Flash News

TREE NEWS reports: The International Monetary Fund expects the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan economies to contract 1.3% in 2026, it said in its Regional Economic Outlook released in Dubai, citing the impact of the US-Israel-Iran conflict on energy production, shipping, trade and tourism. Jihad Azour, director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia department, said all Gulf Cooperation Council members except Oman will see their economies shrink this year.

TREE NEWS update: Japan releases September CPI at 07:30 Beijing time, followed by flash October PMIs for Japan, India, France, Germany, the eurozone and the UK through the morning. Russia’s central bank announces its rate decision at 18:30, while American Express reports earnings before the US open. The US flash October PMIs are due at 21:45 and the final University of Michigan consumer sentiment index at 22:00.

TREE NEWS reports: Since September, 131 A-share companies have newly disclosed share buyback and insider increase plans totaling 29.899 billion yuan, up 292.04% year on year. Of these, 90 companies plan buybacks with a combined upper limit of 26.642 billion yuan, up 275.75%, while 41 companies disclosed plans by major shareholders and executives to increase holdings by 3.257 billion yuan, more than five times the year-earlier level.

TREE NEWS reports: More than 40 A-share pharmaceutical and biotech companies had disclosed third-quarter results by Oct. 22, with over 50% posting earnings growth, alongside additional companies issuing preliminary nine-month forecasts. The growth was supported by continued sales volume expansion of multiple products in end markets and by revenue recognition of upfront and milestone payments from outbound licensing deals.

TREE NEWS reports: Chinese lithium miners’ first-three-quarter earnings reports and forecasts show year-on-year profit growth of several-fold to dozens-fold, but third-quarter net profit fell sequentially across the board, signaling a slowdown in earnings growth. Lithium carbonate prices have declined steadily since September as the market shifts from spot fundamentals toward pricing in future oversupply, with the gap between expectations and steady physical shipments emerging as the core point of divergence.

TREE NEWS reports: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and challenger Jair Bolsonaro are tied at 50% support each in a new poll. The result shows an evenly split electorate between the incumbent and his rival. No further details on the poll’s sample size, margin of error or fieldwork dates were provided.

TREE NEWS reports: The S&P 500’s 11 sectors closed mixed on Thursday, Oct. 22, with telecom falling 3.01% as seven of its 21 constituents declined—EchoStar down 7.39%, Meta down 6.98% and Alphabet Class A down 3.15%, the third-largest drop. Information technology fell 3%, consumer discretionary lost 1.71% and energy slipped 0.74%, while utilities rose 1.98% and consumer staples gained 3.11%.

TREE NEWS reports: The Magnificent 7 index closed down 2.73% at 228.92 on Thursday, October 22, after gapping lower and steadily extending losses through the session. Meta Platforms was the worst performer, falling 6.98%, while Amazon and Nvidia dropped as much as 4.57% and Alphabet and Tesla fell as much as 3.15%. Microsoft lost 2.23%, and Apple was the sole gainer, up 1.23%.

TREE NEWS reports: General Motors has cancelled its long-term supply agreement with a US manufacturer building a plant to produce rare earth magnets for electric vehicles, with the two parties now in arbitration. GM was the largest customer of the facility. The move reflects a shift in the US auto industry since Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025 and cut federal support for electric vehicles.

TREE NEWS reports: The US 10-year Treasury yield fell 16.60 basis points to 4.9530% in late New York trading on Thursday, October 22, after trading between 5.1149% and 4.9365% during the session and approaching its September 23 low of 4.9307%. The two-year yield dropped 16.63 bps to 4.6396%, while the 30-year yield declined 12.85 bps to 5.2804%, as investors sought safe havens amid a selloff in AI-related stocks.

TREE NEWS reports: Spot gold fell 2.71% to $4,028.58 per ounce in late New York trading on Thursday, Oct. 22, extending a broad decline after trading between $4,145.82 and $4,021.32. Spot silver dropped 5.87% to $54.5746 per ounce, ranging from $57.9753 to $54.4901.

TREE NEWS reports: Canadian oil exploration company Logan Energy is exploring a sale, people familiar with the matter said. No buyer, valuation or timeline was disclosed. The company has not publicly confirmed the process.

TREE NEWS reports: FTSE China A50 index futures closed the overnight session up 0.04% at 12,935 points, extending a marginal gain. The contract tracks the 50 largest A-share companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges. No further detail on the session’s trading range was disclosed.

TREE NEWS reports: Nasdaq 100 futures closed down 3.07% in late New York trading on Thursday, October 22, while S&P 500 futures fell 1.22%. Dow futures edged up 0.05% and Russell 2000 futures slipped 0.05%, leaving the tech-heavy index sharply underperforming the other major benchmarks.

TREE NEWS reports: Morgan Stanley has turned more optimistic on South African government bonds after the National Treasury unveiled a bond buyback plan, which the bank expects to support longer-dated debt. The Treasury’s plan includes domestic bond buybacks to smooth future maturity redemptions and reduced sales of fixed-rate and inflation-linked bonds. The analysts remain cautious on the rand, saying it is vulnerable to swings in global rates, precious metals and oil prices, and prefer South African duration over currency exposure.

TREE NEWS update: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will require all passengers on international flights to the United States to sign a written or electronic declaration confirming they have not visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 21 days before departure, effective 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov 3. The measure aims to reduce the risk of Ebola entering the US. Some travelers who recently visited Uganda or South Sudan also face entry restrictions, and eligible US citizens must undergo public health screening at designated airports.

TREE NEWS update: President Donald Trump sent a memorandum to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concerning the Defense Production Act (DPA) and oil, the White House said. The memo addresses both the DPA and petroleum matters, though its specific contents were not disclosed. No further details on the directive were immediately available.

TREE NEWS reports: The MSCI Emerging Markets Index dropped 2.5% to its lowest level since July, as investors’ optimism over artificial intelligence cooled amid mixed US tech earnings. A developing-nation currency gauge slipped 0.2%, with currencies of net oil importers South Africa, Chile and Poland leading declines as Brent crude hit its highest since May. Brazil’s real also fell notably ahead of weekend elections.

TREE NEWS reports: The Bloomberg Electric Vehicle Price Return Index fell 3.16% on Thursday, October 22, closing at 2,850.63 points after declining steadily since the start of Asia-Pacific trading and approaching its August 8, 2025 close of 2,817.64. Constituents were almost universally lower, with Yadea Group Holdings down 11.25%, RoboSense Technology down 8.54%, Horizon down 8.5% and Hesai’s ADR down about 7.9%. Only three members gained, including BMW up 0.84% and Lucid Group up about 7.8%.

TREE NEWS update: President Donald Trump said the United States may take further action against Iran, without specifying what measures were under consideration. The remark signals the possibility of additional US steps beyond those already taken. No timeline or details of the potential action were given.