US Futures Rise as Investors Eye Earnings, Inflation Data, and Wildfire Impacts 
Gold Cracks Below $4,500 as Safe-Haven Shine Fades; Technical Breakdown Signals Sell-on-Rallies Toward $4,000 
JPMorgan Sees Biotech Sector at Turning Point, Upgrades Top Pharma Stocks 
U.S. Stocks vs. Bonds: Are Diverging Valuations Signaling a Shift? 
Mega IPOs Like SpaceX and OpenAI Could Reshape S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Portfolios in 2026 
Urban studies: Doing research when every city is different 
Rice feeds billions of people – but its role in fueling climate change is growing 
Cuba needs a long-term solution to its energy crisis 
Goldman Sachs Sees Stronger U.S. Dollar as Global Economic Gaps Widen 
Stock Futures Dip as Investors Await Key Payrolls Data 
Mexico's Undervalued Equity Market Offers Long-Term Investment Potential 
The ZAR has been the big winner in the recent times, which bounced back sharply after tumbling last Friday. The market was braced for a credit rating downgrade, and when they ‘only’ downgraded to ‘junk by S&P, with Moody’s holding off for now, that was enough for short-covering ahead of the ANC Congress to elect a successor to President Zuma. The rest of the CEEMEA moves are pretty small.
Asia’s currencies have had a quiet week. PHP has had a nice rise since releasing strong Q3 GDP data a fortnight ago and weren’t hurt by strong PMI data today. MYR was the only Asian currency stronger than the PHP in November and carried on the strong trend, while the rest of the Asian bloc is pretty range bound.
Latin America has suffered from risk aversion. Higher oil has made no difference at all as recent gains are partially unwound. Oil and domestic politics were both helping MXN in November, but it’s slipped this week, and Brazil too is suffering from political concerns, though neither has come close to the problems of the Chilean peso, where soggy growth and the wait for a runoff in the Presidential election race (on 17 December are weighing on confidence).
