ASIA/PACIFIC
-The Australian stock market closed higher on Friday, led by financials and energy stocks with 10 of the 11 industry sectors in the green.
-Asian stocks ended mixed after Wall Street’s lower close overnight as data showed U.S. weekly jobless claims unexpectedly dropped to an eight-month low, reigniting worries about high interest rates.
-China’s central bank is likely to cut interest rates from the current level of 1.5 percent “at an appropriate time” in 2025, the Financial Times reported.
. EUROPE
-Major stock exchanges in Europe closed lower after a rocky start to 2025 for stocks around the world.
-Norway’s wealth fund, Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), announced that it acquired 45% interest in the United States logistics portfolio in a transaction valued at $1.07 billion.
-Ukraine halted the flow of Russian gas to several European countries on New Year’s Day. Slovakia, Austria and Moldova are among the countries most at risk from the stoppage, according to Rystad Energy.
. AMERICAS
North America
-US stocks closed higher with the S&P 500 gaining 1.2%, breaking a five-day losing streak.
Latin America
-Brazil recently witnessed a notable influx of foreign investment, with R$ 1.3 billion ($0.21 billion) entering the B3 stock exchange between December 20 and December 27, The Rio Times reported.
-Argentina stocks saw a 6% increase on first trading day of 2025.
. AFRICA
-The Nigerian stock market, tracked by the All-Share Index, concluded a stellar year in 2024 with a remarkable gain of 37.65%, fueled by resilient bullish momentum according to Nairametrics.
-After 36 years, family-owned and run Sasfin exits the Johannesburg Stock Exchange with analysts saying the delisting is a “sad day” and an “end of an era.”
– Egypt is set to borrow EGP 1.983trn from the local market during the first quarter of 2025 to meet previous debt obligations and finance the state’s budget deficit, Daily News Egypt reported.
. MIDDLE EAST
-Wealth fund investments in private equity, credit markets set to grow in 2025 according to research consultancy Global SWF with Abu Dhabi funds leading this trend over the past four years.
-Saudi Arabia’s National Debt Management Center (NDMC) announced the arrangement of a Shariah-compliant revolving credit facility worth $2.5 billion (equivalent to SR9.4 billion).
-Tadawul’s final two major IPOs of the year pulled in a combined SR2.31bn (US$610m) of demand from retail investors in the final weeks of 2024, IFR reported.
. COMMODITIES
GOLD
Spot gold was up 0.2% at $2,661.19 per ounce, as of 0257 GMT, while U.S. gold futures rose 0.2% to $2,675.40.
SILVER-PLATINUM-PALLADIUM
Spot silver was steady at $29.58 per ounce, platinum added 0.4% to $926.95, and palladium rose 0.2% to $913.18.
OIL
Brent crude futures rose 16 cents, or 0.2%, to $76.09 a barrel by 0132 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $73.32 a barrel, up 19 cents, or 0.3%, according to Reuters.
