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·         Siemens reports stronger-than-expected results, to review outlook

 

·         Stock futures lower as markets look to end record-setting week

 

Contracts tied to the major U.S. stock indexes slipped early Friday morning as Wall Street appeared headed to close out the record-setting week on a muted note.

 

Dow futures lost 131 points while S&P 500 futures ticked below the flatline. Nasdaq-100 futures also traded in negative territory.

 

The after-hours moves came after a strong showing from the Nasdaq Composite earlier in the day during the regular session.

 

The index rose to another record as investors set bets for strong tech earnings next week. The tech-heavy benchmark climbed 0.6% to close at a new high in large part thanks to a 3.7% pop in Apple shares.

·         Asian markets falter from stimulus-driven record highs

 

Asian shares slipped off record highs on Friday as investors took profits after a recent rally that was driven by hopes of U.S. economic stimulus by newly inaugurated President Joe Biden.

 

Sentiment was also hit by worries of new coronavirus restrictions in China which reported 103 COVID-19 cases on Friday.

 

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia Pacific stocks outside of Japan extended losses in afternoon trading to be last off 0.6% at 720.17 points following three straight sessions of gains.

 

The index is up a stellar 8.8% in January so far, after hitting an all-time high of 727.31 on Thursday.

 

·         Nikkei slips from 30-year peak as focus shifts to corporate earnings

 

Japanese shares retreated from a 30-year peak on Friday, as investors refrained from placing big bets ahead of the corporate earnings season while some locked in profit after a recent rally, which was driven by hopes of a massive U.S. stimulus.

 

Nikkei share average ended 0.44% lower at 28,631.45, while the broader Topix closed 0.21% weaker at 1,856.64. In the previous session, the index closed at a 30-year high on optimism that a massive stimulus plan by U.S. President Joe Biden will bolster growth.

 

·         Hong Kong stocks slump as January bull run triggers caution and CNOOC exits MSCI indices

 

Hong Kong stocks were headed for a second day of losses, as the market’s best start to a year since 1985 sent prices into the overbought zone. The worsening pandemic situation resulting in renewed lockdowns and tightened restrictions in China and overseas also hurt sentiment.

The Hang Seng Index slumped 1.5 per cent to 29,480.11 at 3.20pm local time, the biggest setback since a 2.1 per cent sell-off on November 30, according to Bloomberg data. The index had risen more than 10 per cent this year through Thursday when it surpassed the 30,000 level for the first time since May 2019, before pulling back at the close. CNOOC plunged after MSCI decided to delete it from some indices.

 

The Shanghai Composite Index dropped 0.4 per cent to 3,606.75, reducing the gain this week to 1.1 per cent.

 

Hong Kong’s blue-chip benchmark index still logged a winning week with 3.2 per cent advance, and 8.3 per cent so far this month, amid record inflows of mainland cash through the southbound channels of the Stock Connect programme.

 

·         Millions of new investors piled into mainland Chinese stock markets in 2020

 

More Chinese investors are piling into the local stock market.

 

In December, the mainland stock market recorded 1.62 million new investors — double the 809,300 reported a year ago, according to China Securities Depository and Clearing. The organization handles trades for the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges.

 

For all of 2020, new investors increased by 18.02 million to 177.77 million, the data showed. That’s about 1.5 million new accounts a month.

 

·         AstraZeneca and more: BofA just picked its top Europe stocks for the next decade

 

Analysts from Bank of America have listed their top European stocks for the next 10 years across sectors including health, financial technology, energy and “future food,” many of which they consider to be world-leading.

 

The region has been “unloved by thematic investors for too long,” the investment bank said, listing more than a dozen opportunities for investors, including clean energy stocks, where Europe is home to eight of the 10 largest companies by market value.

 

·         European markets open lower with stimulus hopes, virus spread in focus

 European markets opened lower Friday as investors monitor prospects for economic recovery and the spread of the coronavirus, and await key data from the euro zone.

 

The pan-European Stoxx 600 dropped 0.5% in early trade, with autos shedding 1.3% to lead losses as most sectors and major bourses slid into negative territory.

 

European stocks are set for a lackluster handover from Asia-Pacific, where markets mostly declined Friday as investors took profits following a strong spell fueled by hopes of substantial economic stimulus from new U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration.

 

Investors also have an eye out for new coronavirus restrictions in China. The country reported 103 new Covid-19 infections on Friday, down from 144 the previous day, while Beijing launched mass testing in parts of the city.

 

In vaccine news, Pfizer and BioNTech have agreed to supply the World Health Organization’s COVAX access scheme aimed at lower-income countries, Reuters reported Thursday citing two sources familiar with the deal.

 

Its picks include Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca as well as other pharma and medical tech companies. “Health is Europe’s wealth,” Bank of America’s analysts stated.

 

Reference: CNBC, Reuters