U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Year-End Trading Turns Cautious 
South Korean Won Slides Despite Government Efforts to Stabilize Currency Markets 
South Korea Factory Output Misses Forecasts in November Amid Ongoing Economic Uncertainty 
U.S. Stocks Slip as Gold Rebounds Ahead of Year-End, Markets Eye 2026 Outlook 
Federal Reserve Begins Treasury Bill Purchases to Stabilize Reserves and Money Markets 
U.S. Dollar Starts 2026 Weak as Yen, Euro and Sterling Hold Firm Amid Rate Cut Expectations 
U.S. Dollar Slides Toward Biggest Annual Loss Since 2017 as 2026 Risks Loom 
Oil Prices Slip Slightly as Markets Weigh Geopolitical Risks and Supply Glut Concerns 
Oil Prices Slide in 2025 as Oversupply and Geopolitical Risks Shape Market Outlook 
Citi Forecasts a Volatile but Ongoing Bull Market for S&P 500 in 2026 
China Imposes 55% Tariff on Beef Imports Above Quota to Protect Domestic Industry 
Forex Markets Hold Steady as Traders Await Fed Minutes Amid Thin Year-End Volumes 
Asian Markets End Year on AI Optimism as Precious Metals and Currencies Shine 
Asian Currencies Trade Flat as Dollar Weakens in Thin New Year Trading 
South Korea Factory Activity Returns to Growth in December on Export Rebound 
Gold Prices Rebound in Europe as Geopolitical Tensions and Fed Outlook Support Bullion 
Four of China’s five largest state-owned banks have increased provisions against bad debt to prepare for future losses due to the impact of the pandemic.
All five suffered the biggest profit losses in at least a decade and an increase in soured loans.
The results highlight the economic slowdown on Chinese banks after bucking the first-quarter global trend with steady bad loans and higher profits.
Bank of China Ltd's (BoC) net interest margins (NIM) improved slightly to 1.82 percent from 1.8 percent three months earlier.
However, the NIM at Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Bank of Communications Co Ltd (BoCom), China Construction Bank Corp (CCB), and AgBank.
ICBC is the world’s largest commercial lender by assets.
Agricultural Bank of China Ltd's (AgBank) NIM dipped 2.14 percent at the end of June from 2.17 percent at the end of March, while ICBC narrowed it to 1.98 percent at the end of the second quarter, from 2.2 percent at the first.
All five banks saw its non-performing loan (NPL) ratios increase during the period, with ICBC's up to 1.5 percent by the end of June from 1.43 percent from the previous three months, and that of CCB increasing by 0.07 percent in the second quarter to 1.49 percent.
By the end of the second quarter, the average NPL ratio for commercial banks was at 1.94 percent, the highest since 2009.
Overall, Chinese commercial banks suffered a 9.4 percent plunge in first-half net profit to $146 billion.
BoCom, the most international of China’s large state banks, said it had boosted “provisions to counter the future impact of the pandemic” and would keep guarding against global financial market risks in the second half.
AgBank said “the lagging impact of the epidemic and the risk of uncertainty are expected to be further transmitted to the banking industry,” in its half-year results on Sunday.
CCB and BoC announced plans to assess credit risks and up provisions.
