ASX Market Open: Stokes brewing up new BlueScope bid, Glencore-Rio merger convo restarts | Jan 9

M&A Activity - Kerry Stokes' conglomerate is preparing another bid for BlueScope Steel (ASX:BSL) after a previous $13.2 billion approach was rejected by CEO Jane McAloon [4] - Glencore has restarted merger talks with Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) to potentially create a $388 billion enterprise, with further details expected to unfold early this calendar year [5] Market Performance - ASX 200 futures gained +0.3%, influenced by a +0.5% advance in the Dow Jones, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq were down [2] - Australian market sentiments may shift mid-morning, as observed in previous Week 2 trading days [3] Economic Data - Upcoming global economic data includes China's consumer and price data and U.S. non-farm payrolls, which may impact market movements [3] Company Developments - NAB (ASX:NAB) plans to reintroduce local branches, envisioning "hubs" that will offer personal banking options alongside advisers, lawyers, and wealth managers [6] - Core Lithium (ASX:CXO) has seen a significant increase of +17% recently, reaching a two-year high, although it faced scrutiny for the rapid price increase [6] Commodity Prices - Iron Ore prices decreased by -0.7% to $108.25 per tonne, while Brent Crude rebounded by +5% to $62.81 per barrel [7] - Gold is priced at $4,486 per ounce, and U.S. natural gas futures fell by -3.5% to $3.40 per gigajoule [7]