financializer news A weblog highlighting financial topics making news in the international media.

broadband access: Trump said that 5G networks must be guarded from the enemy and we do have enemies out there, according to Global Times China. It should be private sector driven and private sector led, but his administration is removing regularity barriers to the buildout of networks. The race to 5G is a race America must win, Trump stressed, We want to be the leader in this. Trump also vowed to extend broadband access to rural area, and no matter where you are you will have access very quickly to 5G. Trump's words remind us of the US competition with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. While suppressing China's telecom giant, the US is mobilizing its own 5G development. The US' overt crackdown on Huawei is closely related to the country's 5G strategic deployment. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

china: The Chinese economy has been generally stable, and progress has been made continuously in improving and upgrading the economic structure, Chen said in the statement, which was posted to the IMF's website on Saturday, according to Global Times China. The deputy central bank governor said China's growth has placed greater emphasis on quality and become more balanced, as domestic consumption played a greater role in promoting growth. In 2018, China's GDP gross domestic product increased by 6.6 percent, contributing nearly 30 percent to world GDP growth, Chen Yulu, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China PBC said in a statement to a meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee IMFC on the sidelines of the ongoing Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in Washington. The stock market, which has seen a slack in the past few years, is also showing signs of bottoming out and recovering according to Chen. With RMB-denominated assets increasingly included into global indexes, the potential for foreign portfolio investment inflows is growing, he argued. Foreign portfolio investment into China reached a record high of 120 billion US dollars last year, as international institutional investors diversified their portfolio investment and China further opened up the bond market and stock market, he said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

deviation move: But something has changed While the story of the turnaround in sentiment began with a one-day surge in bitcoin on April 2, a palpable pickup in broad market risk appetite has crypto advocates believing the prolonged winter for digital assets is in the rearview mirror, according to Market Watch. Risk appetite is positive for bitcoin, said Thomas Lee, head of Fundstrat Global Advisors. That's a turnabout from late 2018, when even the staunchest bitcoin aficionado wondered if the end would ever be in sight for a brutal bear market that wiped more than 500 billion off the total value of all cryptocurrencies. If the S&P 500 made a 2.5 standard deviation move as it has done year-to-date and investors are looking for vol volatility that's building a base case for bitcoin. Lee has been one of bitcoin's biggest bulls. Given this, Lee said bitcoin could top 10,000 this year sometime. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

e-trade street: These bulls should beware, however, as swings in sentiment can sometimes serve as a contrarian indicator, signaling that stocks may underperform in the months ahead, according to Market Watch. The latest E-Trade Street Wise survey, released Friday, showed 58% self-directed investors calling themselves bullish' on the stock market in the second quarter of this year, a 12 percentage-point increase from the first quarter, when a 54% majority indicated they were bearish' in their stock market outlook. But individual investors are once again wading into the market, indicating renewed bullishness in surveys and flow data released in recent days. A cloud over the market has been lifted, now that investors aren't worried about the Fed being too aggressive, and we are also seeing signs of a potential breakthrough on the U.S.-China trade front, Mike Loewengart, vice president of investment strategy at E-Trade told Market Watch, arguing that these factors have helped convince his clients that there is room left to run in the current bull market. It speaks to the emotional challenge that all investors are presented with when it comes to maintaining a longer term point of view, Loewengart said. He added that the hangover from the nearly 20% drawdown in the S&P 500 SPX, 0.66% in the final quarter of last year stayed with them in the first quarter, causing many to miss out on a least part of this year's rally. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

food medicine: Hyperinflation, shortages of food and medicine and other hardships have forced more than 3 million Venezuelans about one-tenth of the population to flee the country in the last few years. ; China's bankrolling of the Maduro regime helped precipitate and prolong the crisis in that country, Pompeo said, adding that China invested over 60 billion, with no strings attached, according to The Japan Times. It's no surprise that Maduro used the money to use for tasks like paying off cronies, crushing pro-democracy activists, and funding ineffective social programs, he said. Pompeo kicked off a four-country tour of Latin America in Chile, where he met with President Sebastian Pinera to discuss the U.S.-China trade war and the Venezuelan crisis. I think there's a lesson, a lesson to be learned for all of us China and others are being hypocritical calling for nonintervention in Venezuela's affairs. Pompeo said China is a major U.S. trading partner, but that its trade activities often are deeply connected to their national security mission, their technological goals, their desire to steal intellectual property, to have forced technology transfer, to engage in activity that is not economic. Their own financial interventions have helped destroy that country. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

