The Federal Reserve has opened the door to a new type of central bank account that could reshape how crypto and payment-focused firms access the US banking system, under a tailored approval framework. On Friday, the Fed requested public input on a proposed “payment account.” The account would sit alongside, but remain distinct from, the traditional master account that banks currently use to access Federal Reserve services. The comment period will remain open for 45 days following publication in the Fed ...

Market Performance - Benchmark stock indices Sensex and Nifty surged nearly 1 per cent on Monday, driven by positive investor sentiment amid foreign fund inflows and a rally in global markets due to expectations of further monetary policy easing by the US Federal Reserve [1] - The 30-share BSE Sensex increased by 638.12 points or 0.75 per cent, closing at 85,567.48, while the 50-share NSE Nifty rose by 206 points or 0.79 per cent, closing above 26,000 at 26,172.40 [2] Sector Performance - Among the 30-Sensex firms, notable gainers included Trent, Infosys, Bharti Airtel, Tech Mahindra, Bharat Electronics, and Maruti, while laggards included State Bank of India, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Larsen & Toubro, and Titan [3] Foreign Investment - Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) turned net buyers, purchasing equities worth Rs 1,830.89 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought equities worth Rs 5,722.89 crore in the previous trade, reinforcing a positive market tone [7] - A stabilizing USD-INR exchange rate and data showing foreign portfolio investors as net buyers of domestic equities triggered broad-based buying and short covering across derivative segments [8] Global Market Influence - Global risk appetite remained firm, supported by expectations of further monetary policy easing by the US Federal Reserve, which helped sustain risk-on momentum across global markets [9] - Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, increased by 0.86 per cent to $60.99 per barrel, reflecting broader market trends [9]

Digital Assets - Digital assets companies have made progress with the passage of a light-touch regulatory law for dollar-pegged stablecoins, facilitating broader use of the technology in everyday finance [1] - The crypto industry is pushing for a comprehensive rewrite of securities and commodities laws to establish favorable regulations for cryptoassets, supported by a $263 million campaign war chest amassed in super-PACs [1] Energy Sector - Energy companies have secured a tax break exceeding $1 billion for oil and gas producers as part of the Trump tax package, allowing deductions for certain drilling costs under a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax [2] Private Equity - Congressional Republicans resisted President Trump's initial demands to raise taxes on carried interest, preserving a tax break favored by private equity, while also achieving an expanded interest expensing tax break [3] Technology Sector - America's most valuable company, Nvidia, successfully countered efforts by Republican China hawks to prioritize US companies for its products, aided by CEO Jensen Huang's lobbying in Congress and the White House [4] Healthcare and Renewable Energy - The healthcare sector, along with renewable energy companies, faced legislative challenges, while chipmakers and drug companies managed to avoid significant congressional interventions [5] Tax Cuts and Corporate Benefits - The Republican-controlled Congress has been favorable to corporate America, highlighted by a $4 trillion tax cut package that extended and added generous breaks for businesses [6] - Drug companies largely blocked legislative efforts aimed at controlling their prices, despite Trump's rhetoric on requiring price cuts [6] Defense Industry - The defense industry successfully increased the Pentagon budget by $150 billion as part of Trump's tax and spending package, with notable beneficiaries including Anduril Industries, Palantir Technologies, and Boeing [9] Financial Sector - The passage of stablecoin legislation poses a threat to the banking sector's dominance in the payments system, although bankers managed to block legislation aimed at reducing credit card swipe fees [16] Casinos - Professional gamblers are now limited to deducting only 90% of their losses against winnings under the new tax bill, prompting major casino companies to seek repeal of this provision [17] Airlines - Airlines incurred significant losses during the longest government shutdown, with Delta Air Lines estimating a $200 million revenue hit [18] Importers - Retailers and importers affected by Trump's tariffs received minimal support from lawmakers, as Republicans largely refrained from intervening in trade issues [20]

