Precious Metals Rally as Silver and Platinum Outperform on Rate Cut Bets 
Dollar Holds Firm Ahead of Global Central Bank Decisions as Yen, Sterling and Euro React 
Japan Inflation Holds Firm in November as BOJ Nears Key Rate Hike Decision 
New Zealand Business Confidence Hits 30-Year High as Economic Outlook Improves 
BoE Set to Cut Rates as UK Inflation Slows, but Further Easing Likely Limited 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip After CPI-Fueled Rally as Markets Weigh Economic Uncertainty 
Gold Prices Fall Amid Rate Jitters; Copper Steady as China Stimulus Eyed 
Kevin Hassett Says Inflation Is Below Target, Backs Trump’s Call for Rate Cuts 
Austan Goolsbee Signals Potential for More Fed Rate Cuts as Inflation Shows Improvement 
Industrial profits in China slowed during the month of September, showing signs of growing pessimism in the business activity of the world’s second-largest economy. However, profits rose on a yearly basis, owing to a boost in steel and refining, even as last month’s earnings slowed from a three-year high.
China’s industrial profits in September eased 7.7 percent to CNY577.1 billion, slowing sharply from August's 19.5 percent jump, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Thursday. However, profits during the January-September period rose 8.4 percent from a year earlier to CNY4.64 trillion (USD685 billion), data showed.
Total profits for the first nine months stood at CNY4.64 trillion yuan (USD684.77 billion), up 8.4 percent from the same period a year ago, the same pace as in the January-August period. Further, Chinese industrial firms' liabilities at the end of September were 4.7 percent higher than at the same point last year.
Steel production is leading the charge with a 272.4 percent jump in the first nine months versus a year ago, followed closely by a 263.8 percent jump in oil refining earnings.
Meanwhile, China has posted three straight quarters of 6.7 percent growth, keeping the expansion on track to meet the government’s objective.
