Oil prices edge down as traders assess China’s oil demand, await OPEC+ cuts
Oil prices edged down on Monday but held recent ranges as traders assessed China’s oil demand following the coronavirus outbreak and awaited a decision by major producers to cut output further to balance markets.
Australia cartel investigator says no impropriety in exchanges with JPMorgan lawyers
An Australian antitrust investigator who helped bring criminal cartel charges against Citigroup Inc and Deutsche Bank AG denied acting with “impropriety” when presented with communications between the regulator and informants’ lawyers.
Asian markets stem losses as China returns to work but sentiment jittery
Asian shares pared early losses on Monday as Chinese authorities lifted some coronavirus-related restrictions on work and travel, helping businesses resume work though overall sentiment was still jittery as the death toll from the epidemic climbed.
Exclusive: Top lithium miner seeks to monitor water scarcity in parched Chile salt flat
With residents and courts ringing the alarm about depleted water supplies in Chile’s Atacama salt flat, the world’s top lithium miner Albemarle quietly filed a proposal in December for a network to monitor flows beneath the parched desert floor.
Boral shares plunge after bushfire profit hit, accounts probe
Australia’s Boral Ltd said on Monday delays to building projects due to bushfires will likely cause a plunge in its second-half results, while revealing an investigation had found inflated earnings at its North American window-making business.
SoftBank set for sharp quarterly profit drop amid pressure from Elliott
Japan’s SoftBank Group is expected to post a slide in profits for the past quarter, deepening concern about its ability to secure funding for a second Vision Fund and giving activist fund Elliott Management more fodder for a shake-up.
Oil prices fall on oversupply worries as virus hits China demand
Oil prices on Monday extended their decline from an early January peak above $70 as the specter of excess supplies loomed over the market after the spreading coronavirus outbreak hit demand in China, the world’s largest oil importer.
Asian markets fall as coronavirus concerns weigh on sentiment
Stocks and oil fell while safe-haven gold rose on Monday as the death toll from a coronavirus outbreak surpassed the SARS epidemic, raising alarm bells about its severity.
Wall Street futures fall as coronavirus toll rises, China plans return to work
U.S. stock futures fell on Sunday after China’s death toll from the coronavirus outbreak exceeded the global total from the SARS epidemic and as authorities prepared for millions of people to return to work after an extended Lunar New Year break.
China to France: Don’t discriminate against Huawei on 5G networks
The Chinese embassy in Paris on Sunday urged the French government not to discriminate against Huawei as it selects suppliers for its 5G mobile network, saying it feared the company would face more constraints than rivals.
