Financial Markets and Economy
Dollar Falls With U.S. Yields as Brexit Concern Spurs Safety Bid (Bloomberg)
The dollar fell as Treasury yields declined following a long weekend with investors seeking safety amid concern the U.K. is heading for a so-called hard Brexit.
European Stocks Fall as Investors Brace for May’s Brexit Speech (Bloomberg)
European stocks fell on Tuesday, losing ground for a second day, as investors awaited U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May’s speech in which she is set to detail her plan for Brexit.
Nigeria Cashew Farmers Plan Output Boost With Eye on Exports (Bloomberg)
Nigerian cashew producers are working on a four-year plan to cultivate more land and boost exports more than threefold to 500,000 metric tons a year to feed a growing export market.
Good morning! Here's what you need to know in markets on Tuesday.
Nikkei falls as key U.K. speech looms; China shares volatile (Market Watch)
Asian shares were broadly lower Tuesday, ahead of a crucial speech by U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, who is set to announce a clean break from the European Union.
Stock market set for a lower open as Trump, Brexit rattle investors (Market Watch)
Wall Street’s postholiday return to action was setting up to be a weak one, as U.S. stock-index futures pulled back after comments from President-elect Donald Trump and as U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May indicated her country will press for a firm exit from the European Union.
Bank Bosses Prep Plans to Move Abroad as May Signals Hard Brexit (Bloomberg)
Finance executives say they are preparing for the worst on Brexit as Prime Minister Theresa May signaled she plans to pull the U.K. out of the European single market.
U.K. Inflation Surges to Fastest Since 2014 as Pound Slumps (Bloomberg)
U.K. inflation accelerated to the fastest pace in more than two years in December as the pound’s decline drove a surge in import costs.
Earnings? Stock investors should watch these 5 factors instead, Goldman says (Market Watch)
A landmark Brexit speech and the Davos hootenanny are also helping to wake up anyone who remembered the “I have a dream” man by sleeping in, as eToro analysts put it.
The British pound is climbing as Prime Minister Theresa May delivers her first major speech outlining the kind of Brexit the government will pursue once it triggers Article 50.
Vietnam Seen Moving Closer to Emerging Upgrade With Bank Opening (Bloomberg)
The opening up of Vietnam’s banks to more foreign investment is expected to speed the country’s ascent to emerging-market status and boost a stock index that’s already near a nine-year high.
The two biggest risks in markets have a single source (Business Insider)
The two biggest tail risks listed by fund managers have a single source: Donald Trump.
European Auto Sales Jump to Nine-Year High as Renault Gains (Bloomberg)
European car sales rose 6.5 percent to a nine-year high in 2016, propelled by pent-up demand amid a recovering economy, as French manufacturer Renault SA took advantage of market leader Volkswagen AG’s diesel-emissions scandal to leap from third place to second.
Chinese Stocks Stabilize After Longest Losing Streak Since 2015 (Bloomberg)
Chinese stocks stabilized after a five-day losing streak for the benchmark Shanghai gauge as small-cap shares rebounded and the central bank added funds to the banking system.
London Slumps From Best to Worst for Home-Price Growth: Chart (Bloomberg)
London house prices have gone from the fastest growing in the U.K. to the slowest within eight months.
10 things you need to know before the opening bell (Business Insider)
US markets are set to open lower. US markets are pointing lower as traders return to work following the holiday weekend. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is on track to open down 0.3% near 19,818.
Companies
Hyundai-Kia Plan $3.1 Billion U.S. Investment, Mull New Plant (Bloomberg)
Hyundai Motor Co. and affiliate Kia Motors Corp. said they will spend $3.1 billion in the U.S. in the next five years, joining other vehicle manufacturers in announcing investment plans amid threats from President-elect Donald Trump of higher levies on auto imports from Mexico.
Honda Said to See 2017 Global Sales Rising on China, U.S. Demand (Bloomberg)
Honda Motor Co. is projecting an increase in global sales in the fiscal year starting April on demand in the U.S. and China, according to a person familiar with the automaker’s plans.
Deutsche Bank May Withhold 90 Percent of Bonuses, NY Post Says (Bloomberg)
Deutsche Bank AG may withhold bonuses from as many as 90 percent of its bankers and traders, the New York Post reported, citing unidentified people briefed on internal talks.
