ASIA/PACIFIC
-The Australian stock market closed higher on Friday as trading resumed after Christmas and Boxing Day holidays.
-Asian markets were mixed as investors assessed economic data from the region.
-China’s industrial profits dropped 7.3% in November from a year earlier. November inflation numbers fromTokyo saw its headline inflation rate come in at 3%, up from 2.6% in October.
. EUROPE
-Most stock exchanges in Europe closed higher following a closure for the Christmas holiday.
-Russia’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index, or PMI, dropped to 50.8 in December from 51.3 in November. Nonetheless, a reading above 50 indicates expansion, survey results from S&P Global showed.
-Spain’s retail sales growth eased further in November to the lowest level in five months. Retail sales climbed 1.0 percent on a yearly basis, following a 3.4 percent rise in October.
. AMERICAS
North America
-US stocks declined with technology names pulling the sentiment down after the holiday break.
Latin America
-Caixa Seguridade, Brazil’s state-run insurance powerhouse, is preparing to shake up the market with a secondary share offering worth up to 3 billion reais ($603 million), the Rio Times reported.
-Argentina’s Central Bank made a bold move on December 26, 2024, auctioning $599 million to prop up the peso.
. AFRICA
-The Central Bank of Egypt maintained its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 27.25% during its meeting, marking ten consecutive months of record-high borrowing costs in the Egyptian monetary system.
-The UAE has become the largest investor in new business projects in Africa, committing $110 billion to various ventures between 2019 and 2023, according to Middle East Monitor.
-The exchange rate between the naira and the dollar closed at N1,537/$1 on Christmas Eve, gaining one naira from the previous day’s close of N1,538/$1.
. MIDDLE EAST
-Saudi’s Derayah Financial Company has received approval from the Capital Market Authority to move ahead with an IPO, representing 20% of its share capital.
-Burgan Bank has recently received the final approval from the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) to acquire 100% stake in United Gulf Bank (UGB), a licensed conventional wholesale bank headquartered in Bahrain.
-Saudi’s Bank Aljazira has issued a SAR-denominated additional Tier 1 sukuk through a private placement. The offering closes on January 8, with a minimum subscription limit of 1 million Saudi riyals ($266,354).
. COMMODITIES
GOLD
Spot gold fell 0.2% to $2,630.28 per ounce, as of 0221 GMT while U.S. gold futures eased 0.2% to $2,649.10.
SILVER-PLATINUM-PALLADIUM
Spot silver fell 0.2% to $29.75 per ounce and palladium shed 0.3% to $922.58, while platinum added 0.1% to $936.85.
OIL
Brent crude futures fell 1 cent to $73.25 a barrel by 0145 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude
was at $69.60, down 2 cents, from Thursday’s close.
