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After a selloff, Japanese bonds rebound after a stock market shaken by geopolitical concerns
Asian stocks continued to lose ground on Wednesday. This was largely due to the heightened tensions surrounding U.S. threats of acquiring Greenland in advance of President Donald Trump’s Davos address, while Japanese bonds bounced back sharply after a recent meltdown. The fear of the "Sell America" trade, which emerged in the wake of last year's "Liberation Day tariff announcements" in April, gripped the markets overnight as Wall Street fell over 2% and the U.S. Dollar suffered its largest fall in more than a month. This sent investors running to gold. It soared by 2.1%, reaching a record high of $4,865 per ounce. Mantas vanagas, senior economist at Westpac, said that the'sell America trade' was driving the major market movements overnight. Investors were looking to reduce their exposure to the U.S. as they viewed it as an unreliable ally pursuing self-defeating policies. Trump has however, redoubled his rhetoric on Greenland. He said that there was "no turning back" from his goal of controlling the island and refused to rule out a forceful takeover. Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Europe also reignited fears of a trade war. On Thursday, the European Union will convene an emergency summit to discuss this issue. The long-standing U.S./EU alliance is clearly in danger. The World Economic Forum is in Davos, where Trump will deliver a much-anticipated speech in the evening. This could either calm or exacerbate tensions between Europe and the United States. The MSCI index for Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan dropped 0.5%. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.5% for the fifth consecutive day. The blue-chip index gained 0.5%, while Chinese shares performed better than the rest of the world. Wall Street futures are up after the overnight shock. Nasdaq and S&P futures both rose 0.3%. The EURO STOXX Futures and DAX Futures both fell 0.1%, indicating a muted opening for European bourses. JAPAN BONDS ATTEMPT RECONSTRUCTION The global bond markets were still reeling after a brutal selloff. They had been caught in a perfect hurricane of concerns over U.S. exposure and an increase in Japanese government borrowing rates. The opposition criticized the bond yields in Japan after fears over increased government spending by Prime Minister Sanae Takayichi caused them to reach record highs. The price of Japan government bonds fell on Wednesday as buyers returned to the market with lower prices. The yields on the 40-year Japanese government bonds?fell by 11 basis points, to 4.1%. They had risen 26 basis points a day before. Treasury yields in the United States also fell. The benchmark 10-year rate fell 2 bps to 4.2767% after jumping 7 bps to a 5-month high of 4.3133% overnight amid a deterioration in sentiment towards U.S. assets. Danish pension fund AkademikerPension announced on Tuesday that it will sell its holdings of U.S.?Treasuries worth around $100 million by the end this month. It blamed weak U.S. Government finances. The U.S. dollar held steady at 98.57 versus its major counterparts, after dropping 0.5% overnight, the largest daily drop since early December. The yen held steady at 158.13 dollars, but the Swiss Franc hit a record of 200.19. Bank of Japan will meet on Friday. Though no rate hikes are expected, policymakers may signal a tightening of monetary policy as early as April. The oil prices dropped as geopolitical tensions, and the expected increase in U.S. crude stocks outweighed the temporary suspension of production at two large Kazakh fields. West Texas Intermediate crude prices fell by 0.9% in March to $59.82 per barrel.
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TEPCO restarts nuclear reactor for the first time since Fukushima
Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), after completing inspections, will restart a reactor on Wednesday at the?Kashiwazaki - Kariwa?nuclear plant. This is its first move of this kind since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. TEPCO announced that it would bring online the 1,36 gigawatt reactor (GW) No. 6 after 7 pm (1000 GMT). The reactor No. 6, which is one of seven in Kashiwazaki-Kariwa's nuclear power plant, can produce 8.2 GW at full capacity. TEPCO investigated an alarm malfunction. TEPCO reported that the equipment was working normally as of early Wednesday morning. Reactor No. Reactor No. Reactor No. Reactor No. 7 is expected to be brought on line around 2030, and others could be decommissioned. After the 2011 meltdown of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor, Japan's fleet of 54 reactors was shut down. The Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been pushing for new reactors to be built, particularly small modular reactors and new-generation reactors. Recently the government announced a new funding scheme in order to speed up the nuclear power revival. After a setback in the offshore wind rollout, and the inflation pressure caused by fossil fuel imports to Japan, it is turning its attention back to nuclear energy to boost its energy security and to reduce its gas and coal purchases. The restart of Kashiwazaki Kariwa, the first by TEPCO after the Fukushima catastrophe, is a test for the entire Japanese Nuclear Power Industry, since six other utilities including Chubu Electric Power Co are waiting for a decision on the potential restarts of their reactors. Japan is also focusing on the developments as it seeks to increase cooperation with its closest ally the U.S. regarding new-generation reactors and SMRs. The global atomic industry, however, is dominated by China, and Russia. The Japanese nuclear watchdog announced this month that it would order Chubu Electric?to provide a detailed, unbiased report on the falsified seismic data, and to pause?a review?of its application to restart Hamaoka - the utility's only atomic power plant - as public opinion remains divided about nuclear energy. Commodity analysts from?Kpler predict that liquefied gas imports to Japan, which is one of the top two buyers in the world, will drop by 4,000,000 metric tons to 62,000,000 tons by 2026, compared to an earlier year, due to increased nuclear power availability. The commercial operation of Unit 6 is expected to begin early in the year. (Reporting and editing by Jamie Freed and Muralikumar Anantharaman; Thomas Derpinghaus and Thomas Derpinghaus).
