Financial Markets and Economy
World's Biggest Pension Fund Loses $64 Billion Amid Equity Rout (Bloomberg)
The worlds biggest pension fund posted its worst quarterly loss since at least 2008 after a global stock rout in August and September wiped $64 billion off the Japanese asset managers investments.
It's starting to look like negative interest rates might do the opposite of what they're supposed to (Business Insider)
The European Central Bank is expected to cut interest rates deeper into negative territory this week as it attempts to flush cash out of banks and into the economy by making it expensive for banks to store cash.
When an Expense Becomes a Wise Investment Choice (NY Times)
Ask someone how they invest, and you’ll probably get a pretty standard answer involving stocks, bonds and maybe some real estate or cash. But rarely will people mention something that is even more important: their investments in human capital.
Macau's Third-Quarter Economy Sinks 24% Compared to a Year Ago (Bloomberg)
Macau’s economy contracted a fifth straight quarter as the world’s largest center of gambling was pummeled by an economic slowdown in China and the government’s attack on corruption which scared off high-rollers.
U.S. stocks traded in a range Monday, the last day of trade for November, as investors readied for key data and central bank comments later in the week.
The S&P 500 and Dow Jones industrial average turned lower soon after the open as health care stocks weighed.
Credit Suisse says Ocado should just give up and let Amazon acquire it (Business Insider)
Credit Suisse analyst Stewart McGuire and his team think Ocado should just give up and sell the company to Amazon or Walmart.
The online grocery — which also creates a whole heap of technology that it can sell to other businesses — is growing rapidly and will do more than £1 billion in revenues this year. But OCDO shares have been battered in recent months, mostly because of the impending arrival of Amazon Fresh in London.
Wall St. opens flat, set to end the month higher (Yahoo! Finance)
The three major indexes were set to end the month higher for the second straight month. While the U.S. central bank is likely to raise interest rates for the first time since June 2006, the European Central Bank is expected to unveil fresh monetary easing measures on Thursday. "We're coming off a quiet holiday week and we have a lot of hurdles to cross this week with all the data that we're expecting," said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James in St. Petersburg, Florida.
European Stocks' Three-Month High as Euro Drops Puts Onus on ECB (Bloomberg)
European stocks hovered around a three-month high, the euro touched its weakest level since April and the yield gap between German and U.S. notes reached the widest in nine years as traders prepared for the European Central Bank to ramp up stimulus later this week.
Lasting Change: It's About the Hardware (Trader Feed)
Following the wisdom of Napoleon, research provides the bayonets for revolutionary ideas in science. Those ideas begin as heresies and only become received wisdom when the status quo becomes untenable.
Investors are terrified by the '3rd wave' of the financial crisis (Business Insider)
The FTSE 100 money manager Aberdeen Asset Management released its final results on Monday, and the big takeaway is that investors are terrified by the possibility of crashes in Asia and emerging markets.
Pound Slides Toward $1.50 as Newest BOE Member Backs Low Rates (Bloomberg)
The pound fell below $1.50 for the first time in seven months after the newest member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee said he’s comfortable with keeping interest rates at a record low, reinforcing the dovish stance adopted by colleagues including Governor Mark Carney.
Watch these 3 charts as investors prepare for Fed rate hike (Market Watch)
The Federal Reserve is widely expected to raise interest rates for the first time in almost a decade when policy makers meet in December, a move that is expected to send tremors through global financial markets and change the outlook for several asset classes.
Indonesian Stocks Slump in Late Trading as Banks Lead Retreat (Bloomberg)
Indonesian stocks fell the most in four weeks, led by financial and consumer shares, with most of the declines occurring in the last few minutes of trading.
Iron ore prices keep crashing, adding to global growth fears (Market Watch)
It’s another ugly day for iron ore, with analysts fretting about a big round number falling by the wayside.
Iron ore futures on Monday dropped below a closely watched level in Singapore trading — $40 a metric ton — for the first time ever.
U.S. Index Futures Erase Drops; S&P 500 Heads for Monthly Gain (Bloomberg)
Investors are holding off on placing large stock bets, waiting for a slew of economic releases this week.
These stocks are crushing it, just like before the dot-com bust (Market Watch)
Last week’s tryptophanic slumber gives way to what should be a turbulent stretch for markets, as the Fed, OPEC and a batch of macro numbers, including Friday’s jobs report, take the spotlight. If the prevailing trend continues, look for the strong to get stronger and the weak to get weaker. Don’t let the proximity to new index highs fool you — pain has trumped pleasure in 2015, for the most part.
