Business News

Ringkasan Bilangan penganggur di Jerman naik 10,000 pada Disember, kurang daripada jangkaan 15,000. Kadar pengangguran kekal 6.1%, tidak berubah berbanding bulan sebelumnya. Peluang pekerjaan menurun sebanyak 59,000 berbanding tahun lalu kepada 654,000. Laman RTT News telah melaporkan bahawa kadar pengangguran di Jerman meningkat pada bulan Disember, walaupun pada kadar yang lebih rendah daripada jangkaan. Berdasarkan data rasmi yang dikeluarkan oleh Agensi Pekerjaan Persekutuan, bilangan penganggur meningkat sebanyak 10,000 pada bulan Disember, lebih tinggi daripada peningkatan 6,000 pada November. Namun, anggaran awal menjangka kenaikan seramai 15,000 orang. Walaupun kadar pengangguran kekal stabil pada 6.1% pada Disember, jangkaan...

Indonesia has yet to implement a higher mandatory blend of biodiesel planned for Jan 1 as industry participants await the technical regulations for the rollout, causing confusion among palm oil traders. The government had pledged to mandate 40% mix of palm oil-based fuel in biodiesel from Jan 1, known as B40, from a 35% blend currently in force. The plan for higher biodiesel blend by the world's biggest palm oil producer helped send the benchmark palm oil contract in Malaysia nearly 20% higher in 2024 due to expectations of lower Indonesian palm oil exports. As of Thursday, Indonesian state energy firm Pertamina, which operates the country's largest petrol station network, and biodiesel producers group Aprobi said they were waiting...

Pasaran getah Kuala Lumpur ditutup bercampur-campur, dipengaruhi oleh sentimen lemah di pasaran niaga hadapan getah serantau serta jangkaan langkah rangsangan China dan pemotongan kadar faedah di AS. Ringgit yang lebih rendah berbanding dolar AS dan kebimbangan terhadap bekalan getah asli yang terhad membantu mengurangkan kejatuhan harga getah. Harga Getah Mutu Malaysia 20 (GMM 20) susut kepada 845.50 sen sekilogram, manakala harga susu getah pukal meningkat kepada 677.00 sen sekilogram. Pasaran getah Kuala Lumpur ditutup bercampur-campur pada Khamis, sejajar dengan sentimen yang lemah di pasaran niaga hadapan getah serantau, kata seorang peniaga. Beliau berkata sentimen pasaran juga dipengaruhi oleh jangkaan terhadap langkah-langkah...

15.10.2024 - Oil plunged after a report that Israel may avoid targeting Iran’s crude infrastructure eased concerns over a major supply disruption, bringing traders’ focus back to the International Energy Agency’s expectations of a sizable glut early next year. West Texas Intermediate slid as much as 5% to fall near $70 a barrel. Brent futures slumped below $74. Israel said it was weighing US warnings against striking Iran’s energy sites, but that it would act based on its own assessments, after the Washington Post reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Biden administration he’s willing to strike military rather than oil or nuclear facilities in Iran. While those tensions pose a danger to the region’s energy...

15.10.2024 - Ericsson AB shares rose to their highest in two years after the telecom equipment company’s deal with AT&T Inc. helped push third-quarter earnings above analysts’ estimates. Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes were 7.3 billion kronor ($699 million), the Stockholm-based company said in a statement on Tuesday. That compared to an average of 5.6 billion kronor forecast by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Shares rose 7.5% to 84.16 kronor at 11:13 a.m. in Stockholm on Tuesday, the highest since April 2022. North American sales grew by 55% year over year, “helped by strong deliveries related to our recent AT&T contract win,” Chief Executive Officer Börje Ekholm said in an investor call. Sales in Europe were also growing...

15.10.2024 - The Biden-Harris administration announced plans Tuesday to provide up to $750 million in direct funding to Wolfspeed, with the money supporting its new silicon carbide factory in North Carolina that makes the wafers used in advanced computer chips and its factory in Marcy, New York. Wolfspeed's use of silicon carbide enables the computer chips used in electric vehicles and other advanced technologies to be more efficient. The North Carolina-based company's two projects are estimated to create 2,000 manufacturing jobs as part of a more than $6 billion expansion plan. “Artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and clean energy are all technologies that will define the 21st century, and thanks to proposed investments in...

15.10.2024 - Wolfspeed is set to receive $750 million in government grants for its new North Carolina silicon carbide wafer manufacturing plant facility, the U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday, sending the U.S. chipmaker's shares up 10% before the bell. The preliminary funding agreement requires Wolfspeed "to take additional steps to strengthen its balance sheet to better protect taxpayer funds", it said. Wolfspeed said investment funds led by Apollo Global Management, the Baupost Group, Fidelity Management & Research Company and Capital Group have agreed to provide an additional $750 million of new financing. The company, which counts General Motors and Mercedes-Benz among its customers, makes chips using silicon carbide, a more...

