Global Stocks Rise as Earnings Season Kicks Off

Investors are looking for greater visibility on how banks and companies are coping with the economic disruption caused by coronavirus. 


 
Blank-Check Boom Gets Boost From Coronavirus

With the IPO market rattled by Covid-19 and wild volatility, using a blank-check company has become a more attractive way to go public. So far in 2020, new listings of such vehicles have raised $12.1 billion. 


 
Investors Find New Safe Place to Hide: Chinese Bonds

Foreign capital flowed into locally denominated Chinese government bonds in the second quarter at the fastest pace since late 2018. 


 
U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top 3.3 Million

States across the U.S. reported rising numbers of coronavirus cases, while India recorded another record single-day increase. 


 
Economy Week Ahead: Industrial Production, GDP and Retail Sales

Industrial output in the eurozone for May is expected to be up from April's record drop. China's economy likely returned to growth in the second quarter, while U.S. retail sales likely rose again in June. 


 
Attacking the Hong Kong Dollar Makes Little Sense for the U.S.

The Hong Kong dollar's peg to the greenback would be a strange target in retaliation against Beijing, and doesn't seem particularly vulnerable either. 


 
Chinese Data Center Stock Rally Does Not Compute

New infrastructure stimulus plans will provide a real boost, but valuations have gotten stretched and competition will likely intensify. 


 
Are Banks Afraid? Watch How Much They Set Aside for Loan Losses

While a global slowdown makes loans scarier, the biggest U.S. banks are expected to report declining second-quarter profits and a marked increase in reserves for potential loan defaults. 


 
Fed, Treasury Disagreements Slowed Lending Plan

Disagreements between leaders at the Fed and Treasury slowed the start of their flagship lending initiative for small and midsize businesses. 


 
Wall Street's Earnings Forecast: Cloudy With a Chance of Turbulence

More than 180 companies in the S&P 500 have pulled their earnings guidance in the wake of the economic crisis wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. That has led to the widest dispersion in earnings estimates in years.