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MORNING BID EUROPE - Markets hold onto hopes of Davos' de-escalation
Stella Qiu gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. Wall Street has spoken and the verdict is not pretty. The dollar dropped the most in a month, while Treasuries took a beating. The 30-year Treasury yield was heading towards the danger zone of 5%. This brought back memories of "Sell America", though everyone is wondering if Trump will "TACO" like he did last April with his tariffs. According to him, there is no turning back from Greenland. Markets are still holding out hope that this is just bluster from the "Art of the Deal", and he may choose to deescalate his stance during his speech in Davos. The Treasuries also held steady. The sell-off of regional stocks also slowed. This was helped by gains made in Chinese shares, while Japan's Nikkei trimmed its losses to 0.5%. The European stock exchanges will open with a muted opening, as the EURO STOXX futures are down by 0.1%. The global bond market rout has also paused. This provides some relief to investors who have been caught in a perfect hurricane of concerns over U.S. exposure and an increase in Japanese government borrowing costs. After a jump of 26 basis points on Tuesday, the yield for 40-year bonds has fallen by 6 basis point. The opposition criticized the fears of a spending spree by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takayichi. Gold, the safe-haven, is still in high demand, with prices up 1.5%, to $4,800 per ounce. Platinum has also crossed $2,500, for the first. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in the Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook Case later today, just in case anyone forgets what Trump tried to do to central bank. Markets could be affected by key developments on Wednesday Trump Delivers Key Address at World Economic Forum Davos CPI in the UK for December Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, speaks at Davos World Economic Forum The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments regarding Trump's attempt to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook
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Rio Tinto's quarterly shipment increase results in a loss of iron ore futures
The price of iron ore fell for a fifth consecutive session on Wednesday, as Rio Tinto, world's largest supplier, reported strong shipments during its fourth quarter. Meanwhile, concerns over safety inspections were weighing on the Chinese market. The May contract for iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange ended the morning trading 0.25% lower, at 784.5 Yuan ($112.63) per metric ton. The benchmark iron?ore for February on the Singapore Exchange fell 0.74%, to $103.2 per ton at?0349 GMT. It had previously touched its lowest level since December 17, when it was $103. Rio?Tinto announced a 7% increase in fourth-quarter shipments of iron ore on Wednesday. This was aided by a record quarterly production?from Pilbara and a strong rail and port?performance. The Chinese iron ore price would be pushed down by an increase in foreign iron ore exports. Concerns about stricter safety regulations following an explosion in a steel-plate factory in Inner Mongolia, China's northern region, fueled fears over the?demand for feedstocks. Mysteel data released on January 21 shows that although hot metal production increased by 22,800 millions of tons from week to week, iron ore transaction volumes at major Chinese ports have been slow. The Shanghai Metals Market said that the overall sentiment was bearish and risk averse. Iron ore prices were seen as facing "resistance" in the short term. Coking coal and coke, which are both steelmaking ingredients, declined by?2.65% apiece. The benchmark steel prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell. Rebar fell 0.42%; hot-rolled coils lost 0.21%; wire rod weakened 0.17, and stainless steel was unchanged. $1 = 6.9653 Yuan (Reporting and editing by Sumana Nady; Ruth Chai)
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Shanghai copper prices drop as SHFE increases margin requirements and demand remains weak
The Shanghai Futures Exchange increased margin requirements on certain copper contracts, which led to a drop in the price of copper in China. As of 0330 GMT, the most-traded metric ton?copper contract traded on SHFE fell 0.65%, down to 100,580 Yuan ($14440.15). However, the benchmark three-month?copper? on the London Metal Exchange gained 0.65%, to $12,836.50 per ton. SHFE announced on Tuesday it will increase the margin ratios for certain metals, including copper, silver, gold, and aluminum futures contracts, and expand daily price limits from January 22, 2019. This?move was widely seen as a way to stabilize the market, since copper prices have seen sharp price swings over the past few weeks after a record-setting rise in 2025. Shanghai copper has gained?1.58% this year after setting a new record of 105.870 yuan per ton. The price of copper was still high, and this pressured the demand. The Yangshan copper is a premium On Tuesday,, an indicator of Chinese?demand, for imported copper was $26 per ton, its