U.S. Dollar Slides for Third Straight Week as Rate Cut Expectations Boost Euro and Pound 
China’s Small Bank Consolidation Struggles as Profits Fall and Risks Persist 
Moore Threads Stock Slides After Risk Warning Despite 600% Surge Since IPO 
HSBC’s $13.6 Billion Take-Private Offer for Hang Seng Bank Gains Board Backing 
U.S. Stock Futures Mixed as Tech and AI Stocks Face Pressure Ahead of CPI Data 
Modi and Trump Hold Phone Call as India Seeks Relief From U.S. Tariffs Over Russian Oil Trade 
Evercore Reaffirms Alphabet’s Search Dominance as AI Competition Intensifies 
Russia Stocks End Flat as Energy and Retail Shares Show Mixed Performance 
S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
Apple App Store Injunction Largely Upheld as Appeals Court Rules on Epic Games Case 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Indian Rupee Slides to Record Low on Fed Outlook 
China’s November Economic Data Signals Slowing Industrial Output and Weak Consumer Demand 
United Airlines Flight to Tokyo Returns to Dulles After Engine Failure During Takeoff 
SpaceX Begins IPO Preparations as Wall Street Banks Line Up for Advisory Roles 
Asian Technology and Chipmaking Stocks Slide as AI Spending Concerns Shake Markets 
Nomura Expands Alternative Assets Strategy With Focus on Private Debt Acquisitions 
Coca-Cola’s Costa Coffee Sale Faces Uncertainty as Talks With TDR Capital Hit Snag 
Top global investment banks (IB) forecast the South Korean economy to grow 3.4 percent this year, up by 0.1 percentage point from their previous estimate.
Credit Suisse upgraded its estimate by 0.7 percentage point to 3.6 percent and HSBC by 0.5 percentage point to 2.7 percent.
Others surveyed in late December, Barclays, BoA-Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Nomura Securities, and UBS, have retained their previous projections ranging from 3 percent to 4.1 percent.
UBS gave the rosiest outlook of 4.1 percent.
South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance recently forecasted a 3.2 percent growth, while the Bank of Korea gave a 3 percent outlook.
The average 2021 outlook for the global economy stood at 5.7 percent.
The forecast for China was an 8.4 percent growth, while the US was given a 4.4 percent growth outlook. Japan is expected to grow 3 percent.
