Squawk Box Europe Express

Crude prices surge following U.S. and UK strikes on Houthis targets in western Yemen in response to continued attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. In the U.S., CPI data comes in higher than expected. The Dow reaches a new intra-day high before closing the session flat. Chinese export data is up by more than expected for December but deflationary pressures persist with consumer prices falling for their longest streak since 2009. Airbus maintains its lead over Boeing for the fifth straight year. CEO Christian Scherer hails the ‘remarkable’ demand for its planes. And we are live in Taipei ahead of Saturday’s presidential election which is seen as pivotal in shaping Chinese-Western relations.

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It’s a monumental day for crypto with the SEC finally approving spot Bitcoin ETFs. Up to 11 funds are due to start trading as soon as today. Speaking to CNBC, Ark Invest President Tom Staudt says the asset class will now have a far greater reach among investors. U.S. markets are in the green with the Dow recording its fourth positive session in five ahead of today’s inflation data. Asian equities ride the green wave with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng leading the charge. The Nikkei 225 breaches the 35,000 level for the first time since 1990. In aviation news, Alaska Airlines and United cancel further flights following last week’s 737 Max 9 blow-out incident. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun tells our colleagues stateside that the investigation will be pivotal.  

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The Dow snaps a three-day winning streak despite chip maker Nvidia hitting a new all-time record. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 breaches the 34,000-point mark for the first time in 34 years. The SEC deletes a post on X which claimed crypto ETFs had been approved, with Bitcoin seesawing as a result. The World Bank says global growth is on track for its slowest half-decade in 30 years. Its Deputy Chief Economist Ayhan Kose tells CNBC that financing conditions around the world will remain ‘restrictive’ for the foreseeable future. In the fall-out from the 737 Max 9 mid-air blow-out, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun tells staff such an incident can never happen again and acknowledges mistakes had been made by the plane maker. And in France, 34-year-old Gabriel Attal becomes the country’s youngest ever Prime Minister as President Macron seeks to reinvigorate his cabinet. 

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Chip giant Nvidia hits an all-time share price high on Wall Street, helping to push the Nasdaq since its best day since November. Boeing shares fall after Alaska Airlines and United both find loose bolts on parts of multiple 737 Max 9 planes. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigns ahead of an expected cabinet reshuffle by President Emmanuel Macron. In crypto news, Bitcoin breaches $47k for the first time in 21 months as hopes grow of an expected approval of a Bitcoin ETF. In South Korea, weak demand and a worse-than-expected profit slump has forced Samsung to revise its Q4 guidance on, causing shares to slide.

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More than 170 Boeing 737 Max 9 are grounded temporarily by the FAA following an incident on an Alaska Airlines flight which saw a side panel blow off in mid-air. Wall Street records its first week in the red in ten following a stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report for December. Oil is down after three weeks of gains in the past month as Saudi Arabia cuts crude prices to their lowest levels in more than two years. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East on what is his fourth visit since the October 7th attacks in Israel. He is due to hold talks with officials in the UAE and Saudi Arabia before heading for Tel Aviv in a bid to ease ‘profound tension’ in the region. 

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U.S. equities continue their tough start to 2024 with the Nasdaq on its longest losing run since 2022. Private hiring in the U.S. is up for December with wage growth slowing ahead of today’s NFP data. The ADP’s chief economist Nela Richardson tells CNBC this trend is set to continue. Exxon says it will take a $2.6bn write-down over idled assets in California while Chevron CEO Michael Wirth tells our colleagues Stateside that oil and gas demand is only set to grow. And in tech news, Apple sees shares nosedive and market cap valuation falling by almost $170bn since the start of the year following Piper Sandler’s downgrade of the company – its second this week.

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The Dow plunges almost 300 points on the back of perceived Fed hesitation with minutes showing uncertainty about rate cuts. Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin told CNBC colleagues Stateside he will not rule out hikes. Chinese services activity hit a five-month high but this is offset by a poor employment report which has led to calls for more monetary easing. Disney wins the backing of twin hedge funds as it attempts to see off challenges from activist investor Nelson Peltz. Spanish telco Telefonica agrees a deal with unions as it launches a cost-cutting drive affecting up to 20 per cent of its workforce. And in energy news, markets are on edge with oil spiking following a bomb attack in Iran which killed around 100 people.

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The Wall Street Santa rally fizzles out with the Nasdaq posting its worst first trading day since 2016. Apple shares fall after Barclays cuts its rating to ‘underweight’. Shipping giant Maersk halts Red Sea shipping, prolonging its 2-day pause indefinitely following sustained attacks on vessels from Houthi rebels. Lebanon’s Prime Minister accuses Israel of attempting to drag the country into the conflict following the drone assassination of a senior Hamas leader in Beirut. In autos news, Tesla loses out to China’s BYD as the world’s top EV maker in the final three months of 2023. It did however retain its crown for the full year. The bull run continues for Bitcoin, breaking through the $45k mark with optimism seemingly growing for an ETF later this year.

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Chinese equities begin 2024 in the red with official manufacturing activity contracting, despite a private survey showing the sector accelerating at its fastest pace in 7 months. At least 30 people have died in western Japan following a 7.6-magnitude earthquake. Many are believed to be trapped in the rubble and thousands of homes are without power. Oil is up after Iran sends a warship to the Red Sea following the sinking of three Houthi rebel boats by the U.S. And in tech news, the Netherlands blocks certain ASML chip exports to China one day after Chinese President Xi Jinping says he is willing to stabilise trade relations with Washington D.C.  

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All three major indices keep Wall Street firmly in the green ahead of the final trading day of the year. The Dow pushes higher and the S&P 500 is close to a fresh record high while A.I.-related stocks help to drive the Nasdaq 100 to its best run not seen since 1999. Europe follows suit with double-digit gains. The U.S. state of Maine joins Colorado in barring former President Donald Trump from the its primary ballot. Trump has hit back at the ‘attempted theft of an election’. And new shipping industry data emerges showing 50 per cent of Red Sea container traffic is now re-routing vessels over fears of Houthi rebel attacks.   

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