Stock rebound may continue in Asia; bonds decline
A global rebound in stocks may continue in Asia on Wednesday as investor sentiment improves after being roiled by uncertainty over the omicron virus strain and stimulus outlook.
Futures for Japan and Hong Kong rose, while Australian shares edged up. U.S. contracts fluctuated after the $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$ snapped three days of declines and the technology-heavy $NASDAQ 100 Index (.NDX.US)$ climbed more than 2%. A gauge of Chinese shares traded in the U.S. surged about 7%.
Turkey markets rocked anew amid stock slump, record lira swings
Gyrations in Turkey's stocks and the lira signal volatility is here to stay, even after the government laid out emergency measures to bolster the currency.
The Borsa Istanbul 100 Index's 7.9% decline on Tuesday triggered yet another circuit breaker, as it headed for the biggest three-day loss in more than two decades. The currency whipsawed between gains and losses, after soaring as much as 20% against the U.S. dollar, sending both three-month and one-year volatility to all-time peaks.
Tuesday's market bounce could lead to a record 2022, Oppenheimer's top strategist says
Despite Covid-19 omicron risks, Oppenheimer Asset Management's John Stoltzfus suggests Tuesday's market bounce is real.
"We believe in it. We think investors should as well," the firm's chief investment strategist told CNBC,"The selling that we've seen over the last few days was overdone. Fundamentals are getting better going forward. Stocks are responding to that fact."
Crypto funds explode in boom year marked by first U.S. bitcoin ETF
Even beyond the launch of the first U.S. Bitcoin futures ETF, cryptocurrency funds notched some notable global milestones in 2021.
The number of crypto-tracking investment vehicles worldwide more than doubled to 80 from just 35 at the end of 2020, according to Bloomberg Intelligence data. Assets soared to $63 billion, compared to $24 billion at the start of the year.
Musk tweet fund adminstrator isn't filing statements, judge says
A judge is questioning the status of a $40 million fund that was established from fines paid by Elon Musk and $Tesla (TSLA.US)$ over controversial tweets.
The firm appointed in May to administer distributions from the fund, set up by the U.S. SEC for harmed investors, hasn' filed required accounting statements, U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan said in an order Tuesday. She directed Rust Consulting to submit a status report by Jan. 7.
U.S. share buybacks hit record while capex lags pre-crisis level
Share repurchases more than doubled from a year earlier for S&P 500 companies to an all-time high of $234.6 billion, according to data released Tuesday from S&P Dow Jones Indices. Meanwhile, capital expenditures increased 21% to $189 billion, which is still down 3% from the final three months of 2019 before the pandemic shutdown the economy.
Part of the reason could be related to the pandemic, as a shift in consumer demand has fueled lots of uncertainty for businesses and makes it difficult for companies to plan ahead.
Super-luxury home sales surge across U.S., rising 35% in 2021
In 2021, at least 40 residential properties sold for more than $50 million in the U.S., according to data compiled by the appraiser Miller Samuel. Fueled by a booming stock market, low interest rates, and a pandemic-era's heightened emphasis on home life, prices for luxury houses have risen to stratospheric heights across the country.
UK offers 1 billion pounds to firms hit hardest by Omicron
Britain has announced £1 billion of extra support for businesses hit hardest by the wave of Omicron variant coronavirus cases. Finance minister Rishi Sunak said he would "respond proportionately and appropriately" if further Covid restrictions are imposed.
Under the support announced on Tuesday, hospitality and leisure firms in England will be eligible for grants of up to 6,000 pounds for each of their premises, accounting for almost 700 million pounds of the new package.
Source: Bloomberg, CNBC

Asian stocks set to rise; Longer term yields fall
Asian stocks looked set to rise Thursday after longer term Treasury yields and the dollar fell as traders weighed Federal Reserve minutes affirming a looming reduction in stimulus amid inflationary pressures.
Futures edged up in Japan and Australian equities climbed. U.S. contracts advanced after Wall Street snapped a three-day losing streak, with the tech-heavy $NASDAQ 100 Index (.NDX.US)$outperforming the $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$.
Fed says it could begin 'gradual tapering process' by mid-November
The Federal Reserve could begin reducing the pace of its monthly asset purchases as soon as mid-November, according to minutes from the September meeting. The summary, released Wednesday, indicated the tapering process could see a monthly reduction of $10 billion in Treasurys and $5 billion in mortgage-backed securities. Officials at the meeting expressed concern about inflation, saying it could last longer "than they currently assumed."
Cathie Wood's Ark lends name to ETF tracking Bitcoin futures
Cathie Wood is joining the slate of Wall Street players hoping U.S. regulators will soon greenlight an ETF tracking Bitcoin futures.
The ARK 21Shares Bitcoin Futures Strategy ETF, ticker ARKA, plans to invest in Bitcoin futures contracts that trade on commodity exchanges, according to a Wednesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon says pandemic is moving to the rearview mirror
$JPMorgan (JPM.US)$'s third-quarter profit rose 24%, though that was largely thanks to a release of rainy-day funds socked away during the pandemic's darkest days. Revenue was up just 1% and below Wall Street expectations.
Shares cooled off Wednesday, falling 2.6% to $161. The stock had been up 30% this year, and hit fresh highs last week.
BlackRock profit rose 23% in 3rd quarter, helped by actively managed funds
$Blackrock (BLK.US)$'s third-quarter profit rose 23% during a volatile stretch for markets as the company took in more money in its lucrative actively managed funds.
The money-management company posted a profit of $1.68 billion, or $10.89 a share, for the quarter ended September, up from $1.36 billion, or $8.87 a share, a year earlier. The company beat analysts’ profit expectations, and BlackRock’s stock price rallied 3.9% midday.
'Squid Game' is Netflix's biggest series launch after topping 100 million viewers globally
"Squid Game" has attracted 111 million viewers globally since its Sept. 17 release, making it $Netflix (NFLX.US)$'s biggest series launch of all time. The series easily smashed the previous record from "Bridgerton," which was watched by 82 million households in the first 28 days. International growth has been a key focus for Netflix in recent years, having invested heavily into foreign-language shows and films.
Big US businesses pledge to extend working hours to ease supply chain backlogs
Joe Biden has secured pledges from $Walmart (WMT.US)$, $United Parcel Service (UPS.US)$and $FedEx (FDX.US)$to extend their working hours in a bid to ease supply chain bottlenecks that are weighing down the US and global economic recoveries.
The three companies on Wednesday committed to move towards a round-the-clock, seven-day-week model as part of a broader effort to help clear the mismatches between booming demand and lagging supply and alleviate shortages.
Apple studying potential of AirPods as health device
$Apple (AAPL.US)$is studying ways to make AirPods into a health device, including for enhancing hearing, reading body temperature and monitoring posture.
The plans further demonstrate Apple's ambition to add health and wellness features to devices beyond the Apple Watch, where most of the company's health functions exist today.
Source: Bloomberg, WSJ, CNBC, Financial Times

$Tesla (TSLA.US)$ go go go