New, decisive step forward in the fight against Covid-19. The first doses of the vaccine could be distributed to US medical and nursing personnel around December 15, Moncef Sloui, the scientist who coordinates the public-private task force charged with managing the mass administration in the coming months, said a few hours ago. Former Glaxo senior executive Smith Kline said more than two-thirds of US citizens are expected to have been vaccinated as of May. The news, one month before Christmas, bodes well for the Asian price lists which, although lacking the contribution of Tokyo, which was shut down for the holidays, opened the week with new highs.
CHIPS AND HYDROGEN, KOREA SETS THE LINE
In the spotlight, the South Korean stock exchange (+1,8%), one of the markets that has better withstood the breakdowns of the epidemic. The growth is driven by the boom in technology, not just chips. Samsung Electronics, the world's leading memory maker, is up 3,5% to an all-time high of 67.000 won, a price never seen in history. Record also for the number two, SK Hynix. In the first twenty days of November, Korean semiconductor exports increased by 22%, while Korean exports increased by 11%, from -6% the previous month.
The car manufacturer Hyundai gains 1,5% after announcing the signing of an industrial collaboration agreement with the English Ineos, controlled by Jim Ratcliffe, the British industrialist who contends with Jim Dyson for the title of richest man in the Kingdom United. The two companies will work on the development of the green hydrogen car, the one obtained from the hydrolysis of water.
CHINA: ALIBABA FLIES, COAL IN DEFAULT
The CSI 300 index of the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets is up by 0,9%. Reuters reports this morning that the White House is about to impose restrictions on 89 Chinese companies in the aviation sector. Among the names on the list, all suspected of having connections with the Chinese military, is Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, a large passenger aircraft manufacturer that threatens the global duopoly of Airbus and Boeing.
The situation of Yongchen Coal, the public mining giant of Hunan (a region of one hundred million inhabitants), is one step away from default. Unlike in the past, Beijing has already anticipated that it will not intervene in support of the group.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng is down slightly. In this list, Alibaba rises (+4%).
Brent oil at 45 dollars a barrel, the highest for two months. Bitcoin restarts this morning from $18.250.
BIDEN SELECTS BLINKEN AS SECRETARY OF STATE
Tomorrow, President-elect Joe Biden will announce the first names chosen to form his government. Among the key figures there would be his trusted adviser, Antony Blinken, as Secretary of State, and Hillary Clinton's right-hand man, Jake Sullivan, at Homeland Security.
Trump insists there are "hundreds of thousands of illegal votes, enough to overturn the election result," despite his own allies, such as former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, calling his lawsuits "a national embarrassment." .
“STAY HOME!”, THE STRATEGY FOR CHRISTMAS
Don't travel, stay home! This is the invitation from the American authorities in view of the Thanksgiving holiday, which kicks off on Thursday 26, traditionally the moment in which the holiday season kicks off in the USA in which consumption and social gatherings are concentrated at the risk of favoring the dreaded "third wave" of the pandemic. This is what the governor of the state of New York fears, Andrew Cuomo, who has launched an appeal to his fellow citizens not to relax their guard against the pandemic. Similar calls are multiplying in Europe to limit travel for the holidays, which involve 500 million people. In principle, governments are inclined to allow a slight easing of the rigor to limit the damage, however dramatic for consumption, except for tightening the bans on the most delicate days just to reiterate that it will not be a normal Christmas.
In Italy, the government is thinking of a new decree from 3 December until close to the holidays, with openings to mobility between regions and purchases, and a more restrictive one for the Christmas period, coordinated at European level, to prevent holidays on the snow
EUROPEAN PMI INDEXES TODAY, FED MINUTES ON WEDNESDAY
But what will be the impact on the already stressed global economy? The data on the economic situation in Europe and the USA will today provide a first indication of the health of the system. The feeling is that, for the first time since June, European manufacturing has already slipped below 50 points, the threshold that separates growth and stagnation. Even in the States, especially in states where a curfew is in force (such as California), the short-term forecasts are not good at all: only 35% of Americans (compared to 65% a year ago) will move from home in the next few days. But to counter pessimism about shopping, in addition to the improvement in the data on the contagion, there is the expectation of vaccines.
Markets have at least one other short-term cause for concern, though. Thanks to Donald Trump's obstinacy in not giving Joe Biden the victory, the Treasury persists in asking companies to return the money already granted in the spring (and still not spent), in full disagreement with the Fed.
On Wednesday, the publication of the minutes of the US central bank will offer the opportunity to understand the anti-recession moves that Jerome Powell could adopt at the next meeting of the FOMC, hoping that in the meantime the political issue will be resolved. On Thursday, however, the minutes of the ECB will be released. Even in Europe, due to the no of Hungary and Poland to the next generation Fund, monetary policy.
The German Ifo business confidence index will be released on Wednesday. Yesterday Chancellor Angela Merkel celebrated 15 years of consecutive government in Germany.
ASPI, AFTER THE TURNOVER, THE AGREEMENT?
The examination of the budget law comes alive today in the Chamber with the hearing of the Minister of Economy Roberto Gualtieri.
Yesterday evening, meanwhile, there was a changing of the guard at Edizione Holding. Leave Gianni Mion, historic manager of the Benetton family: in his place Enrico Laghi is chosen as president, professor and expert in commercial and financial law, former commissioner of Alitalia, one of the professionals most accustomed to frequenting the palaces of politics. He was one of the special commissioners of Ilva and Alitalia, where he often met with the Benettons, shareholders of both the national airline and the Rome Airports. Roman professor highly esteemed in the palaces of politics, in institutions, but also in large private companies such as Banca Intesa and Esselunga, where he presided over the arbitration between the two branches of the Caprotti family. After the appointment of the president, a chief executive officer is needed. But it will first be necessary to establish what is the fate of Aspi, which is a predominant part of the value of Atlantia. Also for this reason, the deadline for the negotiation with the CDP to formulate an offer on ASPI at the end of the month seems destined to slip again.
COUPONS FOR POST, RECORDATI, TERNA AND TENARIS, D-DAY OF ENEL
The corporate calendar today provides for the detachment of some important coupons: Poste Italiane, Recordati, Terna and Tenaris.
Spotlights turned on Tuesday not only in Italy on the presentation of Enel's ambitious plan for the reduction of C02 emissions. Perhaps it will be an opportunity to understand the fate of 50% of Open Fiber in the hands of the company.
In the meantime, the Wall Street quarterly parade is running out: the numbers of Best Buy, John Deere and Abercrombrie & Fitch are scheduled. The quarterly of Xiaomi arrives in the city, the giant that has exceeded Apple's sales this year.
