Silver was little changed after breaking above $60 an ounce for the first time on Tuesday, with traders betting on further monetary easing by the Federal Reserve and continued supply tightness https://t.co/zNTLSWUtoO ...

Silver rallied to a fresh record above $60 an ounce, as traders bet further monetary easing by the Federal Reserve and continued supply tightness https://t.co/DWNp9D7IlI ...

Core Insights - The healthcare sector is highlighted as a promising investment opportunity heading into 2026, with many stocks remaining undervalued despite the sector's resilience and growth since the pandemic [1][2][3]. Group 1: Market Outlook - JPMorgan has upgraded the healthcare sector to a preferred investment area, citing easing policy overhang, clarity in earnings, and increased M&A activity as key factors for this positive outlook [2][3]. - The strategists believe that the healthcare sector is showing signs of stabilization and renewed momentum, positioning it favorably for 2026 and beyond [3]. Group 2: Stock Selection Methodology - The list of recommended cheap healthcare stocks is based on companies with a market capitalization exceeding $2 billion, covered by three or more analysts, and showing an upside potential of over 10% with a forward P/E ratio between 8 and 15 [5]. - The top 12 companies were ranked based on their highest upside potential, with additional data on hedge fund holdings included [5][6]. Group 3: Company Highlights - **ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR)**: - Upside potential of 14.87% as of December 5, 2025, with a share price of $185.87 [8]. - Maintained a 'Market Perform' rating with a price target of $175, indicating ongoing discussions about executive changes and revenue trends [8][10]. - Analysts generally rate it as a 'Buy' with a median price target of $213.50, suggesting nearly 15% upside [11]. - **Lantheus Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LNTH)**: - Upside potential of 18.48% as of December 5, 2025, with a share price of $63.30 [12]. - Almost 80% of analysts rate it as a 'Buy', with a median price target of $75, indicating strong growth potential [12]. - Recent financial performance showed mixed results, with revenue exceeding estimates but diluted EPS falling short, attributed to pricing pressures and competitive dynamics [15].

U.S. equity markets are showing modest gains in afternoon trading on Friday, December 5, 2025, with major indexes inching closer to their all-time highs. Investors are closely monitoring fresh inflation data and a significant corporate acquisition, while also looking ahead to next week's crucial Federal Reserve meeting. The sentiment remains cautiously optimistic, driven by expectations of a potential rate cut by the Fed.Major Market Indexes PerformanceAs of Friday afternoon, the major U.S. stock indexes ar ...

Economic Overview - The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) recent repo rate cut of 25 basis points to 5.25% signals a strong easing approach despite headline GDP growth exceeding 8% [1][19] - The RBI's actions, including a liquidity injection of Rs 1 lakh crore through open market bond purchases and a $5 billion dollar–rupee swap, indicate a need for economic support [1][19] Inflation and GDP Analysis - The Indian economy is experiencing rapid disinflation, with inflation at an unprecedented low, while real GDP growth is accelerating, creating a favorable economic environment [1][19] - Despite a reported Q3 growth of 8.2% year-on-year, the underlying strength appears uneven, with sequential growth stable at 1.8% quarter-on-quarter [6][19] - Nominal GDP growth has cooled to 8.7%, influenced by a GDP deflator that has dropped to 0.5%, suggesting that real growth may be overstated [7][19] External Economic Pressures - The rupee has declined nearly 5% this year, becoming the worst-performing currency in Asia, driven by a record merchandise trade deficit and weak exports due to tariffs [9][10] - Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have withdrawn over Rs 1.5 lakh crore this year, indicating a lack of confidence in the market amid stalled trade negotiations [13][19] Market Sentiment and Future Outlook - Analysts express concern over the underlying health of the economy, questioning the necessity of such significant easing measures when headline growth appears robust [5][19] - Despite the current market challenges, major financial institutions like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs predict a rebound in India's markets next year as earnings stabilize and policy support is expected to take effect [17][19]

Renminbi Exchange Rate and Policy Recommendations - The renminbi is at its weakest since 2012 in real effective terms, having depreciated about 16% over the past ten years [2] - The US dollar is at its strongest in almost 40 years in real effective terms, although it has weakened from an index of 110 at the beginning of the year to about 100 [2] - Exchange rates should be determined by market forces, considering fundamentals, interest rates, and capital flows [7] - Policymakers should consider a combination of monetary and fiscal easing to achieve both a stronger renminbi and escape the low inflation zone [14] - A modest appreciation of the renminbi is unlikely to hurt Chinese companies' competitiveness [16] Renminbi Internationalization - The renminbi is already a reserve currency as it joined the SDR basket ten years ago, but its share is still low at 2% to 3% [18] - The shift from high to low interest rates in China makes it cheaper to borrow in renminbi, favoring internationalization [20] - Further opening up access to Chinese markets for foreigners and vice versa is needed [21][22] - More Chinese bonds should be issued both domestically and offshore to supply safe assets [23] Consumption and Investment Strategies - Boosting labor income requires a strong job market, while transfer income has slowed due to local government difficulties [24][25] - The marginal propensity to consume in China has decreased from $0.68 to $0.66 per dollar earned, indicating cautiousness [26] - Both Hong Kong and mainland markets are good strategies for equity allocation, considering the global monetary reset [31][32]

