ASIA/PACIFIC
-The Australian stock market edged higher to start the week led by the technology sector and a rebound in Mineral Resources.
-Asian stock markets kicked off the new trading week mostly in the green as investors digested Japan’s general election results over the weekend in which its ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lost majority for the first time since 2009.
– Vietnam awaits emerging market status that could come as early as September 2025, Maybank Investment Bank Vietnam’s Head of Equity Research Thanh Quan Trong told CNBC.
. EUROPE
-Equities in Europe traded higher in Monday’s premarket as investors reviewed the geopolitical situation in the Middle East and geared up for the week filled with many important earnings and data reports.
-After initially failing to begin trading when markets opened, Europe-traded shares of Dutch health product giant Philips fell as much as 15% and were down 14.55% at 8:26 a.m. London time as after the company cut its full year sales outlook on weak demand from China.
-Consumer demand in Europe is not likely to “improve materially” in the final quarter of 2024 and potentially in the first half of 2025, Fitch Ratings said in a report.
. AMERICAS
North America
-U.S. equity futures jumped on Monday morning as investors looked for a batch of megacap technology earnings. This week marks the busiest in the third-quarter earnings reporting season, and is the final week leading up to the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5 and the Federal Reserve’s policy decision on Nov. 7
Latin America
-Guatemala mulls local currency issuance in 2025, as the country’s macroeconomic stability, low debt and steady currency would support international issuance in quetzales minister told Latin Finance.
-Argentina is poised for resurgence in IPOs The deals will be led by a privatization push like in the 1990s, an investment banker told Latin Finance.
. AFRICA
-Egypt’s EGX mandates United Bank to complete offering within six months of listing, Daily News Egypt reported. The bank’s shares were listed on the EGX database in the banking sector as of October 24.
-South Africa’s rand, a top emerging market performer, strengthening some 2.5% against the U.S. dollar since the start of the year, has further room to strengthen, the country’s central bank chief Lesetja Kganyago told Reuters.
-Tunisia and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) inked guarantee agreement for $15mln loan to Tunisian Investment Fund, Agency Tunis Afrique Press reported.
. MIDDLE EAST
-GCC investors should look at high-grade bonds and diversify into international portfolios to protect their wealth against geopolitical risk in the region, according to UBS’ Chief Investment Officer for Global Emerging Markets.
-Saudi Arabia has raised nearly SAR 8 billion from its latest multi-tranche sukuk, which is denominated in the local currency, Zaywya reported.
-UAE retail giant Lulu which runs more than 240 grocery stores in six Gulf countries, said on Monday it aims to raise up to 5.27 billion dirhams ($1.43 billion) in what is set to be the UAE’s biggest initial public offering (IPO) so far this year.
. COMMODITIES
GOLD
Spot gold fell 0.2% to $2,743.31 an ounce by 1:55 p.m. ET (1755 GMT) on Monday while U.S. gold futures settled almost unchanged at $2,755.9, according to Reuters.
OIL
Brent futures settled at $71.42 a barrel, down $4.63 or 6.09%. WTI U.S. crude futures finished at $67.38 a barrel, $4.40 or 6.13%. Both contracts hit their lowest since Oct. 1 at Monday’s open, after Israel’s retaliatory strike on Iran at the weekend bypassed Tehran’s oil infrastructure.