lowest level since July 2024. Copper premium is available on the domestic market The price of copper has dropped to 150 yuan per ton. This also indicates a lack in buying interest on the spot market. The?red metal's price was supported by the expectation of a tight supply on the U.S. markets due to tariffs and mine disruptions. Tin was the only gainer in the SHFE base metals. The most-active contract rose 1.79% to 402,600 yuan per ton. On the LME it rose 2.20% to $50,000 a ton. The Indonesian military's crackdown on mining activities in illegally cleared forests continues to unnerve the industry and push up tin price. Aluminium, zinc, and lead all fell in price. Nickel also dropped 1.16%. Aluminium, zinc, lead, and nickel all rose on the LME. Wednesday, January 21, DATA/EVENTS - 0700 UK Core CPI YY December 0700 UK CPI MM Dec 200700 UK CPI Services YY December 0700 UK CPI Services MM - Dec 0700 UK CPI Services YY - Dec 0700 UK CPI Services YY – Dec 1100 UK CBI Q1 Business Optimism
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Bankers: Adani Power to sell largest-ever rupee bonds, say India
Two?merchant banks have confirmed that Gautam Adani, the Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and his power company plan to raise 75 'billion rupees (823.7 millions dollars) at their largest-ever rupee bond sale later this week. Bankers said on Tuesday that Adani 'Power' aims to raise funds by issuing multiple tranches with maturities ranging from two to five years. They also added that the company had invited bids for Friday. The coupon will be 8.00% and 8.20% for the bonds of two and three years, and 8.30% or 8.40% on the papers of four and five years. The coupon is paid on a quarterly basis. Adani Power aims to raise 28,60 billion rupees via the two-year option and 26,90 billion rupees via the three-year paper. Adani Power expects to raise 6.75 billion rupees via the four-year paper and 12.75 billion through the five-year note. The proceeds will be used to fund capital expenditures, working capital, debt repayment, prepayment, and other corporate purposes. Adani Power didn't reply to an email asking for comment. Bankers say that some large mutual funds will act as anchor investors in the issue. This is expected to attract strong demand from banks and other funds. The bonds have been rated "AA" by Crisil and India Ratings. Coupons are set to increase 25 basis points with each notch of rating downgrade. In the first half of this year, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone raised 50 billion rupees through 15-year bonds placed directly with Life Insurance Corporation of India. $1 = 91.0540 Indian Rupees (Reporting and editing by Dharamraj Dhutia, Khushi malhotra).
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As US and EU fight over Greenland, gold crosses $4,800.
Gold prices surged above $4,800 an ounce Wednesday,?buoyed?by safe-haven demands and a weaker dollar, as U.S. President Donald Trump's pursuit for Greenland threatened a new trade war with Europe, and to upend NATO. Gold spot rose by 1.2%, to $4,821.26 an ounce, at 0226 GMT. It had earlier reached a session high of $4,843.67. U.S. Gold Futures for February Delivery climbed 1% per ounce to $4,813.50 It's the loss of trust in the U.S. that Trump caused over the weekend by his moves to impose tariffs on European countries and to increase his coercion to try to take Greenland. The move in gold reflects concerns about global geopolitical tensions, according to Kyle Rodda. Trump said on Tuesday that he would not "go back" from his plan to take control of Greenland. He refused to rule out the possibility of taking the Arctic Island by force, and slammed?NATO's allies. Later, he said: "We'll?work out something where NATO will be very pleased and where we'll be very satisfied." The French President Emmanuel Macron also said that Europe will not be intimidated or give in to bullies, in a scathing critique of Trump's threats of steep tariffs in Davos if Europe doesn't let him take over Greenland. Rodda stated that investors were selling dollars, selling Treasury bonds, especially at the long end, and instead buying gold because they had more confidence in gold than in U.S. currency. The dollar remained near its three-week lows in relation to the euro and Swiss franc. Asian stocks continued their declines for a third day, while a global debt rout appears to have slowed?for the moment. The greenback price of metals is cheaper for buyers overseas due to the weaker dollar. The Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates steady at its meeting on January 27-28, despite Trump's call for reductions. In low-interest rate environments, non-yielding gold bullion performs very well. Silver spot fell 1%, to $93.59 per ounce after reaching a record high on Tuesday of $95.87. The spot platinum price fell 0.7%, to $2,445.96 an ounce, after reaching a record of $2,511.80 earlier in day. Palladium dropped 0.5%, to $1,857.19. (Reporting by Ishaan Arora in Bengaluru; Editing by Sumana Nandy and Subhranshu Sahu)
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Evolution Mining, Australia's gold mining company, posts record-high gold production and shares.