Core Insights - The Federal Reserve is considering the creation of a limited-use payments account aimed at eligible banks and credit unions, which would not provide all the benefits of current master accounts [3][7] - This initiative reflects a shift in the Federal Reserve's perspective towards fintech and decentralized finance, indicating a willingness to embrace innovation rather than resist it [5][6] Group 1: Federal Reserve's Proposal - Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller introduced the concept of a "skinny" account that would limit the central bank's risk while catering to emerging financial technologies [3][5] - The account is intended for clearing and settling payment activities of eligible institutions, focusing on payments innovation [7] Group 2: Industry Reactions and Context - Fintech companies have been advocating for direct access to central bank accounts, but Waller clarified that the new account would primarily be available to financial institutions [4] - The Federal Reserve Board voted 6-1 to seek public comment on the proposed account, with one dissenting vote expressing concerns about potential misuse for illicit activities [7]

HSBC hires former Citi executive Ida Liu to run its global private banking business, sources say https://t.co/BodfrBdN0r ...

Group 1 - The traditional method of relying solely on bank deposits for asset appreciation is becoming unrealistic due to the downward trend in market interest rates, leading to lower bank deposit returns [2] - Three alternative asset options are suggested that have been proven to be relatively stable and yield better returns than current and short-term deposits [2] - Money market funds, such as "baby products," have a median seven-day annualized yield of 1.24%, with top funds like Tianhong Yu'ebao maintaining around 1.014%, providing a potential return of approximately 1,000 to 1,240 yuan for a 100,000 yuan investment over a year [2] Group 2 - Gold assets, including gold ETFs or physical gold, are recommended as a traditional hedge against uncertainty and inflation, with a suggested allocation of no more than 20% of idle funds, equating to 20,000 yuan for a 100,000 yuan investment [3] - The demand for gold typically increases during global economic uncertainty and geopolitical conflicts, supporting gold prices [3] - Caution is advised regarding short-term trading in gold due to price volatility, and a long-term holding strategy is recommended to avoid losses from short-term fluctuations [3] Group 3 - Mid to low-risk bank wealth management products are another option, with yields generally ranging from 2% to 3%, potentially generating returns of 2,000 to 3,000 yuan on a 100,000 yuan investment over a year [4] - It is important to understand that not all wealth management products labeled as mid to low risk are the same, as some may involve significant bond investments that carry slight volatility risks [4] - With increasing regulatory oversight, banks are now providing real-time updates on product net values, emphasizing the need for thorough understanding of product details before investing [4]

Core Viewpoint - The potential for a Santa Claus rally in the stock market is emerging as investors are concerned about a challenging December, with historical data suggesting a positive trend during this period [1][2]. Group 1: Santa Claus Rally - The Santa Claus rally typically occurs during the last five trading days of December and the first two trading days of January, with the S&P 500 averaging a gain of 1.3% during this seven-day period since 1950 [2]. - Citadel Securities data indicates that the S&P 500 has gained 75% of the time in the last two weeks of December, also averaging a 1.3% increase [2]. Group 2: Market Trends and Predictions - The S&P 500 has experienced a 16.2% increase in 2025, with banks forecasting further gains and strong corporate earnings in 2026 [4]. - Recent Labor Department data suggested easing inflation in November, which may lead to more interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, positively impacting the tech sector [4]. - The Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF, which tracks top-performing tech megacaps, rose by 0.8% on a recent Friday, indicating renewed interest in the tech industry [4]. Group 3: December Performance Insights - A four-day losing streak temporarily placed the S&P 500 in negative territory for December, but it rebounded with a 0.8% gain on Thursday and a 0.9% gain on Friday [6]. - Goldman Sachs analysts noted that the holiday rally tends to be significantly positive, with the S&P's mean return for December since 1928 being 1.98%, and from December 18 to 31, it has been 1.77% [6].

