Singapore Growth Outlook Brightens for 2025 as Economists Flag AI and Geopolitical Risks 
Silver Prices Hit Record High as Safe-Haven Demand Surges Amid U.S. Economic Uncertainty 
Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Oil Tankers, Raising Venezuela Tensions and Oil Prices 
Dollar Struggles as Markets Eye Key Central Bank Decisions and Global Rate Outlooks 
Asian Currencies Trade Sideways as Dollar Weakens Ahead of Key U.S. Data 
U.S. Dollar Slips Near Two-Month Low as Markets Await Key Jobs Data and Central Bank Decisions 
Best Gold Stocks to Buy Now: AABB, GOLD, GDX 
China’s November Economic Data Signals Slowing Industrial Output and Weak Consumer Demand 
Oil Prices Rebound as U.S.-Venezuela Tensions Offset Oversupply Concerns 
Asian Technology and Chipmaking Stocks Slide as AI Spending Concerns Shake Markets 
Gold and Silver Prices Dip as Markets Await Key U.S. Economic Data 
Asian Fund Managers Turn More Optimistic on Growth but Curb Equity Return Expectations: BofA Survey 
Australia’s weaker-than-expected company profits for the first quarter of this year are likely to pose downside risks to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), due on Wednesday, projected at 0.6 percent q/q by ANZ Research.
Company profits posted a modest headline rise (+1.7 percent q/q) in Q1, following an upwardly revised rise of 2.8 percent in Q4 (initially reported as +0.8 percent). After adjusting for inventory valuations, the result was a little better, with non-financial profits on a GDP basis rising 2.8 percent q/q.
Once again, profit growth was held up by the resources sector, with mining profits up a solid 5.2 percent q/q and 22 percent y/y. Non-mining profits actually fell in Q1 (-0.4 percent q/q), and are now up only 0.3 percent over the past year.
Across the non-mining sectors, weakness was most apparent in arts & recreation (-15 percent q/q), rental, hiring & real estate (-10 percent) and construction (-7 percent). Profits rose solidly in administrative & support services (+14 percent), finance (+8 percent) and information media (+5 percent).
Overall, the profit results are a disappointment, and difficult to reconcile with upbeat investment plans in the Q1 capex survey last week. And small business profits posted a large 3.7 percent drop.
Growth in the wages bill was solid at +1.1 percent q/q, with the Q4 result revised up a touch to +0.9 percent (from an initially reported +0.8 percent). With the increase in this measure of wages driven largely by gains in employment, the GDP measure of average wages is likely to rise only modestly.
Inventories were surprisingly strong (+0.7 percent q/q). While this is a positive for Q1 GDP, (adding 0.2ppt), rising inventories and disappointing sales are not a good combination for the outlook, ANZ Research added in the report.
