Week of Oct 30 2015 Weekly Recap & The Week Ahead
“Don’t try to buy at the bottom and sell at the top. It can’t be done except by liars.” — Bernard Baruch
–> Apology for the late post as we enjoyed a long weekend <---
1. China Currency Yuan Poised to Join IMF Currency Basket — IMF representatives are set to give the all-clear for China’s yuan to be included in the lender’s Special Drawing Rights basket, laying the groundwork for a favorable decision by policymakers. Meanwhile, China took another step toward liberalizing its financial system, after the PBOC removed the cap on deposit rates. That move was paired with another cut to interest rates and banks’ reserve requirements.
2. White House, Congress Reach Tentative Budget Deal — the White House and Congressional leaders have reached a tentative deal on a two-year budget plan that would suspend the debt limit through mid-March 2017 and boost spending by $80B through September 2017. Those increases would be offset by cuts in spending on Medicare and Social Security disability benefits, and savings and revenue from other programs.
3. Walgreens Boots (WBA) to buy Rite Aid (RAD) –Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.(WBA), said it would buy Rite Aid Corp. for $17.2 billion in an all-cash deal. The tie-up with Rite Aid(RAD), uniting two of the country’s three biggest drugstore owners, would create a drugstore giant as companies across the U.S. health-care industry look for ways to bulk up. CVS is the overall leader. Drug distributor AmerisourceBergen (ABC) is seen as a benefactor, which as a deal with Walgreens while McKesson (MCK) supplies Rite Aid (RAD).
4. Third-quarter GDP Growth Just 1.5% — Gross domestic product (GDP) the value of everything a nation produces — rose at a 1.5% annual pace from July through September, the government reported. The U.S. had grown at a crisp 3.9% rate in the second quarter. In the third quarter as companies cut back production to prevent a worrisome buildup in inventories, particularly of goods destined for foreign markets. However, consumer spending, the single largest determinant of U.S economic growth, rose at a 3.2% annual pace following an even larger gain in the second quarter.
5. FOMC Stands Pat, Drops Hints — the Central Bank left rates alone, but cut its reference to the global market turmoil that kept it on hold in Sept. The question is whether it will hike in Dec., rather than when, if ever, a rate rise will be appropriate, policymakers reported. Fed funds futures raised the odds of a year end hike.
The week ahead — Economic data from Econoday.com:
Tags: 3QGDP, FOMC Minutes