ASIA/PACIFIC
-The Australian stock market took a beating on Thursday as the country’s jobless rate dropped to 8-month low, which is likely to push out the prospect of interest rate cuts further into next year.
-Asian markets ended mixed despite a benign inflation report cementing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will keep cutting interest rates.
-Japan’s Mizuho Financial Group announced the listing of the One ETF FTSE Saudi Arabia Index on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) today, with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) named an anchor investor.
. EUROPE
-European stock markets closed on a mixed note with investors digesting the European Central Bank’s decision to cut interest rates by 25 basis points.
-The Swiss National Bank (SNB) cut its key policy rate by 50bps to 0.5%, exceeding market expectations for a smaller 25bps cut.
-North Macedonia secures second €500mn loan from Hungary to repay 2018 Eurobond
. AMERICAS
North America
-U.S. stocks moved back to the downside over the course of the session weighed down by a hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation report.
Latin America
-Buenos Aires axes global bond sale, buyback: City government says investor interest in tender offer fell short, as Ecuador announces results of its buyback, Latin Finance reported.
-A recent study by Málaga Assessoria reveals that 75% of Brazilian companies listed on B3 fail to hit 10% return as interest rates soar.
. AFRICA
-Egypt has postponed the launch of its financial derivatives market until Q2 2025, Vice Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) Islam Azzam told Asharq Business.
-The Stock Exchange of Mauritius (SEM) announced the launch of Market Making Rules on its Official Market trading platform.
-The Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX) has received official operational license from the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA)
. MIDDLE EAST
-Most stocks markets in the Gulf ended higher in tandem with a rally in global equities after U.S. consumer inflation data cemented bets of a Federal Reserve interest-rate cut next week.
-UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan approved a board of directors for XRG, state oil giant ADNOC’s new international investment arm, including Blackstone’s Jon Gray and former BP boss Bernard Looney, ADNOC said on Thursday.
-Challenges and pitfalls are weighing down the Muscat Stock Exchange, Oman Daily Observer reported.
. COMMODITIES
GOLD
Spot gold shed 0.5% to $2,704.41 per ounce, as of 0257 GMT while U.S. gold futures fell 0.5% to $2,744.60.
SILVER-PLATINUM-PALLADIUM
Spot silver dropped 0.3% to $31.84 per ounce, platinum was down 0.2% to $937.55 and palladium
lost 0.2% to $979.91.
OIL
Brent crude futures were down 5 cents at $73.47 a barrel at 0141 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 11 cents to $70.18.
