Baltic
Dry Index. 941 +37
Brent Crude 76.33
Spot Gold 2927 US 2 Year Yield 4.28 unch.
US Federal Debt. 36.506 trillion!
No one party can fool all of the people all of the time; that's why we have two parties.
Bob Hope.
While Asia’s stock casinos drift, are the US stock casinos starting to send a message?
A message of stagflation starting to appear.
Hong Kong shares hit three-year high as investors
weigh Japan inflation data, Trump tariff threats
Updated Fri, Feb 21 2025 10:51 PM EST
Hong Kong shares hit a three-year high
Friday, leading gains in the region as investors weighed inflation data from
Japan against tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 2.95% to
its highest level since February 2022, according to data from LSEG. The Hang
Seng Tech index added 4.67%. Shares of Hong Kong listed Alibaba rose 11%
following a
significant profit increase for the company in the December quarter,
driven by growth in its Cloud Intelligence division and e-commerce sector.
Mainland China’s CSI 300 rose 0.4%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.43%,
while the Topix declined 0.33%. Japan’s
inflation rate in January climbed to 4%, hitting its highest level
since January 2023. Core inflation — which excludes prices of fresh food — rose
to 3.2%, beating Reuters’ expectations of 3.1%.
South Korea’s Kospi traded 0.42% lower
while the small-cap Kosdaq added 0.43%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 traded 0.59%
higher.
Investors will continue keeping an eye on
the Japanese yen, which strengthened to a more than two-month high of 150.52
per U.S. dollar on Thursday amid bets of more rate
hikes by the Bank of Japan this year. The currency is currently
trading at 150.22 against the greenback.
Overnight in the U.S., the three major
averages closed lower after the S&P 500 hit record highs for two
consecutive days. Investors sold off shares of some popular companies following
a weak forecast from retail giant Walmart, which raised concerns about the
economic outlook.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost
450.94 points, or 1.01%, to end at 44,176.65. The S&P 500 shed 0.43% and
closed at 6,117.52, and the Nasdaq
Composite dipped 0.47% and closed at 19,962.36.
Asia
markets live: Japan CPI, yen
Stock futures are little changed after Thursday’s
sell-off on Wall Street: Live updates
Updated Fri, Feb 21 2025 12:18 AM EST
U.S. stock futures were little changed
early Friday after the major averages slid following a lackluster earnings
forecast from retail giant Walmart.
Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipped
14 points, or less than 0.1%. S&P
500 futures traded 0.09% lower, while Nasdaq-100 futures traded
around the flatline.
During Thursday’s regular session,
the Dow shed 450.94
points, or 1.01%. The S&P
500 lost 0.43% and retreated from its recent all-time highs, while
the Nasdaq Composite fell
0.47%. Investors pointed to a smattering
of reasons behind the market’s sell-off in addition to Walmart’s 6.5% dip, including
lingering inflationary concerns and declines in shares of Palantir.
But the market’s fears on Thursday may
have been slightly overblown, according to Art Hogan, chief market strategist
at B. Riley Wealth Management. He added that Friday’s economic data releases,
which include the latest purchasing managers’ index readings and January’s
existing home sales, will point equities in a direction to end the week.
“There’s a chance that there’s enough
overall selling pressure that might drive in some margin hunters on Friday and
try to claw back some of the losses that we’re seeing today,” he told CNBC in
an interview. “I certainly think you’ll get a sense tomorrow if investors feel
like in the near term the moves today are overdone, especially if the PMIs and
existing home sales are in line.”
Hogan added: “I don’t think that there’s
going to be a piece of economic data that could necessarily stir things up.”
On a week-to-date basis, the S&P 500
is on pace for a slim gain of less than 0.1%, while the Nasdaq Composite is off
0.3%. The Dow is the underperformer, tracking for a 0.8% loss over the period.
Stock market today: Live updates
In other news, inflation climbs in Japan. Oh Canada!