Group 1: Analyst Revisions - AlphaValue has increased its target price for Merck KGaA (MRKGY) to €183 from €177, reflecting a 3.80% upward revision and a more favorable outlook on the company's core fundamentals [3][9] - J.P. Morgan has lowered its price target for RH (RH) to $225 from $275 while maintaining an Overweight rating, citing margin pressure due to gross margin impacts from tariffs and promotions [4][9] Group 2: Market Performance - Asian stock markets experienced significant gains, driven by a positive close on Wall Street and easing concerns surrounding the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, along with expectations for potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts [5][9] - In the U.S., Wall Street saw stocks open higher, with key AI players like Nvidia (NVDA) and Broadcom (AVGO) contributing to gains across major indices, supported by a lower-than-expected 2.7% rise in U.S. inflation for November [6][9]

Group 1: BlackRock Leadership Changes - Edward Fishwick is stepping down as BlackRock's chief risk officer and will move to the risk and quantitative analysis group to head research, based in London [1] - Pierre Sarrau will become the new chief risk officer in the new year, currently serving as co-head and chief investment officer for multi-asset strategies and solutions [2] Group 2: Citi's Foreign Exchange Team Expansion - Citi has expanded its foreign exchange team in Japan, Asia North & Australia, and Asia South with seven new hires, including Manoj Goel as head of corporate FX sales for India [3] - Cassalynne Lou joins the Singapore corporate FX sales team from Barclays, while Yusuke Aita and Renee Gao have been appointed as directors in the institutional FX sales team in Tokyo and Hong Kong, respectively [4][5] Group 3: Standard Chartered and Lloyds Banking Group Changes - Andy Ross has left Standard Chartered, where he was global head of prime and financing products, and the bank declined to comment on his replacement [10][11] - Lloyds Banking Group has appointed Peter Fitzgerald as the new chief investment officer, replacing Kevin Doran, who will leave in early 2026 [11][13] Group 4: Prudential Financial and Nomura Appointments - Prudential Financial has appointed Matthew Armas as chief investment officer, effective March 12, succeeding Timothy L. Schmidt [16] - Nomura has transferred leadership of risk methodology from London to Tokyo, appointing Tomomitsu Nakamura as the new global head [7][8] Group 5: HKEX and MUFG Bank Leadership Changes - Graeme Farrell has been appointed as group chief risk officer at HKEX, effective January 12, replacing Richard Wise [19] - MUFG Bank is making changes to its board of directors, with Noaki Hori stepping down as chairman and Yutaka Miyashita taking over [20] Group 6: UBS Executive Board Shuffle - UBS has shuffled its executive board, appointing Beatriz Martin as group chief operating officer, effective January 1 [21] Group 7: AustralianSuper Appointments - AustralianSuper has appointed Bob Debi-Tewari as head of international equity portfolio and Sophie Dupré-Echeverria as head of group risk and compliance, international [24]

Core Viewpoint - Jiangxi Province is actively exploring the realization of ecological product value, particularly in financial empowerment for the "Two Mountains" transformation, establishing replicable experiences and models for broader application [1] Group 1: Natural Resource Asset Financing - Jiangxi is investigating a new model for financing through the pledge of natural resource asset combinations, creating a database to assess the overall situation of state-owned natural resources [2] - The province aims to enhance market competitiveness by packaging high-quality natural resource assets, achieving a synergistic effect of "1+1>2" [2] - A pricing standard for natural resource assets has been established, with third-party evaluations determining asset values, ensuring that the "net asset" transfer conditions are met [2] Group 2: Ecological Product Value Loans - Jiangxi is developing a green loan model for specific regional ecological product values (VEP), addressing measurement difficulties through standardized accounting and evaluation policies [3] - The province has created a digital management platform for ecological product total value (GEP) and established a VEP accounting indicator system reflecting local characteristics [3] - VEP revenue rights are being issued as collateral for financing, with guidelines for VEP revenue right pledge loans to facilitate acceptance by financial institutions [3] Group 3: Forestry Revenue Rights Financing - Jiangxi is promoting policies to convert forestry operating revenue rights into capital, encouraging local governments to develop financial support plans for forestry revenue right pledge loans [4] - A value assessment parameter table for forestry revenue rights has been created to clarify evaluation factors such as product types and expected returns [4] - The province is enhancing risk-sharing mechanisms through government incentives and innovative insurance products, reducing guarantee rates to 0.44% [4]