Oil prices rise 0.4% to $73.20/bbl as US data shows cooling inflation, reviving hopes for policy easing and supporting global growth. $USOIL $WTI

Global stocks defy expectations, with world markets set for a second consecutive annual gain of more than 17%. US stocks, led by tech giants like Nvidia $NVDA and Tesla, drive the rally, while emerging markets and bonds struggle with inflation and interest rate concerns.

US spirits sales expected to decline 5.65% this year, with consumers opting for cheaper liquor brands and venues due to economic uncertainty, according to the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America. $DGE and $PERP among those impacted.

U.S. stock index futures are subdued on Monday after a last-minute government funding bill averted a shutdown and investors parsed the central bank's forecast on interest-rate cuts next year. Qualcomm $QCOM shares rose 2.5% in premarket trading after a jury found its central

US House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Rep. Thomas Massie sent letters to 60 asset managers, including BlackRock $BLK, State Street $STT, and JPMorgan Asset Management $JPM, seeking information on their involvement with the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, citing

X, formerly Twitter, raises premium-plus plan price to $22/month in US, up from $16, as Elon Musk-owned platform aims to boost creator payouts through subscription fees #X #Twitter

MetLife Investment Management agrees to buy PineBridge Investments from Pacific Century Group for up to $1.2 billion, including $800M upfront cash payment and $200M contingent on 2025 financial targets.

Apple $AAPL closes in on historic $4 trillion stock market valuation, fueled by investor enthusiasm for AI enhancements and iPhone upgrades, with shares surging 16% since early November.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sues Walmart $WMT and Branch Messenger for allegedly forcing delivery drivers to use costly deposit accounts without consent and deceiving workers.

Allegro subsidiary Ceneo sues Alphabet $GOOGL, Google Ireland, and Google LLC for 2.33 billion zlotys $568M in damages, alleging anti-competitive practices in price comparison services

Hyatt Hotels Corp $H is in exclusive talks to acquire Playa Hotels & Resorts N.V $PLYA for $1.2 billion, or explore other strategic options, the companies say

U.S. capital goods orders surge 0.7% in November, driven by strong demand for machinery, as economists expect business equipment spending growth to accelerate in 2025, despite Boeing's 7.0% drop in commercial aircraft orders.

U.S. new home sales rebound 5.9% in November to 664,000 units, beating economists' forecast of 660,000. Mortgage rates rise to 6.72%, potentially hampering sales next year.

Google's proposed search result changes to comply with EU tech legislation have been endorsed by Airlines for Europe, which includes Air France KLM and Lufthansa $LHAG. The changes aim to comply with the Digital Markets Act and avoid fines up to 10% of global annual turnover.

U.S. crude oil and fuel stockpiles expected to have fallen last week, with crude inventories down by 2M barrels, gasoline stockpiles down 2.7M barrels, and distillate inventories down 1.1M barrels, according to a preliminary poll.

Talen Energy plans to contest FERC's rejection of an amended interconnection agreement for an Amazon data center at its Pennsylvania nuclear plant, citing a potential appeal to a US Circuit Court of Appeals. Amazon $AMZN, American Electric Power $AEP, and Exelon $EXC opposed the

Ford Motor Co $F is donating $1M and a fleet of vehicles to Trump's inauguration, despite potential tariffs and EV policy changes that could harm the company's business

Boeing $BA names Ann Schmidt as chief communications and brand officer, following a tumultuous period marked by fatal crashes, safety lapses, and financial losses.

Microsoft $MSFT is diversifying its AI models for 365 Copilot, reducing reliance on OpenAI's GPT-4 model due to cost and speed concerns for enterprise users, sources say.

Not pegging the 2013 >$200,000+ NIIT 3.8% added tax to inflation is going to soon become an enormous folly, and no politicians are currently talking about it.