Evolution Mining, a gold producer in Australia, reported an increase in second-quarter production on Wednesday. This was due to strong performances?across virtually all assets. Its shares reached a record high. The shares of the company, which is majority owned by?AustralianSuper, the largest pension fund in the country, rose up to 9.18%, reaching a new record A$14.750. This was their biggest intraday gain percentage since August 14, 2024. Gold miner produced 191,000-ounces of the precious metal in the last quarter of the year. This compares to 174,000-ounces the quarter before. Evolution attributes the increase in output to a strong performance at its Cowal Project in New South Wales. The open-pit mine produced 80.000 ounces of gold during the quarter ending December, up from 71,000 ounces in the previous quarter. The mine produced higher-quality gold, which made underground operations at Cowal smooth. Evolution is the only owner of this mine which has a life expectancy until 2042. Jefferies analysts said Cowal's performance was in line with Visible Alpha estimates. Mungari, a mining hub in Western Australia's underground mines, has logged a record quarterly output of 50,000-ounces. This is the fourth consecutive quarter that production has grown. A historic rise in the global gold price led to a higher quarterly gold 'price' of A$6,206 an ounce for the group. In a note, Jefferies said that, "While 2Q gold production was in line with expectations, it exceeded ours," adding that record gold prices had boosted Evolution's financials. Evolution, based in Sydney, has confirmed its group production forecast for fiscal 2026 of between?710,000 and 780,000 ounces of gold and 70,000-80,000 metric tonnes for copper. The company produced the same amount of copper as it did in the previous quarter. (Reporting by Rajasik Mukherjee; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
Raptors win by a landslide, as they light up the sky with lights
Immanuel quickley scored a career high of 40 points. Scottie barnes added 26. The Toronto Raptors overpowered the Golden State Warriors by 145-127 on Tuesday in San Francisco.
Butler suffered a torn ACL during Monday's win at home over the Miami Heat. The after-effects were evident in a 4128 Toronto blitz, which led to a 30-point lead in the first quarter.
Golden State's offense was able to score the most points of the entire season, but Toronto's high efficiency offense won out in the end.
Quickley made 11 of 13 shots, Barnes 12, and Toronto connected on 59.3% in the game. They also hit 61.8% from 3-point range. Quickley was 7-for-8 in 3-point shooting, Sandro mamukelashvili went 4-for-4, and Brandon Ingram went 4-for-6 as the team shot 21-for 34 from outside.
Ingram scored 22 points for Toronto. Mamukelashvili had 14, Jamal Shead, Gradey Dick and Jamal Shead each scored 10 points. This was the second of five games in a western swing. Barnes (11 assists, a game-high), Quickley (ten assists) and Mamukelashvili (12 rebounds, a game-high) also managed double-doubles.
Kuminga scored 20 points in 21 minutes, five less than Hield who had a 6-for-6 accuracy rate from beyond the arc. Stephen Curry was just 2-for-7 from beyond the arc on a 16 point?night. This ended an eight game homestand, and snapped a 4-game winning streak.
Quinten Post scored 12 points for Golden State and added seven rebounds, Brandin Podziemski had 11 points while Moses Moody chipped in 10.
The Raptors blew away the Warriors in the first half, scoring 70 points, and taking a 20 point lead at the half. Two days earlier, they had made only seven 3-pointers in a rout against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Quickley (4 of 4) Mamukelashvili ( 3 of 3) Shead (2 of 2) went 9-for-9 in the first half from beyond the arc, helping the Raptors to outscore Warriors 30-18 despite having taken five fewer shots.
Quickley scored 18 of his total 40 points during the first half. Barnes, who had his first three shots in less than seven minutes when Toronto exploded out of the gates to a 28-10 advantage, scored 14.
- Field Level media
(source: Reuters)