronojoy Mazumdar.
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Silver reaches $65 for the first time, gold increases as US unemployment rate rises
Silver soared above the $65 mark on Wednesday for the first time, while gold edged up a bit as 'weaker U.S. labor data rekindled expectation of interest rate cuts, pressing the dollar and boosting the demand for precious metals. Spot silver rose 2.8%, reaching a new record of $65.63 per ounce. Gold spot prices rose 0.4%, to $4,321.56 per ounce, by 0230 GMT. U.S. gold futures gained 0.4% to $4350.50. Many of the end-of-year reports have stated that precious metals are the best performing asset class. "I would attribute the silver appreciation of today to speculative flow," GoldSilver Central's MD Brian Lan stated. The rally was a response to U.S. data that showed the Unemployment rate The percentage of respondents who said they were satisfied with their lives has risen to 4.6%, higher than a recent poll Forecast The 4.4% figure is a good example. Lan said that the unemployment data had definitely benefited precious metals, and weakened the dollar. This has led investors to look at other asset classes with higher returns in order to hedge against risk. Dollar index was near the two-month-low touched on Tuesday. This made greenback priced bullion attractive to foreign buyers. The U.S. Federal Reserve announced last week that it would be reducing interest rates by a quarter-point for the rest of the year. Chair Jerome Powell’s comments, however, were not as hawkish as expected. Traders still expect two cuts Each 25 basis points in 2026. In a low-interest rate environment, non-yielding investments like gold typically perform well. Investors are now awaiting key U.S. Inflation readings. The Consumer Price Index is due Thursday, and the Personal Consumption Expenditures -index, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation - due Friday. Meanwhile, ?U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent On Tuesday, Trump said that Kevin Warsh and Kevin Hassett are both qualified to be the head of the Federal Reserve. He added that Trump's picks should have an "open mind." Palladium, which had earlier reached a session high of $1,602,60, was unchanged at $1,602.60. (Reporting and editing by Rashmi aich in Bengaluru, Ronojoy Mazumdar, and Ishaan arora from Bengaluru)
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Iron ore at a one-week high, supported by improved spot market liquidity
The price of iron ore futures rose to an all-time high on Wednesday. This was due to the accelerated buying in the spot market, as steelmakers restocked feedstocks in preparation for consumption during 'the Lunar New Year holidays in February. By 0212 GMT, the most traded iron ore contract at China's Dalian Commodity Exchange rose 1.05% to reach 766.5 Yuan ($108.84). It reached its highest level since December 11, at 769 Yuan, earlier in the session. As of 0202 GMT, the benchmark January 'iron ore' on the Singapore Exchange had risen by 0.59% to $103.15 per ton. The price of iron ore in January was up 0.59% at $103.15 a ton, as of 0202 GMT. Analysts said that improved liquidity on the spot market has lifted the mood. Mysteel, a consultancy, reported that iron ore transactions?in both the portside and maritime markets jumped by 18,2% and 76.8% respectively on Tuesday. There seems to be less pressure to cut further in December in order to meet a national goal set earlier this year. Beijing pledged to restructure the giant steel industry in March by cutting output. Prices of seaborne iron ore Goldman Sachs predicted $95 for the fourth quarter. Coke and coking coal, the other ingredients used in steelmaking, both grew by 0.33% % respectively. The majority of steel benchmarks at the?Shanghai Futures Exchange rose. The rebar price rose 0.1%. Hot-rolled coil was up 0.03%. Wire rod increased 1.64%. Stainless steel was unchanged. (Reporting and editing by Subhranshu Sahu; $1 = 7.0422 Chinese Yuan)
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US orders TransAlta coal unit in Washington State to remain open
The U.S. energy secretary signed an executive order on Tuesday that will 'keep a unit at TransAlta coal power?plant open for most of the winter in Washington State, the latest step taken by the Trump Administration to support fossil fuels. The order instructs the unit 2 at Centralia Generating?Station, to remain open. The order says that it is to close at the end of 2025. However, it will remain in force until March 16, 2026. Chris Wright, Energy Secretary of the United States, said in September that he expected that many coal plants would delay their retirement to provide electricity for artificial intelligence. Wright stated that the U.S. Government had held discussions with utilities across the country and expected the majority of coal plants in the United States nearing retirement will delay their closure. When coal is burned, it releases more carbon dioxide than any other fossil fuel. The U.S. coal-burning power plants have increased their output this year due to the demand for electricity from manufacturing and artificial intelligence. Last month, the administration of President Donald Trump reordered for the third time the J.H. Campbell The Michigan coal-fired power plant will remain open, even though its majority owner claims that it has already cost him tens and millions of dollars. This plant will continue to operate until mid-February.
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Trump orders blockade on sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela
U.S. president Donald Trump on?Tuesday?ordered the blockade of sanctioned oil tankers that enter and leave Venezuela. He also?added?that he now regards the nation's leaders as a terrorist foreign organization. Trump said on Truth Social that the Venezuelan regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST?ORGANIZATION for terrorism, drug smuggling and human?trafficking. "Therefore today, I am ordering a TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKING OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANNKS going into and out of Venezuela." Trump's remarks came just a week after the U.S. The United States seized an oil tanker sanctioned by the U.N. off the coasts of Venezuela. This was the latest in a campaign to pressure the Venezuelan government led by Nicolas Maduro whom Trump blamed for 'drugs entering the U.S. At an event held on Tuesday night, before Trump's post, Trump's campaign included an increased military presence in the region, and over two dozen military attacks on vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuela that have killed at least ninety people. Trump has also said that U.S. land attacks on South American countries will occur. Soon start . (Reporting from Washington by Jasper Ward, with additional reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb. Editing by Scott Malone.