Japan’s inflation rate climbs to a 2-year high of
4% in January, supporting rate hike calls from BOJ members
Published Thu, Feb 20 2025 6:40 PM EST
Japan’s inflation in January climbed 4% year on year, hitting
its highest level since January 2023, further strengthening the case for rate
hikes by the country’s central bank.
The core inflation rate — which excludes
prices of fresh food — rose to 3.2% from 3% in the prior month and
beat economists’ expectations of 3.1%, according to a Reuters poll. This figure
was the highest since June 2023.
The so called “core-core” inflation rate,
which strips out prices of both fresh food and energy and is closely monitored
by the BOJ, climbed slightly to 2.5% from 2.4% in the month before.
The headline inflation rate, which had
come in at 3.6% in December, has remained above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target
for 34 straight months.
Immediately after the data release, the
yen strengthened 0.15% to trade at 149.39 against the dollar.
The inflation figures boost the case for
rate hikes by the BOJ, which deliberated tightening them at its January
meeting, with its summary of opinions warning of inflation risks and
weakness in the yen.
“It will be necessary for the Bank to
adjust the degree of monetary accommodation from the viewpoint of avoiding the
yen’s depreciation and the overheating of financial activities, both of which
appear to be due to excessively high expectations of continued monetary
easing,” the BOJ summary read.
BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda reportedly said
Friday that the central bank stands ready to increase government bond buying if yields
rise sharply.
Yields on 10-year Japanese government
bonds, which had scaled a 15-year high of 1.447% in the previous session on
rate-hike expectations, fell to 1.402% Friday, after having risen for the past
four days.
More
Trump jokes that Canada can keep O Canada anthem
as 51st US state
Shabnoor Irshad Fri 21 February 2025 at 5:16 am GMT
Donald Trump joked
that Canada can
keep ‘O Canada’ anthem as 51st US state while speaking at Republican
Governors Association meeting in Washington on Thursday, 20 February.
Trump mused once again about Canada as a
51st U.S. state, continuing the ribbing of the nation’s northern neighbour that
has infuriated many Canadians.
The US President noted that Canadians
booed the US national anthem ahead of an international hockey game in Montreal.
“I think ultimately they’ll be praising
the national anthem. We’ll have to work out some deal ... because I do like the
‘O Canada’ all right,” Trump said, referring to the Canadian national anthem.
“It’s a beautiful thing. I think we’re going to have to keep it for the 51st
state.”
Trump jokes that Canada can keep O Canada anthem as 51st US state
Global Inflation/Stagflation/Recession Watch.
Given
our Magic Money Tree central banksters and our spendthrift politicians,
inflation now needs an entire section of its own.
Stupid UK government! The answer, more automation. Use AI whenever possible.
Workers’
rights: A third of small firms plan to cut jobs
Thursday
20 February 2025 6:00 am | Updated: Wednesday
19 February 2025 6:49 pm
A
third of small businesses expect to cut jobs in the near future due to fears
that the government’s upcoming workers’ rights package will leave them facing
painful tribunals and a higher sick pay bill.
A
fresh survey from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows that in the
fourth quarter of last year, 33 per cent of small employers said they expect to
reduce their headcount; nearly double the 17 per cent planning redundancies in
the previous three months.
Similarly,
fewer businesses are looking to hire. Just 10 per cent of small business bosses
are making plans to take on more staff, compared with the 14 per cent between
June and September.
Small-
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are set to find themselves on the sharp end
of some of the sweeping reforms to workers’ rights that is making its way
through Parliament as part of the Employment Rights Bill.
The
overhaul – which includes outlawing so-called ‘fire and rehire’ practices and
ending ‘exploitative zero-hours contracts’ – has triggered a
slew of warnings from bosses and business groups.
They
argue that its promise to give workers protection from unfair dismissal “from
day one” could make their firms the targets of “vexatious” lawsuits that could
last up to two years if they refuse a costly settlement.
Tina
MacKenzie, policy chair at the FSB, said: “The figures speak for themselves –
plans to allow employees to sue their employers on their first day on the job
will wreak havoc on our already fragile economy, while changes to Statutory
Sick Pay will make employers think twice about their hiring plans.”