15.10.2024 - Despite a steady drumbeat of bad news for EVs, it may surprise some to hear EV sales in the US are actually rising and nearing a major milestone. According to Cox Automotive’s Kelly Blue Book (KBB), EV sales jumped 11% year over year to just over 346,000 new EVs sold. KBB also said that EV sales rose 5% compared to Q2. More importantly, the EV market share in the US climbed to 8.9%, up from the 7.8% seen last year. While the EV market share growth rate has slowed somewhat, it is nearing the 10% threshold that many see as a major milestone for EV adoption in the US. “While year-over-year growth has slowed, EV sales in the US continue to march higher,” said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox Automotive’s director of insights, in...

15.10.2024 - Biden administration officials have discussed capping sales of advanced AI chips from Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) and other American companies on a country-specific basis, people familiar with the matter said, a move that would limit some nations’ artificial intelligence capabilities. The new approach would set a ceiling on export licenses for certain countries in the interest of national security, according to the people, who described the private discussions on condition of anonymity. Officials are focused on Persian Gulf countries that have a growing appetite for AI data centers and the deep pockets to fund them, the people said. Deliberations are in early stages and remain fluid, the people said, noting that the idea has...

Nvidia, peneraju dalam pembuatan cip AI, mencatatkan penutupan saham tertinggi pernah direkodkan pada hari Isnin, menjadikan syarikat ini hampir merampas kedudukan Apple sebagai syarikat paling bernilai di dunia. Saham Nvidia melonjak 2.4% untuk menutup pada harga $138.07, didorong oleh keyakinan pelabur terhadap permintaan kukuh untuk pemproses AI generasi kini dan akan datang yang dikeluarkan oleh syarikat yang berpusat di Santa Clara, California ini. Pada bulan Jun lalu, Nvidia seketika menjadi syarikat paling bernilai di dunia, tetapi kemudian diatasi oleh Microsoft. Selama beberapa bulan, ketiga-tiga syarikat teknologi gergasi ini bersaing rapat dalam nilai pasaran mereka. Keuntungan terkini telah meningkatkan nilai pasaran...

08.10.2024 - The rout in US government debt extended slightly on Tuesday, with longer-dated yields at the highest levels since late July and inflation data later in the week expected to enable Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts. While most yields were slightly higher on the day, short maturities most sensitive to changes in Fed policy were little changed as bets on additional rate cuts stabilized after a hawkish repricing in recent days. Earlier, the two-year yield fell as much as six basis points to 3.94%. Ten (^TNX)- and 30-year (^TYX) yields rose by less than three basis points to the highest levels since July 31. Strong jobs data at the end of last week shocked traders betting on another big cut from the Fed this year and revived...

09.07.2024 - Troubling data – long foretold in the bond and commodity markets – woke traders across risky assets up from their slumber this week, in the worst performance for stocks since the 2023 regional bank crisis. After rebounding from the early-August swoon, traders succumbed to growth fears thanks to a steady drumbeat of dispiriting economic news of late led by the labor market. The S&P 500 fell four straight days, credit spreads widened at the fastest clip since early August and an index of computer-chip makers plunged 12% — the most since the pandemic meltdown. With the stock benchmark up 13% this year, the gyrations are a mere blip in bulled-up charts and risk-sensitive assets are still largely pricing in a soft landing ahead...

07.09.2024 - Suruhanjaya Kawal Selia Tenaga Persekutuan A.S. pada hari Jumaat meluluskan perjanjian $12.5 bilion BlackRock untuk Rakan Kongsi Infrastruktur Global. Di bawah perjanjian itu, yang diumumkan awal tahun ini, BlackRock berkata ia akan membayar $3 bilion tunai dan kira-kira 12 juta saham BlackRock untuk memperoleh gergasi pengurusan aset itu. BlackRock dan Rakan Kongsi Infrastruktur Global enggan mengulas. Tahun lepas, seorang ahli pengawal selia tenaga A.S. meminta penelitian terhadap pemilikan pengurus aset teratas terhadap utiliti kuasa, ketika badan pengawasan memulakan semakan. Pesuruhjaya Mark Christie berkata suruhanjaya itu perlu "melakukan penelitian yang ketat apabila pengurus aset besar seperti Vanguard atau...

07.09.2024 - Goldman Sachs melaraskan jangkaannya untuk pengeluaran minyak OPEC+ berkata ia kini menjangkakan peningkatan pengeluaran selama tiga bulan bermula dari Disember dan bukannya Oktober, kata bank itu dalam nota pada hari Jumaat. OPEC+ telah bersetuju untuk menangguhkan peningkatan pengeluaran minyak yang dirancang untuk Oktober dan November, kata kumpulan pengeluar itu pada Khamis selepas harga minyak mentah mencecah paras terendah dalam tempoh sembilan bulan, sambil menambah ia boleh menjeda atau membalikkan kenaikan jika perlu. Bagaimanapun Goldman Sachs mengekalkan julat minyak mentah Brentnya pada $70-85 setong dan ramalan Brent Disember 2025 pada $74 setong. Bank pelaburan itu menjangkakan kesan pengurangan sederhana...

