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2+ min ago (648+ words) West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Crude Oil remains under pressure on Tuesday, extending its decline for a fourth consecutive day as persistent oversupply concerns continue to dominate market sentiment. At the time of writing, WTI is trading around $55.41, down nearly 2% on the day, after briefly slipping to its lowest level since April 9. The latest leg lower comes as renewed optimism around a potential Russia-Ukraine peace breakthrough fuels expectations that additional Russian crude could return to global markets, adding to an already oversupplied environment. Demand-side concerns are also resurfacing, as signs of an economic slowdown in China, the world's second-largest economy, weigh on the outlook. Softer Chinese data, including weaker Industrial Output and Retail Sales, have reinforced worries that Oil demand may remain subdued in the near term. Attention now turns to the US Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Crude Oil Stocks Change…...

6+ min ago (131+ words) Worries that debt-fueled investments might not pan out as hoped have been weighing on the bonds issued by the likes of CoreWeave and Oracle in recent weeks. Pressure on CoreWeave bonds has been particularly acute. Its 9.25% bonds due in 2030 traded at around 90.6 cents on the dollar on Tuesday, down from 91.8 cents on Monday, according to MarketAxess. Oops, something went wrong AI Bonds Stay Under Pressure Worries that debt-fueled investments might not pan out as hoped have been weighing on the bonds issued by the likes of CoreWeave and Oracle in recent weeks. Pressure on CoreWeave bonds has been particularly acute. Its 9.25% bonds due in 2030 traded at around 90.6 cents on the dollar on Tuesday, down from 91.8 cents on Monday, according to MarketAxess....

8+ min ago (91+ words) The Trump administration singled out prominent European companies as possible targets for new restrictions or fees as it threatened to retaliate against the European Union in response to efforts to tax American tech companies. Tyler Kendall reports on Bloomberg Television. Oops, something went wrong US Threatens Retaliation Over EU Digital Tax The Trump administration singled out prominent European companies as possible targets for new restrictions or fees as it threatened to retaliate against the European Union in response to efforts to tax American tech companies. Tyler Kendall reports on Bloomberg Television....

15+ min ago (409+ words) Latest figures could see the Bank of England cut interest rates LABOUR stood accused of being growth-killers last night as unemployment rose to the highest rate for nearly five years. The jobless rate hit 5.1 per cent in the three months to October in further signs of the Labour market weakening. It marked the highest rate since early 2021 but outside the pandemic it was the highest since the first part of 2016. Young people were particularly struggling with 85,000 increase in those unemployed aged between 18 to 24 in the three months to October. The unemployment and wage growth figures could see the Bank of England cut interest rates when they make their latest decision tomorrow. Alex Hall-Chen, of the Institute of Directors, said the figures were an indictment of the government's employment policies. READ MORE ON UNEMPLOYMENT Labour must bin socialist groupthink as jobless…...

24+ min ago (462+ words) The USD/JPY pair attracts some sellers near 154.80 during the early Asian session on Wednesday. The Japanese Yen (JPY) strengthens against the US Dollar (USD) amid growing speculation that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will hike'rates to 0.75% on Friday.' The US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP)rose by 64,000 in November after declining 105,000 in October, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Tuesday. This reading came in stronger than the market expectation for an increase of 50,000. The report also showed that NFP declined by 105,000 in October. Meanwhile, the Unemployment Rate in the US climbed to 4.6% in November from 4.4% in October.' The Greenback faced some selling pressure in the immediate reaction to the mixed US employment report. Fed policymakers are divided on whether additional rate cuts are needed in 2026. The median Fed official forecasts just one reduction next year, although traders expect…...

26+ min ago (168+ words) As persistent downturn in property sector weighs on consumption, retail sales last month expanded at the slowest pace in three years. China's Investment Slumped Further in November Amid Calls to Reform China's investment slowed further last month, while retail sales grew at the slowest pace since the regime lifted stringent pandemic restrictions, official data showed on Dec. 15, highlighting challenges Beijing faces in reforming its economic growth model. Industrial production grew by 4.8 percent year over year in November, slower than the 4.9 percent growth seen in October, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China. It fell short of a 5 percent growth forecast by economists and marked the slowest expansion since August last year. "Travesty of Justice': Conviction of Hong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Draws Global Condemnation US Backs Philippines After Fishermen Injured in South China Sea…...

36+ min ago (524+ words) Globalisation has always had ups and downs, and has never had clear public support. But trade finds a way. President Trump's America First agenda, plus his vigorous rivalry with China, is discombobulating globalisation. Where will this settle? Two new books offer some ideas. Between 1990 and 2008, the ratio of international trade to world GDP rose from 10% to 15%. This burst of globalisation (or "hyper-globalisation) was just one more cycle in an historically uneven trajectory. Since 2010, the ratio has flattened. But it would be wrong to say globalisation is in retreat. This technologically driven specialisation is layered on top of the long-standing imperative to exploit comparative advantage. Four countries produce most of the world's wheat. Two countries produce 90% of the world's soybeans. Australia supplies 34% of the world's iron ore. The Smoot-Hawley tariffs of 1930 triggered a downward trade spiral as others responded. Not this…...

36+ min ago (145+ words) The Bulwark is home to Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, Bill Kristol, JVL, Sam Stein, and more. We are the largest pro-democracy bundle on Substack for news and analysis on politics and culture'supported by a community built on good-faith. Sam Stein and Catherine Rampell take on a weak jobs report and why the topline numbers may hide more serious economic trouble. They discuss into manufacturing job losses, the Fed's warning that growth is overstated, and the White House's shaky spin'plus how AI could soon hammer white-collar workers. Sam Stein and Catherine Rampell take on a weak jobs report and why the topline numbers may hide more serious economic trouble. They discuss into manufacturing job losses, the Fed's warning that growth is overstated, and the White House's shaky spin'plus how AI could soon hammer white-collar workers....

37+ min ago (110+ words) The agreement builds on a post-Brexit continuity pact and comes as the UK seeks growth amid economic slowdown. UK, South Korea Seal Upgraded Trade Deal to Lock in Tariff-Free Access, Boost Service Exports The UK and South Korea on Dec. 15 finalized an upgraded free trade agreement aimed at locking in tariff-free access for most goods and expanding digital and services trade. Kraft Heinz Names Steve Cahillane CEO as It Prepares for Split Donald Trump Jr Confirms Engagement to Palm Beach Socialite Bettina Anderson South Korean Probe Says Yoon Plotted Martial Law to Eliminate Rivals Roomba Maker IRobot Files for Bankruptcy, to Be Acquired by Lender Picea...

43+ min ago (55+ words) US equity indexes fell along with government yields and crude oil in midday trading on Tuesday as in Oops, something went wrong US Equity Indexes Retreat With Crude Oil, Treasury Yields as Investors Parse Labor Market Data US equity indexes fell along with government yields and crude oil in midday trading on Tuesday as in...