WTI crude oil futures fell below $70/barrel, down 0.43% in the day; Brent crude oil fell 0.43% in the day to $73.05/barrel.Market news: the agency said that the number of people applying for unemployment benefits in the United States jumped to the highest level in two months, but it was still at a low level.Royal Bank of Canada: The European Central Bank may move towards negative real interest rate. Royal Bank of Canada BlueBay Asset Management said that the European Central Bank may cut the interest rate below 2% next year, which the agency estimated to be a short-term neutral interest rate. Kaspar Hense, senior portfolio manager of the institution, said in a report that the core inflation rate is expected to be around 2.5% in the first half of 2025, which means that the real interest rate will be negative. He said that under the influence of unfavorable factors such as trade, continuous competitive pressure from other countries and financial problems, this should play a moderate supporting role in the economy.
Australia plans to force technology giants to pay for news content. The Australian government announced a new tax plan on the 12th, which will force technology giants to pay for news content to Australian media companies, otherwise they will face the risk of being charged higher taxes. According to the Australian government's plan, all digital platforms with an annual income of more than A $250 million (about US$ 160 million) in Australia must reach a commercial agreement with Australian media organizations on the use of news content, otherwise they will face the risk of being charged higher taxes. (Xinhua News Agency)American stock index futures maintained a downward trend, with S&P 500 E-MINI futures down 0.3%, Nasdaq futures down 0.6% and Dow Jones futures down 0.1%.Qualcomm appointed BAAZIZ ACHOUR as Chief Technology Officer.
European Central Bank President Lagarde: Regardless of the market pricing of interest rate hikes, European Central Bank President Lagarde said that the European Central Bank will adjust its policies according to the data and will decide the policies of each meeting one by one. The neutral interest rate cannot be accurately determined without considering the market pricing of interest rate hikes.Dutch International Bank: The European Central Bank will continue to cut interest rates in the new year, Carsten Brzeski, macro director of Dutch International Bank, wrote in a report to customers that the European Central Bank will take action again to reduce borrowing costs. The euro zone central bank cut interest rates by 25 basis points on Thursday, in line with expectations. Inflation is still a worrying problem, but the resistance to growth is even greater, especially the financial crisis in France and the threat posed by the US tariff on European goods. He said that with the change in the tone of the European Central Bank, the bank may cut interest rates again in the new year.German Finance Minister: We need to work together on initiatives to strengthen the European economy.