The U.S Senate debate over the $550 billion infrastructure package drags on. Singapore plans to change its foreign worker policies. ByteDance revives a plan to list in Hong Kong. Here’s what you need to know this Monday morning.
Debate Drags
A slow-going U.S. Senate debate over a broad $550 billion infrastructure package could go on for days yet, with lawmakersunable to agreeon which final changes to consider. Amendments still on the table include proposals fornew cryptocurrency rulesand flexibility for states and localities that choose to use some unspent pandemic relief funds for roads and bridges. The Senate did edge the infrastructure legislation past one of itsfinal procedural hurdleson a 67-27 vote on Saturday, an indicator of the bill’s bipartisan support. But agreement on a last batch of amendments was elusive.
Steady Stocks
Asian stocks areset to start the week steadyafter a better-than-expected increase in U.S. payrolls fueled expectations that the Federal Reserve is moving closer to a pullback of stimulus. Futures rose in Australia, but they fell in Hong Kong earlier. Japan markets are closed for a holiday. On Friday, the S&P 500 climbed to a record, led by financials and materials, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 fell. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 1.3% and the dollar strengthened against major peers. Cash Treasuries won’t trade in Asia because of the holiday in Tokyo.
Finding Opportunity in AgTech and Food Innovation
Our diverse food ecosystem is increasingly supported by new innovations and agricultural technologies (AgTech). Explore why we believethis space could be primed for growth, possibly spurred by the drive to address global food insecurity and minimize the adverse impacts of large-scale agriculture.
Backing Boosters
As U.S. Covid caseshit a six-month high, Anthony Fauci, the U.S.’s top infectious-disease doctor, said he was “strongly in favor” of speedingbooster shotsto people with weakened immune systems. In Israel, thefirst nation to roll out boosterswidely, more than half a million people aged 60 and over were due to have had their third injection by the end of Sunday. Elsewhere, Wuhan completed mass Covid testingof local residents after new local cases were reported; thestrict lockdownin the Philippines may be costing 150 billion pesos ($2.98 billion) a week; delta cases worsened across Australia’s biggest cities and the nation has barred non-resident citizens who enter the countryfrom leaving again; and Indonesian President Joko Widodoordered law enforcement officials on the nation’s outer islands to take immediate action to stem virus cases.
Foreign Workers
Singapore willrecalibrate its foreign worker policiesto balance between remaining accepting of those from overseas, and addressing the economic andsocial concerns of its citizens, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said. The government is aware anxieties over the foreign worker population have worsened because of uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and authorities are addressing them, Lee said in a televised message on the eve of the country’s 56th National Day. Other tough issues that have come to the fore during this period and which need to be dealt with are support for low-wage workers and the challenge of maintaining racial harmony, he said.
Listing Plan
TikTok owner ByteDance isreviving plans to listin Hong Kong, next quarter or in early 2022, even as Chinese authoritieswiden their crackdownon the country’s technology companies. Meanwhile, the world-beating rally in China’s sovereign bonds fueled by policy easing bets may have some ways to go, but inflation data this week could provide areason to slow the bullish momentum. And China called on the U.S. to respect Chinese sovereignty andstop interfering in Hong Kongaffairs, in a response to President Joe Biden’s move to offer some Hong Kong residents temporary safe haven.
What We’ve Been Reading
This is what’s caught our eye over the past 24 hours:
- Who won big at the Tokyo Olympics.
- Alibaba to fire manager accused ofsexual assault.
- Saudi Armaco follows big oil rivals withprofit surge.
- Return to the office five days a week?How about never.
- Meat made in a lab hastwo major obstaclesto overcome.
And finally, here’s what Tracy’s interested in today
Ablow-out jobs reportfinally succeeded in shocking U.S. bond yields into life, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury jumping above 1.3% after reaching as low as 1.12% earlier in the week. The addition of 943,000 jobs in July — much more than the 870,000 expected — means we're ostensibly getting closer to the Federal Reserve's goal of “substantial” further progress in the job market.
So it's no surprise that the conversation about just how the U.S. central bank might react to lower rates of unemployment and higher rates of inflation is kicking into high gear. Will the central bank start tapering its asset purchases and raising rates? There's sometimes an implication that the two things must happen in conjunction with each other, or at least one must be followed relatively quickly by the other.
But in thenew episode of the Odd Lots podcast, the Fed's Robert Kaplan emphasizes that's not necessarily the case. Tapering could help take some of the pressure off the need to raise raise interest rates in the future, according to the Dallas Fed president. “Adjusting these purchases sooner might actually allow us to be more patient on the Fed funds rate down the road,” he says. It's a nice reminder that tightening monetary policy doesn't have to be a monolithic or even linear activity. The whole podcast is well worth a listen.
精彩评论