The Trade
Unions Congress has
previously praised the workers’ rights package as a “much-needed” piece of
legislation. But a survey conducted by the FSB – published towards the end of
last year – found over 90 per
cent of their members were concerned about the some or all of the changes. And
three quarters voiced fears relating to unfair dismissal changes.
MacKenzie
added: “If taking on staff becomes a legal minefield, businesses will simply
stop. That means more people on benefits, a ballooning welfare bill, and a
devastating hit to living standards. Those who will be shut out of work because
of this Bill deserve better from the Government.”
More
Workers' rights: A third of small firms plan to cut jobs
Covid-19
Corner
This
section will continue until it becomes unneeded.
Today,
something different, more on that CA toxic battery energy storage system fire.
Approx, 14 minutes. Do you want live near a Battery Energy Storage System? Plan
an escape route if your answer is yes.
Toxic
Fallout: Heavy Metals Moss Landing BESS Fire
Toxic Fallout: Heavy Metals Moss
Landing BESS Fire
Technology
Update.
With events happening fast in the
development of solar power and graphene, among other things, I’ve added this
section. Updates as they get reported.
UK achieves
cheap, rare-earth-free solar cell breakthrough to fight China dominance
19
February 2025
Researchers
have developed a new type of back-contact solar cell design that will enable
scalable, low-cost manufacturing as it uses a perovskite material and tiny
grooves embossed into plastic film. The flexible solar cell design has
eliminated the use of expensive and scarce materials, such as indium, making
the manufacturing of solar cells more sustainable and affordable.
Developed
by researchers at the University of Sheffield, the lightweight, flexible solar
films can be used on surfaces that could not normally stand the weight of solar
panels, creating broader accessibility to solar power, particularly in
developing countries.
This
could make a real difference in the drive to replace fossil fuels with
sustainable solar energy.
Flexible
solar films can be used on multiple types of surfaces
They
revealed that these flexible solar
films can be used on surfaces such as rooftops and other
unconventional surfaces that could not normally stand the weight of solar
panels.
“A key
advantage of these flexible films is that the panel can be stuck onto any
surface. In the UK, you currently have to think twice about adding thick solar
panels onto relatively fragile roofs of warehouses that are not really designed
to be load-bearing,” said Professor
David Lidzey, from the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the
University of Sheffield and co-author of the study.
“With
this lightweight solar technology, you could essentially stick it
anywhere. This could be a gamechanger for solar energy in low and middle income
countries.”
Solar
cells made by embossing tiny grooves into a plastic film
Unlike
traditional solar cells, these cells are made by embossing tiny grooves into a
plastic film and then filling them with the perovskite
material.
Researchers
maintained that the new microgroove structure creates a new type of solar cell
that has a back-contact format. Regular devices use a sandwich structure
composed of a number of layers deposited in a specific order. The back-contact
cells have all the electrical contacts on the back of the device, making it
easier and cheaper to manufacture, with the potential for high efficiency.
Published
in the ACS Applied Energy Materials journal, the research team
fabricated a type of back-contact perovskite solar cell based on 1.5 μm-width
grooves that are embossed into a plastic film whose opposing “walls” are
selectively coated with either n- or p-type contacts. A perovskite precursor
solution is then deposited into the grooves, creating individual photovoltaic
devices, according to researchers.
“Solar
energy is a strategic priority for our research and one of our key competences
is developing innovative techniques for fabricating and depositing
solution-processable solar cells,” said Lidzey.
More
UK achieves cheap,
rare-earth-free solar cell breakthrough to fight China dominance
Next, the
world global debt clock. Nations debts to GDP compared.
World Debt
Clocks (usdebtclock.org)
Another weekend and what new travail will Trump’s 24/7
DOGE team come up with for America and planet Earth? Have a great weekend
everyone.
"Get
a good night's sleep and don't bug anybody without asking me."
President
Richard M. Nixon, on tape to his re-election campaign manager.