marijuana: To our north, Canada became the first industrialized country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis this past October, according to The Independent. Meanwhile, to our south, Mexico gave the green light to medical marijuana in June 2017. So, why hasn't that happened yet Sean 13, 2019 at 10 51AM The marijuana industry has appeared nothing short of unstoppable on a global scale in recent years. Nowadays, there are more than 40 countries worldwide that allow a physician to prescribe medical cannabis in some capacity. And yet, in the United States, it's truly a mixed bag. Image source Getty Images. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

policy action: Speaking after a two-day meeting in Washington, Kuroda said each G20 nation needs to ensure it will take steps to mitigate risks, not to heighten them, citing such policy uncertainties as an escalation in trade tensions between the United States and China, as well as a deterioration in corporate sentiment. ; While the G20 broadly agreed the global economy is likely to rebound in the second half of this year from a slowdown that began in the latter half of 2018, Kuroda said, We shared the recognition that each country needs to take timely policy action depending on their own circumstances, according to The Japan Times. The BOJ chief led the meeting with Finance Minister Taro Aso. Haruhiko Kuroda said. Japan has the presidency of the group for the first time, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will host the G20 leaders summit on June 28 and 29 in Osaka. The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors reaffirmed that all policies choose to support strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth to be used in a timely fashion, Aso said at a joint news conference with Kuroda. Aso said the balance of risks to growth remains skewed to the downside, alluding to the possible escalation of trade tensions, the U.K.'s potentially disorderly exit from the European Union, and the chance of a sudden sharp tightening of global financial conditions. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

bank governors: Netherlands' Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra, left, speaks with the President of European Central Bank Mario Draghi, during a group photo of the G20 Finance Minister and Central Bank Governors at the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, Friday, April 12, 2019, according to The Toronto Star. Jose Luis Magana / AP Photo Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso, left, accompanied by Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, leave after speaking at G20 news conference, during the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, Friday, April 12, 2019. The Trump administration was encouraged that the bank's private sector lending operation wanted to step up support for nations affected by fragility, conflict and violence, Mnuchin said as the spring meetings of the bank and the International Monetary Fund wrapped up in Washington. Jose Luis Magana / AP Photo The World Bank, he said, needed to make sure that such support was aimed at boosting private investments that are growth-enhancing and poverty-reducing. The lending institution is a major source of development assistance for projects such as building damns for energy transmission. The U.S. wants to see additional progress in shifting more World Bank loans to poorer countries, he said. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

estate preservation: But in a rare case of real estate preservation a Melbourne family from English aristocracy are instead retaining their magnificent city estate, according to Nine News Australia. The Earl and Countess of Stradbroke are renovating their opulent six-bedroom home in the suburb of Hawthorn, which was built in 1898. To improve your experience update it Melbourne couple to auction contents of historic mansion By Emily Rice Medical Reporter8 54pm Apr 13, mansions are being bulldozed and replaced with apartments these days. The Earl and Countess of Stradbroke are renovating their opulent six-bedroom home in the suburb of Hawthorn, which was built in 1898. As auctioneer Phil Caldwell explains the couple are selling everything absolutely everything - inside. Nine But the public too can score their very own piece of the grand abode. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

hands: JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP/GETTY IMAGES But before we all throw up our hands about the futility of the future, there's some good news in there, too, according to The Toronto Star. It turns out that we are pretty smart. Canadian workers aren't properly trained, we're not having enough babies to supply a robust workforce, and if our entrepreneurs find a way to embrace technology, they quickly sell to foreigners before they have a chance at making big money.A new report says our future prosperity will be linked to expertise in areas like intellectual property and data, rather than in developing more tangible commodities like oil, gas or forestry products, Heather Scoffield writes. Canada has one of the best educated workforces in the world. We excel at science, math and reading. More than half of us has some kind of higher education credentials, and the proportion is growing. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

news-press link: All they care about is making a buck Check out this story on news-press link has been sent to your friend's email address, according to MSNBC. Posted!A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. All they care about is making a buck Post to Facebook More restrictions needed for vacation house rentals your say People that rent their houses out to others don't care about their neighbors. Join the Conversation To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQsComments This conversation is moderated according to USA TODAY's community rules. ET April 13, Cartoon Photo Doug Mac Gregor Limit rentals Vacation rentals. Please read the rules before joining the discussion.OPINIONMore restrictions needed for vacation house rentals your Published 10 20 a.m. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

period: Two in five girls have had to rely on using toilet roll to manage their period, one charity's survey revealed last year, according to The Guardian. Some were even forced to use socks or newspaper. The move is part of efforts to combat period poverty, with campaigners highlighting how schoolgirls are forced to miss days at school because they cannot afford products. Girls are still missing school because of period poverty. Meanwhile, chancellor Philip Hammond pledged to fund free menstrual products in English schools from September. There is an answer Amika George Read more It follows the Scottish government's funding of free sanitary items in schools, colleges and universities last year. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