Euro-Area Bonds Halt Rally as Inflation Data Sets Tone for ECB (Bloomberg)
German government bonds interrupted this month’s rally as investors awaited the country’s inflation data, which comes three days before a decision by European Central Bank policy makers on whether to boost stimulus.
Gold dips, set for biggest monthly loss in more than 2 years (Market Watch)
Gold futures edged lower Monday, keeping the metal on track for its biggest monthly drop in more than two years.
Gold for December delivery GCZ5, +0.44% fell by $1.40, or 0.1%, to $1,054.80 an ounce, while December silver SIZ5, +0.41% gained 4 cents, or 0.3%, to $14.05 an ounce.
South Africa Edging Closer to Junk as Credit-Rating Reviews Loom (Bloomberg)
South Africa looks set to inch closer to junk.
China’s Twin Challenges (Project Syndicate)
This month’s monetary-policy statement from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) contained a striking statement: “If endogenous momentum is inadequate and returns on investment low, growth must rely on debt to a great extent.” Those words highlight the twin challenges – real and financial – that the Chinese economy now confronts.
Oil prices higher ahead of central bank, OPEC meetings (Market Watch)
Crude-oil prices gained ground Monday, ahead of a raft of economic data and meetings this week, with traders watching if the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will adjust its production policy to stabilize prices.
Kenya Readies for Fed Shock With Reserves, Rates, Governor Says (Bloomberg)
Kenya is ready to take action to protect the economy from potential market turmoil when the U.S. begins raising interest rates, having built up enough buffers to prepare for the event, central bank Governor Patrick Njoroge said.
Politics
Hillary Clinton to campaign with Warren Buffett in Omaha (Bloomberg)
Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign will get a boost from billionaire investor Warren Buffett next month.
Clinton will campaign in Omaha, Neb., on Dec. 16 with the help of Buffett, the Omaha-based investor. The Omaha World-Herald writes the visit by the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination is an effort to organize grassroots support before the state’s Democratic caucuses. Clinton is expected to talk about tax reform with Buffett, one of her outspoken supporters. Nebraska Democrats hold presidential caucuses on March 5.
Obama calls Paris Climate Summit a 'rejection' of terror (Mashable)
Pushing for a powerful climate deal, President Barack Obama called the global talks opening Monday outside Paris an "act of defiance" against terrorism that proves the world stands undeterred by Islamic State-linked attacks in Europe and beyond.
Technology
Hybrid magnetic sensor is 200 times more sensitive (Futurity)
Scientists have created a magnetic sensor 200 times more sensitive than most products currently on the market.
Led by Yang Hyunsoo, associate professor in electrical and computer engineering at the National University of Singapore, the team developed the new sensor from graphene and boron nitride.
Oculus on VR: 'We are going to make this happen' (CNN)
Think about the way you react to black and white photographs — like they're remnants from an ancient time period. Now imagine reacting to today's Instagrams and selfies that way.
Palmer Luckey, the creator of the virtual reality tech company Oculus, predicts it's going to happen.
Health and Life Sciences
Parents 'avoid mental health talks' (BBC)
More than half of parents in England have never spoken to their children about stress, anxiety or depression, a survey has suggested.
A poll of more than 1,100 parents found that 55% had not spoken about the subject to their offspring.
Five Key Issues For Future Cancer Care And Health Informatics (Forbes)
You may have heard of Watson, IBM’s friendly-sounding artificial intelligence system, a robot that can win at Jeopardy. In the future, it might solve the world’s most challenging medical cases.
Watson Oncology can read your doctors’ notes about your history and clinical findings; review your labs and x-ray pictures, all scans, genome sequences and modern test results; take in all the pertinent literature; and scan a growing, virtual universe of cancer patients’ information to identify other cases like yours.
Life on the Home Planet
'The change in the global population over the next few years is unprecedented' (Business Insider)
The world's demographics are making an "unprecedented shift," and it will have an enormous impact on the world.
That's not a new discovery, but the subject is being explored in detail by HSBC economist James Pomeroy in an immense report sent to clients this week.
SA grapples with worst drought in 30 years (BBC)
South Africa is facing one of the worst droughts to hit the region in 30 years. Many small farmers are expected to go out of business as food production and prices increase, especially in the Free State province.
In the middle of what used to be a watering hole, a black calf whose name is Kgantsho a Sotho name which means "the black one", is trapped in thick clay, too weak to pull itself out.