07.09.2024 - Bank pusat China tidak menambah sebarang emas kepada rizabnya untuk bulan keempat berturut-turut pada bulan Ogos kerana harga logam berharga itu meningkat kepada rekod. Bullion yang dipegang oleh People’s Bank of China tidak berubah pada 72.8 juta troy auns pada akhir bulan lalu, menurut data rasmi yang dikeluarkan pada hari Sabtu. PBOC telah menambah simpanannya selama 18 bulan berturut-turut sehingga April tahun ini, membantu menyokong kekuatan harga jongkong. Penghentian pembelian oleh PBOC menambah tanda bahawa harga yang melonjak menyekat permintaan bank pusat global, selepas pembelian kukuh pada separuh pertama. Namun, beberapa penganalisis melihat pembelian bank pusat kekal sebagai pemacu utama untuk emas tahun...

07.09.2024 - Rizab pertukaran asing China meningkat ke paras tertinggi dalam tempoh lebih 8-1/2 tahun pada bulan Ogos, data rasmi menunjukkan pada hari Sabtu, sebahagian besarnya disebabkan oleh dolar A.S. yang lebih lemah secara amnya. Rizab pertukaran asing negara - terbesar di dunia - meningkat sebanyak $31.8 bilion kepada $3.288 trilion bulan lepas, menempah pengembangan bulanan kedua berturut-turut dan mencecah paras tertinggi sejak Disember 2015. Tetapi ia meleset sedikit ramalan $3.289 trilion dalam tinjauan penganalisis Reuters. Yuan meningkat 1.9% berbanding dolar pada Ogos, manakala dolar bulan lepas melemah 2.2% berbanding sekumpulan mata wang utama lain. Source...

Oil was steady near a seven-week low on a shaky demand outlook, especially in the biggest importer China. Brent crude traded below $80 a barrel after losing more than 3% over the previous two sessions, while West Texas Intermediate was around $76. Banks including Citigroup Inc. have downgraded their growth forecasts for Asia’s biggest economy, while physical export prices of US oil heading to Asia are weakening. Crude remains modestly higher for the year, aided by OPEC+’s supply cutbacks and expectations for lower borrowing costs in the US. An interest-rate decision from the Federal Reserve is due on Wednesday, while OPEC+ will hold a monitoring meeting a day later. The market is split on whether the cartel will proceed with a...

FILE PHOTO: Small toy figure and mineral imitation are seen in front of the BHP logo in this illustration MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Global miner BHP Group and Canada-listed Lundin Mining will jointly take over developer Filo Corp for C$4.5 billion ($3.25 billion), the companies said on Monday, as they move to progress the South American projects. BHP and Lundin will form a 50/50 joint venture to hold both the Filo del Sol and Josemaria projects around the Argentine-Chile border. BHP and Lundin have offered C$33 per Filo share, reflecting a 12.2% premium to the Canadian copper miner's last close on Monday. Under the deal, BHP is expected to pay a total of $2.1 billion in cash. Reuters reported on July 12 that Lundin and BHP were weighing...

26.04.2024 - A selloff in global bonds paused as traders waited for US inflation to shed light on whether the Federal Reserve will be able to cut interest rates this year. Treasuries gained on Friday after a rout this week pushed yields to their highest levels of the year, with European rates following suit. Japan’s benchmark notes advanced after the nation’s central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged. Investors now await a series of US inflation reports to fine tune their bets on when the Fed will begin cutting interest rates. Evidence that price growth remains sticky has pushed the expected start date back by months over recent weeks, with traders now only fully pricing a quarter-point reduction by December. “All eyes are on...

Pengendali pelabuhan terbesar Malaysia, Westports Holdings Bhd., sedang mempertimbangkan pelabur strategik luar untuk membantu membiayai pengembangan 39.6 bilion ringgit ($8.3 bilion) yang akan menyaksikan kapasiti hampir dua kali ganda dalam dekad akan datang. "Kami akan terbuka kepadanya, jika ia adalah seseorang yang boleh datang dan menambah nilai kepada kami," kata Pengerusi Eksekutif Ruben Emir Gnanalingam. "Kami tidak menolak apa-apa." Syarikat itu juga sedang mengkaji pelan pelaburan semula dividen dan meminjam untuk membantu membiayai pengembangan kemudahan di Klang, katanya dalam temu bual di tapak itu. Pelabuhan itu adalah yang kedua terbesar di Asia Tenggara dan rancangannya akan menyaksikan peningkatan kapasiti kepada 27...