Wal-Mart to Create 10,000 U.S. Jobs in Nod to Trump (Market Watch)
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it plans to create about 10,000 U.S. jobs this year, a sign that even the country’s largest private employer feels the need to tout American job growth ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Hyundai Motor Plans to Invest Up to $3.1 Billion in U.S. Plants (The Wall Street Journal)
Hyundai Motor Co. said Tuesday it would invest up to $3.1 billion in its existing U.S. manufacturing facilities and was considering building a new plant there, joining other auto makers in highlighting investment plans after President-elect Donald Trump criticized the industry.
Technology
Auto makers team up to rival Apple and Google (Market Watch)
A battle of formats is nothing new in the electronics or the automotive industry, and the latest is a bit of both as Apple AAPL, -0.38% and Google GOOG, -0.11% have come to dominate the platforms for in-car apps.
Vava starts Kickstarter campaign for modern dashboard camera (Venture Beat)
Dashboard cameras have become a popular way around the world to record emergencies, from car crashes to police stops. Vava is announcing a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for its new Vava Dash camera.
Former Microsoft executive and noted AI expert Qi Lu joins Baidu as COO (Tech Crunch)
Just a day after it opened an augmented reality lab, China’s internet giant Baidu has beefed up on its AI talent after it announced the hiring of former Microsoft executive Qi Lu as group president and COO.
Robots, Apps and Brain Scans: New Tools to Help the Autistic Child (Scientific American)
In September, the Florida State University football team made a visit to a Tallahassee middle school that would become famous. At lunchtime, student-athlete Travis Rudolph noticed sixth grader Bo Paske eating alone, so he joined Bo for the meal.
How to alert the police on the phone if it isn't safe to speak (Business Insider)
If you're ever in a situation where you need to alert the police but talking would put you in danger there is one simple thing that you need to know.
Airbus plans on making a flying, self-driving car by 2018 (RoadShow)
We'll be seeing more and more driverless cars on the road in the coming years, if automakers get their way. But if Airbus has its way, self-driving cars will be old news sooner rather than later.
Politics
Obama: Here's what surprised me most about being president (Business Insider)
With one week left in office, President Barack Obama talked to CBS's "60 Minutes" about his eight years in Washington.
How Trump can be a great president (Market Watch)
There are four classes of people in Washington: Those who research policy papers; those who write policy papers; those who present policy papers, and those who throw away policy papers.
Growing List Of Democrats Boycotting Trump Inauguration (Associated Press)
More than 30 House Democrats plan to boycott President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday, casting the Republican businessman as a threat to democracy.
Putin calls report which said Russia had damaging details on Trump a hoax (Reuters)
President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday an unsubstantiated report that alleged Russia had gathered compromising material on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was a hoax.
Will Donald Trump bring back torture? Foreign leaders might need to step up to stop him (The Huffington Post)
There can be no doubt that the swearing in of Donald Trump on January 20 will usher in a new era for the United States. But the president-elect’s open support for torture and waterboarding could mean his inauguration also marks a return to what President Barack Obama has called a “dark and painful chapter“ in US history.
The Argument for Donald Trump’s Illegitimacy (The Huffington Post)
Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Kellyanne Conway, Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer and everyone else on Team Trump are adamant that the Russian hack of The DNC had “zero” effect on the election.
Life on the Home Planet
Iraqi forces push into IS-held pocket in Mosul: military (Reuters)
Iraqi special forces pushed deeper into Islamic State-held districts in eastern Mosul on Tuesday, and army units battled the militants inside a military base in the north of the city, military officials said.
Why 4.5 billion years of fluctuating global temperatures can’t explain climate change today (Science Alert)
One of the most commonly used arguments against human-caused climate change is that Earth has experienced severe fluctuations in temperature over its 4.5-billion-year lifespan, so it doesn’t make sense to start freaking out about it now.
Astronomers have spotted a massive 'bulge' in Venus' atmosphere (Science Alert)
A massive bow-shaped 'bulge' has been spotted in the upper atmosphere of Venus, and astronomers are trying to explain how it could withstand the gush of sulphuric acid clouds that are spinning faster than the planet itself.
That 'Alien Megastructure' Star Might Actually Be A Planet-Eater (Popular Science)
The star, known more formally as KIC 8462852, has baffled scientists by quickly and erratically losing brightness. In observations made over a period of just 100 days, the Kepler telescope captured the star dimming dozens of times, and once dramatically so—by 22 percent.
