【Jin十 Data整理: Daily US Stock Market News Brief (December 19, Thursday)】
Important News
1. The Bank of England voted 6-3 to maintain the benchmark interest rate at 4.75%, in line with market expectations, with a cumulative rate cut of 50 basis points this year. Traders currently lean towards expecting the Bank of England to make three rate cuts in 2025.
2. The annualized final value of the US GDP for the third quarter increased by 3.1% quarter-on-quarter, expected to rise by 2.8%, revised to an increase of 2.8%, and the initial value increased by 2.8%. The final value for the second quarter rose by 3.0%.
3. The number of initial jobless claims in the US last week was 220,000, expected to be 230,000, and the previous value was 242,000.
4. The annualized quarterly final value of the core PCE price index in the US for the third quarter was 2.2%, expected to be 2.1%, and the previous value was 2.10%.
Individual Stock News
1. Apple (AAPL.O) has reached an agreement with Indonesia for a $1 billion investment in exchange for lifting the sales ban on the iPhone 16.
Stellantis (STLA.N) has postponed the launch of its Ram all-electric pickup from the first half of 2025 to 2026, prioritizing the release of a plug-in hybrid pickup.
2. Private equity giant KKR on Thursday extended its acquisition offer for Japanese software developer Fuji Soft until January 9 next year. The company stated that its offer remains unchanged.
3. Sony (SONY.N) will invest approximately 50 billion yen (equivalent to $320 million) to acquire new shares of Kadokawa Group and become its largest shareholder.
4. Nippon Steel has modified its acquisition proposal for United States Steel (X.N), but has not yet received approval from US regulators.
5. Raytheon Technologies (RTX.N) executives revealed that the company plans to increase its workforce in India by 1,000 people on top of the current 7,000, representing a 14% increase by 2027.
6. TuSimple (TSP.O) announced on Thursday that it will change its name to CreateAI and shift from autonomous trucking to artificial intelligence gaming technology.
7. According to two informed sources, negotiations between Volkswagen (VWAGY.US) and the union regarding plant closures and pay cuts are expected to continue until Thursday as both sides have not yet reached an agreement.
8. The US Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that it has filed a lawsuit against the chain pharmacy CVS Health (CVS.N) for illegally prescribing opioids and paying federal Medicare fees, leading to the nationwide epidemic of opioid addiction and overdoses.
9. Volkswagen is acquiring a 9.9% stake in Canadian lithium miner Patriot Battery Metals Inc. for approximately $48.1 million. (Source: Jin十 Data)