wall street: Pinterest would raise 1.2 billion at the midpoint of that range, according to Market Watch. The San Francisco-based company tried to explain itself to Wall Street, where some investors might still not understand what the company does, but it was not able to come up with something succinct or catchy such as online scrapbooking site, or an online image discovery engine. The company, which appears to be attempting the sunset version of dual-class stock, is expected to go public later this month, and it was last valued at about 12 billion as a private company. What is Pinterest Instead, the company said Pinterest is where more than 250 million people around the world go to get inspiration for their lives. Pinterest said it calls its users Pinners and it has an apt stock symbol PINS, and it plans to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. They come to discover ideas for just about anything you can imagine daily activities like cooking dinner or deciding what to wear, major commitments like remodeling a house or training for a marathon, ongoing passions like fly fishing or fashion and milestone events like planning a wedding or a dream vacation. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

restructuring efforts: But the death of an executive's child and an overextended acquisition strategy in Europe, crippled the company's operations and changed the company's priorities from success to survival, according to The Independent. Despite recent restructuring efforts, Horizon Global is being fined by its customers for late deliveries, has lost hundreds of millions of dollars, faced delisting by the New York Stock Exchange and replaced much of its board earlier this month to secure financing to keep shipping parts. The towing and trailer equipment manufacturer spun out of Tri Mas in 2015 with a quest to expand globally, and quickly. With pressure mounting from investors, it's likely the company is performing a last-ditch effort to clean up its books in preparation for a sale, experts told Crain's. The company HZN posted a net loss last year of 204 million on revenue of 850 million, down from a net loss of 3.6 million on revenue of 893 million in 2017. Horizon Global declined to comment for this story. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

supreme court: The lawyers made the appeal to the Supreme Court on Wednesday after the Tokyo District Court rejected their objection to its approval for an initial 10 days' detention for Ghosn through Sunday. ; The district court also decided Friday to extend the detention period to April 22, but for two days less than what was requested by prosecutors, according to The Japan Times. The 65-year-old was served a fourth arrest warrant on April 4 following an allegation he misused company funds for personal purposes. Chairman Carlos Ghosn against his detention following his rearrest last week over fresh allegations of financial misconduct, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday. His return to detention came after he was released on bail in early March, having been held for 108 days since his initial arrest last November. Ghosn, whose nearly two decades of leadership of the automaker came to a sudden end after his initial arrest, has denied any wrongdoing. The former chairman has already been indicted on charges of violating Japan's financial instruments law by underreporting remuneration to regulators, and aggravated breach of trust in relation to the alleged transfer of private investment losses to Nissan. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

sichuan province: The total value of these deals is around 3.39 billion U.S. dollars, according to Global Times China. The signing foreign companies include Slovakian aircraft producer Aerospool, French company AREP with expertise in city planning and construction, Germany's BMW, and U.S. firm Baxter. The investment projects involve manufacturing such as electronics, aviation, automobiles and equipment, and services including financing, logistics, elderly care and vocational training. Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, is a major economic powerhouse in China's western region. The city has attracted investment projects from 285 of the world's top 500 companies. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

york times: Writing in the op-ed pages of Wednesday's New York Times, he contended that Trump's dangerous obsession with the markets caused him to adjust policies to keep equity prices high, according to The Independent. Trump likes to brag about the stock market's performance since his election, and not without justification. And this is a bad thing Ruchir Sharma, chief global strategist of Morgan Stanley Investment Management and the subject of last week's Barron's interview thinks it could be. According to Wilshire Associates, as of Friday, the value of the broad U.S. stock market had increased by 9.1 trillion, or 35.6%, since its close on Election Day, Nov. 8, 2016. And if dividends are included, the S&P 500 total return index made it over the top to a new high on Friday, according to Dan Wiener, who co-edits the Independent Adviser for Vanguard Investors newsletter. Since Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2017, the Wilshire 5000 had increased by 6.9 trillion, or 26.6%. The major averages are a chip shot away from their records, with the S&P 500 index less than 1% under its Sept. 21 high. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

