US Back-to-School Spending Seen Falling as Families Focus on Essentials 
US Stock Futures Steady as Oil Prices Ease, Iran Talks Boost Market Sentiment 
Oil Prices Rise as U.S.-Iran Conflict Fuels Strait of Hormuz Supply Fears 
China Inflation Cools in June as Producer Prices Hit Four-Year High 
Japan Regional Bank Stocks Drop After Zentoshin Bankruptcy Sparks Credit Risk Concerns 
Japan Revises Economic Blueprint to Reassure Markets on BOJ Independence 
Japan Wholesale Inflation Jumps as Energy Shock Drives Import Costs Higher 
Bernstein Raises 2026 Nickel Price Forecast as Indonesia Tightens Supply 
Oil and LNG Tankers Turn Back as Strait of Hormuz Security Risks Escalate 
Cuba Power Outage Sparks Havana Protests as Fuel Crisis Deepens 
Malaysian exports registered a stronger rebound in November, led by rising shipments of manufactured and agricultural goods. Sales were up by a robust 7.8 percent y/y, coming after two consecutive months of disappointment figures in which exports were down on average by about 5.8 percent y/y.
It is worth noting that the earlier fall was largely due to the exceptionally high base in the same period in 2015. Coupled that with a 11.2 percent rise in imports, overall trade balance recorded a surplus of MYR 9.0 billion, reported DBS Group Research.
The rise in manufactured and agricultural goods exports were led by shipments of electrical and electronic products, and palm oil and palm-based goods. While the latter reflects the recovery in commodity prices, the former was driven by the pick-up in global electronics cycle amid stronger consumption growth in the US, they added.
Looking ahead, as long as the drag from the slowdown in China does not become overwhelming, a stronger US growth juxtaposed with a relatively weak local currency will make for a brighter export outlook in 2017.
Meanwhile, the FTSE Malaysia KLCI (KLSE) index traded down 0.33 percent at 1,670.01 points. Also, USD/MRY traded flat at 4.47 by 08:40 GMT.