Market Overview - U.S. stocks experienced a decline, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling by 295.65 points (0.62%) to 47,420.77, the S&P 500 losing 23.22 points (0.34%) to 6,825.87, and the Nasdaq Composite decreasing by 68.69 points (0.29%) to 23,297.00 [1][8] Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy - Expectations for further monetary easing have increased due to dovish signals from key voting members and speculation regarding White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett as a potential successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell [2][8] - Powell is scheduled to speak after the market close, but it is anticipated that he will not address monetary policy due to the upcoming central bank meeting [5][8] - The market is pricing in an 87.4% chance of a 25 basis-point rate cut at the Fed's policy meeting on December 10 [8] Economic Indicators - Investors are awaiting a delayed September report on the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, which is the Fed's preferred inflation gauge [6][8] - The Institute for Supply Management's survey indicated that U.S. manufacturing contracted for the ninth consecutive month, impacted by tariffs and higher prices [8] Sector Performance - The rise in U.S. Treasury yields negatively affected S&P 500 sectors such as real estate and utilities, which are often viewed as bond proxies [7][8] - Declining issues outnumbered advancers on both the NYSE and Nasdaq, with a ratio of 1.45-to-1 and 1.91-to-1, respectively [7][9] - The S&P 500 recorded 17 new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq Composite saw 73 new highs and 63 new lows [7][9] Cryptocurrency Market - The cryptocurrency market has faced significant losses, with Bitcoin dropping about 7% and falling below $85,000, contributing to a total market loss of over $1 trillion since its peak [8] - Major crypto stocks, including Coinbase and Bitfarms, experienced declines of 5.1% and 6.9%, respectively [8] Retail Sector - Cyber Monday sales are projected to reach $14.2 billion, with big-box retailers like Walmart and Target seeing their shares increase by 1% and 0.5%, respectively [9]

Inflation & Monetary Policy - South Korea's consumer inflation remained stable in November [1] - This gives the central bank more reason to maintain a cautious approach to monetary easing [1] Financial Imbalances & Property Market - Authorities are concerned that a persistent property market rally could trigger financial imbalances [1]

Metals surged in volatile trading on Friday, with silver and copper hitting fresh records, after a chaotic hours-long outage on CME Group’s Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Silver jumped as much as 5.9% to $56.53 an ounce, surpassing a peak set during a historic squeeze in the London market in October. The white metal has been supported by rising hopes of a Federal Reserve interest-rate cut in December, inflows into bullion-backed exchange-traded funds and ongoing supply tightness. Copper surged against the b ...

Economic Growth Forecast - The Bank of Mexico has cut its growth forecast for the economy to 0.3% for this year, down from a previous estimate of 0.6% [1][2] - The central bank maintained its growth forecast at 1.1% for 2026 and projected 2.0% for 2027 [1] Inflation Projections - The Bank of Mexico raised its short-term inflation forecasts, with annual headline inflation recorded at 3.61% in early November and core inflation at 4.32% [4][5] - The bank expects inflation to reach its 3% target by the second half of next year, but has slightly increased its forecasts for average annual core inflation for late 2025 and early 2026 [5] Monetary Policy and Rate Cuts - The central bank has cut its benchmark interest rate by four percentage points since early last year, with the latest cut bringing the rate to 7.25%, the lowest since May 2022 [3] - The majority of board members justified the rate cuts by citing falling headline inflation and ongoing economic weakness [4] Internal Debate and Credibility Concerns - There is an internal debate within the Bank of Mexico regarding the effectiveness of its monetary easing, highlighted by Deputy Governor Jonathan Heath's concerns about the credibility of the bank's inflation forecasts [3][6] - Heath has expressed skepticism about achieving the 3% inflation target by the third quarter of 2026, given the elevated short-term forecasts [6] Analyst Expectations - Analysts polled by Citi project higher inflation rates for the end of 2026, with headline inflation at 3.91% and core inflation at 3.83% [7]