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The UK will provide financial assistance to help save the last ethylene plant in Nigeria
In a partnership with chemicals group INEOS, the British government announced on Wednesday that it would provide financial assistance to Grangemouth, which is the last ethylene production plant in Britain, so as to protect chemical production and hundreds?of jobs. Ethylene can be found in plastics of a?medical grade? and other chemical products, such as water treatment and key industries like advanced manufacturing, aerospace and automotive. Grangemouth in Scotland was Britain's first oil refinery. But crude oil processing ended there in April. The operator Petroineos stated that the facility was closed because it lost about $500,000 per day and became uncompetitive against larger, "more modern" refineries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The plant's main operation changed after the refinery was closed to include the production of chemicals like ethylene. INEOS announced that it would invest 150?million pounds (201.20 millions) at its Grangemouth facility, backed up by a '75-million-pound government loan guarantee - and a 50 million grant. The government says that the package will improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and boost productivity. Peter Kyle, the business minister said that "the UK government's decision will protect Grangemouth and its strategic national importance as well as secure 500 vital jobs for the area." He added, "By partnering up with INEOS, we're backing the plant and its future for the long term. We give certainty to the workers as well as the supply chain moving forward." In recent years the chemicals industry in Europe has been facing significant challenges, including high energy prices, with around 40% of European ethylene capacity recently having?closed? or being at risk. The government announced in August that it was not going to provide financial assistance to the struggling bioethanol sector. This left a sector already battered from the UK's tariff agreement with U.S. president Donald Trump, facing imminent collapse.
U.S. renters are afraid of higher rents and eviction because of energy-efficient homes
Focus of policymakers on emissions from buildings and homes
Renters are concerned that home renovations could lead to displacement
Pennsylvania protects tenants with green push
By Carey L Biron
As homes and buildings contribute more than one-third of the U.S. greenhouse gases, policymakers are now pushing landlords for weatherization, energy efficiency improvements and replacing old fossil fuel appliances.
There is growing concern, however, that these incentives may also encourage landlords to increase rents or evict tenants under the pretext of eco-friendly upgrades.
Rent regulations and other protections are needed to keep tenants in their homes.
Federal funding of tens of billions for decarbonization of buildings is expected to be available. Local mandates in New York, California, and elsewhere are also being implemented.
Connecticut tenants are on edge because investors from New York, which is nearby, have flooded into the state.
Luke Melonakos Harrison, vice president for the Connecticut Tenants Union said that "lots" of evictions had occurred as owners are required to repay loans based on rent increases.
"We've seen landlords raise rents for no reason at all.
He and others want to expand the "just cause" protections, which limit reasons for evictions. They also want it to cover green renovations and other types of improvements.
The Connecticut Apartment Association and other landlords have warned that the bill will slow down the construction of new housing, and worsen the shortage.
Krystal Garca, a property manager, told lawmakers that the narrative that landlords are using lapses in time to renovate and raise rents was overblown. Nobody wants to remove a good tenant.
Tenants say that they are concerned. Connecticut Tenants Union head Sarah Giovanniello told the Connecticut Tenants Union that a new owner purchased her 70-unit two-story apartment building in New Haven, Connecticut in 2021. The landlord made minor improvements before attempting to double rents.
The landlord installed four chargers for electric vehicles in February, even though only one resident had an EV. This situation, Giovanniello explained, made the residents nervous.
She said that the landlord would give us any money he spent on him.
The property owners' upgrades could actually harm tenants more than they help.
Local Protections
A March report examined the possible impacts of the decarbonization effort in Los Angeles and New York.
Chelsea Kirk, a Director with Strategic Actions for a Just Economy in Los Angeles, an economic justice non-profit that published the report with her, stated for years, she has seen California renters stuck with higher or even worse rents following construction.
How much is the tenant responsible for if a landlord makes a $15,000 retrofit? She said that the answer was 100%. I've seen some landlords start construction just to evict a tenant.
Kirk predicts that a similar pattern will emerge if "fundamental tenant protections" are not implemented in communities all across the nation to accompany the push towards building decarbonization.
It has been difficult to raise awareness of such needs because environmental and housing advocacy have traditionally operated separate.
Amneh Minkara has worked to close this gap. She published a policy briefing with Climate and Community Institute in October.
The article examines the "good-cause" eviction efforts in Connecticut, the rent stabilization program in St. Paul and tenants' rights to organize in Kansas City, as well as habitability standards and other issues in Los Angeles.
Ruthy Gourevitch is the housing policy director at the Institute of Housing Policy. She said that renter protections are a local issue.
Gourevitch explained that most of the tenant protections he works on are done at a state or local level and can be achieved through direct negotiation between tenants and landlords.
PENNSYLVANIA MOTORS
The Pennsylvania Whole-Home Repairs Law, sponsored by state senator Nikil Sval, funds home improvements, but there is a condition: landlords are not allowed to raise the rents above base rents for more than three percent per year during a specified period.
In an interview, Saval stated that he did not want the costs of maintenance to be passed onto tenants. This would make these apartments unaffordable.
This law has inspired similar efforts in many other states. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania senator, is also co-sponsoring a federal bill.
Rachel Mulbry is a director at the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation. She said that Philadelphia, the largest city in the state, offers forgivable loan repayments for landlord repairs, as long as the rent is affordable for 10 years.
Joseph Achenbach has no complaints about the trade-off. He owns a dozen properties around Philadelphia.
He used the program recently to install a high-efficiency system in a three-bedroom row home that is eligible for rental subsidies. The old boiler and water heating were also replaced.
(source: Reuters)