• Jan 13, 2025

US oil refiners brace for a tough year as investor sentiment turns negative

Investors are souring on the U.S. oil refining sector, citing forecasts for softer fuel demand and worries that President-elect Donald Trump may slap tariffs on imports of crude. This followed two years of bumper profits as refiners cashed in on supply shortages caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a post-pandemic recovery in demand. Shares of major refiners have fallen this year, and on average, analysts have lowered expectations for refiners' fourth-quarter earnings before interest, taxes and amortization (EBITA) by 24% since the start of the quarter, Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co analyst Matthew Blair said in a note.

  • Jan 13, 2025

Robust US economy may not need Trump's big reforms

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on promises of aggressive import tariffs, strict immigration curbs, deregulation and smaller government, but the economy he inherits next week may be screaming for something different. With output expanding above trend, the labor market near maximum employment and adding jobs, and the embers of inflation still smoldering, Trump may be launching his promised reforms into an economy less in need of the sort of stimulus his 2017 tax cuts provided. As a stock selloff following last week's strong December jobs report showed, it may also be prone to correction given high asset values and a bond market that has been moving yields higher.

  • Jan 13, 2025

Wall Street Eyes Cheap Hedges for Stock Rally Showing Strains

(Bloomberg) -- Investors are starting 2025 with a conundrum: how to protect against potentially bigger risks while not missing out on a stock-market rally.Most Read from BloombergA Blueprint for Better Bike LanesWhat Robotaxis Brought San FranciscoAmbitious High-Speed Rail Plans Advance in the Baltic RegionNew York, San Francisco Ranked Worst for US Traffic in City CentersOn the one hand, just about every sell-side strategist has an S&P 500 Index target above current levels, and the US economy r