ASIA/PACIFIC
-The Australian stock market closed lower with financials, property developers and technology stocks leading losses.
-Asian markets ended mixed as traders await China’s manufacturing PMI on Tuesday.
-Thailand will join BRICS as partner state starting January 1, 2025, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said.
. EUROPE
-European markets closed in negative territory in final full trading day of 2024 as a cautious undertone prevailed, heading into year-end.
-Swiss banking giant UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti told Migros-Magazin in an interview published on Monday that he is against extreme banking regulation.
-Spain’s annual inflation rate rose for the third straight month to 2.8% in December 2024, the highest since July, surpassing market expectations of 2.6%, preliminary estimates showed.
. AMERICAS
North America
-US stocks moved lower on Monday potentially putting a sour ending on a banner year for investors.
Latin America
-The U.S. dollar surge boosts Brazilian commodity exporters’ 2025 outlook, the Rio Times reported.
-Uruguayan entrepreneurs are cautiously optimistic for 2025, a recent survey reveals.
. AFRICA
-Cairo Housing and Development Company (ELKA) recorded a block-trading deal worth EGP 896.88 ($17.6) million, the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) announced today. The transaction was executed on 296 million of the company’s shares.
-The Executive Board of the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) decided to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 8% on Sunday (Dec. 29) and to continue to pursue a prudent monetary policy.
-Currency outside Nigeria’s banks hit a new high of N4.65 trillion in November 2024, representing 95.4% of the total currency in circulation, the National Bank of Nigeria data showed.
. MIDDLE EAST
-Most stock markets in the Gulf ended higher with the Dubai index closing at its highest in more than a decade, according to Reuters.
-Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO), a holding company that invests in the Middle East and North Africa, has fully repaid the remaining portion of its seven-year bond, totaling 66.5 million Kuwaiti dinars ($215 million), Zawya reported.
– Quarterly net Foreign Direct Investment into Saudi Arabia surged 37% to $4.2bln in 3Q 2024, Saudi Gazette reported.
. COMMODITIES
GOLD
Spot gold fell 0.7% to $2,602.67 per ounce while U.S. gold futures were down 0.7% at $2,615.70.
SILVER-PLATINUM-PALLADIUM
Spot silver lost 1.5% at $28.93 per ounce, platinum fell 1.8% to $903.04, while palladium edged 1.4% lower at $899.57.
OIL
Brent crude futures rose 40 cents to $74.57 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 72 cents to $71.36 a barrel, according to Reuters.
