Thursday's News Links

[Reuters] Tech rally, trade hopes boost Wall Street to record highs

[Reuters] Oil steadies around levels prevailing before U.S.-Iran attacks

[Reuters] China's Vice Premier Liu to sign U.S. trade deal in Washington next week

[Reuters] Trump pulls back from more military action in Iran crisis, promises new sanctions

[AP] Soaring pork prices keep China’s inflation at 7-year high

[Reuters] China's December factory-gate price deflation eases, CPI remains high

[Reuters] Fed's Clarida says rate cuts were 'well timed,' policy likely to remain appropriate

[CNBC] Nearly all corporate CFOs say the economy is going to slow and the stock market is overvalued

[Reuters] Australia calls for another mass evacuation as monster bushfires return

[Bloomberg] Fed Economist Sees Long-Term Rates Near Zero in Mild Downturn

[Bloomberg] World’s Largest Car Market Reports Second Straight Annual Decline

[NYT] The Economy Is Expanding. Why Are Economists So Glum?

[FT] EM banks exposed to stress in FX swaps, a spillover from US repo markets

[FT] Taiwan: fears grow over China’s invasion threat

[FT] China is taking its ideological fight abroad

[FT] Eurozone governments rein in borrowing despite ultra-low rates

Wednesday Evening Links

[Reuters] Wall Street rises but ends well off day's highs amid renewed Middle East jitters

[Reuters] Oil prices sink nearly 5% to under $60 after Trump says Iran is standing down in Middle East fight

[CNBC] Two rockets reportedly hit Baghdad Green Zone, day after Iran missile attacks on US targets in Iraq

[Reuters] World Bank trims 2020 growth forecast amid slow recovery for trade, investment

[Bloomberg] Red Flags Emerge With Record-High Stocks Brushing Aside Political Turmoil

[WSJ] Low-Rated Companies Open 2020 With Debt Sales

[WSJ] Fed Clashes With Other U.S. Regulators Over Low-Income Loan Rules

[WSJ] ‘Taiwan Cannot Become Like Hong Kong’: A Fresh Challenge to China

[FT] Risks of US-Iran conflict will not quickly subside