Asian stocks set for mixed start after U.S. drop
Asian stocks looked set for a mixed start Friday following a decline in U.S. shares led by the technology sector as tightening monetary policy to fight inflation buffets investor sentiment.
Australian equities edged up, while futures pointed lower for Japan and were little changed for Hong Kong. The tech-heavy $NASDAQ 100 Index(.NDX.US)$ sank the most since September, skidding on reduced appetite for more richly valued investments amid the Fed's pivot toward scaling back outsized stimulus. U.S. equity contracts wavered in early Asian trading.
Apple leads big tech lower as investors reconsider Fed moves
Megacap tech names initially saw a positive reaction to the Fed's statement on Wednesday, with investors buying up shares of $Apple(AAPL.US)$, $Microsoft(MSFT.US)$ and $NVIDIA(NVDA.US)$, among others. But those stocks came under pressure Thursday, erasing most or all of their gains.
Apple shares declined 3.9% on Thursday, with the iPhone maker retreating further from a $3 trillion market valuation as it posted its worst day since March. Among other names, Microsoft fell 2.9%, $Amazon(AMZN.US)$ slid 2.6%, and Nvidia shed 6.8%.
Melania Trump is releasing an NFT that will cost 1 SOL each
Melania Trump has become the latest celebrity to try to cash in on the craze for non-fungible tokens.
The former first lady's first NFT, called Melania's Vision, will include watercolor art that "embodies Mrs. Trump's cobalt blue eyes, providing the collector with an amulet to inspire," according to an emailed statement. It will be available from Dec. 16 to Dec. 31 for one SOL, a cryptocurrency that runs on the Solana blockchain, currently priced at $187.
A pair of teenagers helps launch ETF targeting youngest traders
An exchange-traded fund tracking U.S. companies that adhere to the values of Generation Z starts trading on Thursday.
The $THE GENERATION Z ETF(ZGEN.US)$ tracks a portfolio of "future-focused companies that align with Generation Z," according to a press release. It will trade under the ticker ZGEN and charge a fee of 0.6%, the fund's website says.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau probing 'buy now, pay later' companies, including Affirm, Klarna
The bureau issued orders seeking information from the firms that would help it examine concerns such as the kind of role these ' buy now, pay later' plans play in increasing consumers' debt and how these companies use consumer data, the agency said.
The CFPB said the ease of getting these plans can mean consumers end up spending more than anticipated. $Affirm Holdings(AFRM.US)$ dopped 10.6% on Thursday.
Rivian shares slide after company cuts 2021 EV production expectations
$Rivian Automotive(RIVN.US)$ said it expects to fall "a few hundred vehicles short" of its 2021 production target of 1,200 vehicles. The company said it faced supply chain issues as well as challenges ramping up production of the complex batteries that power the vehicles.
The updates come alongside Rivian's first quarterly report as a public company and confirmation of plans for a new $5 billion plant in Georgia that's expected to come online in 2024.
Millennial millionaires plan to add more crypto in 2022, CNBC Millionaire Survey finds
Most millennial millionaires have the bulk of their wealth in crypto, and they're planning to add more in 2022 despite the recent price declines, according to the CNBC Millionaire Survey.
Fully 83% of millennial millionaires own cryptocurrencies, according to the survey. The crypto holdings of millennial millionaires stand in stark contrast to older generations of millionaires, and could create a new dilemma for wealth management firms and how they work with clients.
Netflix slashes India prices in battle with Amazon, Disney
$Netflix(NFLX.US)$ this week said in a blog post from India executive Monika Shergill that it is cutting its basic plan in India by 60% to 199 rupees, equivalent to $2.61, a month. Netflix also lowered prices on its least expensive plan and most expensive plan.
Despite the price cuts, Netflix is still more expensive than competitors. Netflix has some 5 million subscribers in India, according to data from consulting firm Media Partners Asia, far fewer than Amazon Prime Video's 19 million and $Disney(DIS.US)$ Disney+ Hotstar's 46 million.
Source: Bloomberg, CNBC, WSJ

$Nintendo (ADR)(NTDOY.US)$
anyone knows if dividends are subject to 30% withholding tax for nintendo listed in US? particularly for singapore investors. thanks!

$Intl Cement(KUO.SG)$ why why why

$UTIME LTD(UTME.US)$
Any news for the crash?

$Torchlight Energy Resources Inc(TRCH.US)$ why u crashing since yesterday????

$Orbital Energy(OEG.US)$ keep growing

$AMC Entertainment(AMC.US)$ see u at $4 @NeoQQ

$SOS Ltd(SOS.US)$
Reddit are saying that SOS to be included in MSCI tonight after trading hours.

What an awesome performance! You fell? $Tesla(TSLA.US)$