SEOUL, Jan 31 (Reuters) - South Korea's December industrial output unexpectedly fell 0.5 percent from a month ago, data showed on Wednesday, failing to recover after barely expanding in November.The median forecast of analysts surveyed by Reuters was for output to gain 0.1 percent from November. Factory output dropped 6 percent from a year earliercompared with survey's forecast for a 1.4 percent d...Read More

Looking at the daily chart of USD/CHF we can summarize the recent days in one word: boredom. But behind the current consolidation there may be something more than we think at first glance. Read today's alert and you'll find out what we mean.EUR/USD On the daily chart, we see that although currency bears tried to push EUR/USD under the lower border of the blue consolidation, they failed yesterday a...Read More

(Updates prices, adds GDP news from Brazil, Mexico and Peru)By Bruno FederowskiSAO PAULO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Latin American currencies mostly weakened on Tuesday ahead of a Federal Reserve policy meeting this week that could bolster expectations of higher U.S. interest rates going forward.The Fed will publish its policy statement on Wednesday following a two-day meeting. Some economists expect it...Read More

(Adds context, credit growth)SAO PAULO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Banco Santander Brasil SA beat analysts' fourth-quarter earnings estimates as the bank quickly expanded its loan book in higher-margin segments including consumer financing, amid signs of recovery in Latin America's largest economy.The Brazilian unit of Spain's Banco Santander SA posted an 18.3 percent recurring return on equity (ROE), ab...Read More

FTSE 100 closes 1.09% lowerDow Jone and major US indices lagThree corporate giants team up to create own healthcare firmThe FTSE 100 took a beating to close 1.09% lower, or around 83 points, at 7,587.98, in tandem with the slide seen in other European markets.The footsie, which has been hitting record highs over the past weeks, hit a five week low, dragged lower by financials and the commodities,...Read More

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Australia's AWE Ltd said on Wednesday it would give suitor Mineral Resources the opportunity to sweeten its A$0.83 per share takeover offer, after Japan's Mitsui & Co's offer for the gas producer, which was nearly 15 percent higher.AWE said in a statement it has issued a notice to Mineral Resources notifying the same, which gives Mineral Resources three business days to matc...Read More

* Dow posts biggest two-day drop since Sept 2016* Rising bond yields drag on stocks as Trump speech approaches* Health stocks sink as Amazon, JPMorgan, Berkshire team up* VIX closes at highest since August 2017* Indexes down: Dow 1.4 pct, S&P 1.1 pct, Nasdaq 0.9 pct (Updates to market close)By Stephen CulpJan 30 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell for a second straight day on Tuesday, with the Dow re...Read More

Idrees AliWASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea’s nuclear program has made strides in recent months but the country has not yet demonstrated all the components of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), including a survivable re-entry vehicle, the vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Tuesday.Air Force General Paul Selva’s remarks confirmed an assessment by Defense...Read More

SAO PAULO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Banco Santander Brasil SA beat analyst estimates for the fourth quarter with an 18.3 percent recurring return on equity, above a 17.1 percent consensus compiled by Thomson Reuters, as the bank quickly expanded its loan book to individuals.Recurring net income, which excludes one-time items, came in at 2.752 billion reais ($865 million), above the average of analysts'...Read More

London reached its annual limits on pollution less than a month into the year, which was actually an improvement on the air quality in 2017.Read full newsRead More

BofAML Bull & Bear indicator has given 11 sell signals since 2002; hit ratio = 11/11; average equity peak-to-trough drop following 3 months = 12%Read full newsRead More

(Adds close of U.S. markets)* MSCI world stocks index in biggest two-day selloff in 16 months* Dollar reverses gains as Fed starts two-day meeting* Oil falls on evidence of increased U.S. output By Herbert LashNEW YORK, Jan 30 (Reuters) - World stocks declined in their biggest two-day dive in 16 months on Tuesday as tumbling oil prices and a jump in global borrowing costs cooled the year's eupho...Read More

(Adds details, stocks, updates prices to the close)Jan 30 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index fell on Tuesday, hitting its lowest level in more than seven weeks as the declining price of oil pulled shares of energy companies down for the second day in a row.* The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended down 139.21 points, or 0.86 percent, at 15,955.51.* The index touched a se...Read More

Concerns about interest rates sent the major indexes lower -- and Treasury yields higher -- for the second session in a row, though the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) isn't expected to announce a rate hike after its policy meeting tomorrow. In addition, the announcement of Amazon's (AMZN) new healthcare partnership weighed on several pharmacy stocks and health insurers, including blue-chip...Read More

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Stock MarketsNet ChngStock MarketsNet ChngS&P/ASX 200** 6,022.80 -52.60NZX 50**8,263.48 -35.10DJIA**26,076.89-362.59 NIKKEI**23,291.97-337.37Nasdaq**7,402.482-64.023 FTSE**7,587.98 -83.55S&P 500** 2,822.43 -31.10Hang Seng** 32,607.29-359.60SPI 200 Fut 5,941.0-19.0 STI** 3,548.74 -28.33SSEC**3,488.1888 -34.81KOSPI** 2,567.74 -30.45-----------------------------------------...Read More

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Australian shares are set extend losses on Wednesday following an underwhelming lead-in from Wall Street, while a fall in commodities prices could lead to a weakness in materials stocks. U.S. stocks registered a second straight day of losses on Tuesday as healthcare stocks and rising bond yields weighed on all three major U.S. indexes. Meanwhile, Chinese iron ore futures ticked...Read More

(Adds details from U.S. government)CARACAS, Jan 30 (Reuters) - A pre-sale of Venezuela's new "petro" cryptocurrency will begin on Feb. 20, President Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday, a move that the government hopes will help pull the country out of a dire economic crisis.Critics have slammed the initiative as not only illegal but nothing more than a debt issuance by the government amid q...Read More

Jan 30 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index ended lower on Tuesday, hitting its lowest level in more than seven weeks as the falling price of oil pulled shares of energy companies down for the second day in a row.The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index unofficially closed down 139.21 points, or 0.86 percent, at 15,955.51. (Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Peter Cooney) Disc...Read More

* Dollar reverses gains from Monday* Euro, Japanese yen up* Traders await Fed meeting announcement, jobs report (Updates prices, market activity; adds commentary)By Stephanie KellyNEW YORK, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The dollar fell on Tuesday, reversing its gains from the day before, ahead of a Federal Reserve monetary policy decision on Wednesday, while the euro and the Japanese yen strengthened against...Read More

Jemima Kelly, Tommy WilkesLONDON (Reuters) - Hackers who stole around $530 million worth of cryptocurrency from the Coincheck exchange last week -- one of the biggest such heists ever -- are trying to move the stolen “XEM” coins, the foundation behind the digital currency said on Tuesday.NEM Foundation, creators of the XEM cryptocurrency, have traced the stolen coins to an unidentified...Read More