style doesn: Email Sign UpBy signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time, according to MSNBC. Facebook Twitter Email Print POLITICO Playbook KJU says U.S. negotiating style doesn't suit them, and where Trump is going to mark tax day By JAKE SHERMAN, ANNA PALMER and DANIEL LIPPMAN 04/13/2019 10 16 AM EDTPresented by U.S.-style dialogue of unilaterally pushing its demands doesn't fit us, and we have no interest in it, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said during a speech, according to state-run media. Sign up for POLITICO Playbook today. Carl Court/Getty Images DRIVING THE DAYNEWS House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal today gave IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig a new deadline of April 23 to turn over six years' worth of President Donald Trump's tax returns. The letter ... POLITICO's storyAP/ Kim open to another summit with Trump, with conditions North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he is open to a third summit with President Donald Trump, but set the year's end as a deadline for Washington to offer mutually acceptable terms for an agreement to salvage the high-stakes nuclear diplomacy, the North's state-run media said Saturday. Neal said Rettig has an unambiguous legal obligation' to hand them over. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

renters: Now they are home to vulnerable private renters trapped in a desperate cycle of falling benefits, squalid housing and poor health, according to The Guardian. One of the ground-floor flats is rented by 40-year-old Jade Smith who is unable to work due to anxiety and depression. These bay-fronted houses were most likely thrown up in the Somerset resort's 19th-century building boom, which carpeted the reclaimed marshland behind the windswept seafront with terraces, hotels and guesthouses. Graphic The ceilings and walls are covered with blooms of black mould spores caused by years of damp and leaks. The floor in her kitchen is collapsing her landlord put an MDF sheet below her fridge to stop it from falling through the rotten boards. The boiler is faulty and cuts out unless she drains it and resets the pressure three times a week. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

revenue service: Photo AFPUnited States & Canada Democrats say IRS must hand over Donald Trump's tax returns within two weeks The House Ways and Means Committee has warned the Internal Revenue Service that it must give documents by April 23Constitutionally, committee chairman Richard Neal has the power to demand the tax returns for any US individual Topic Donald Trump The Guardian Published 1 23am, 14 Apr, 2019Updated 3 23am, 14 Apr, 2019TOP PICKS0Link Copied0 context http //schema.org type Image Object url itok ALku RqlH caption US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin left and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Richard Neal right; both seen on Saturday before a Congress meeting about Trump's 2020 budget proposal are at loggerheads over whether Trump should release his tax returns, according to MSNBC. Photo AFP US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin left and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Richard Neal right; both seen on Saturday before a Congress meeting about Trump's 2020 budget proposal are at loggerheads over whether Trump should release his tax returns. Photo AFP US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin left and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Richard Neal right; both seen on Saturday before a Congress meeting about Trump's 2020 budget proposal are at loggerheads over whether Trump should release his tax returns. Photo AFPREAD FULL context http //schema.org type Image Object url itok JwqcDK8J caption US federal judge Maryanne Trump Barry, sister of Donald Trump, sits in the balcony during Trump's election night rally in New York on November 9, 2016. Photo APUnited States & Canada Donald Trump's sister Maryanne Trump Barry retires as federal judge, escaping inquiry on multimillion-dollar tax evasion allegations Review was started in response to citizen complaints filed after report claiming president and his siblings had dodged inheritance taxes Trump's parents said to have left children more than US 1 billion, for which they paid US 52 million in taxes instead of US 550 million Topic Donald Trump Associated Press Published 7 37am, 12 Apr, 2019Updated 7 41am, 12 Apr, 2019TOP PICKS0Link Copied0 context http //schema.org type Image Object url itok fGfl8zfk caption US federal judge Maryanne Trump Barry, sister of Donald Trump, sits in the balcony during Trump's election night rally in New York on November 9, 2016. Photo AP US federal judge Maryanne Trump Barry, sister of Donald Trump, sits in the balcony during Trump's election night rally in New York on November 9, 2016. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

week: The 40-year-old is just back from New York fashion week, where she stunned a Manhattan crowd silly by walking the runway dressed in a huge, floral, giant, rainbow-coloured... What was that thing, I ask I like to think of it as a sexy sea cucumber, Christie says, according to The Guardian. It moved like an underwater creature. Even so, in the hours before we meet, Christie has really outdone herself. It was incredible to wear something that was the product of someone's unbridled imagination. For at least a few hours, their excited chatter about the imminent final series of HBO's Game Of Thrones, in which she plays the warrior Brienne of Tarth, was put aside for discussion of the dress. The outfit feathery, like a Sesame Street costume minus the headpiece was made by the Japanese designer Tomo Koizumi, and judging by the reaction of Christie's fans online it was a hit. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

worcester: Jurors at Worcester Crown Court deliberated for 10 hours and 53 minutes before delivering a unanimous verdict on Friday, according to Nine News Australia. Cricketer Alex Hepburn leaves Worcester Crown Court. To improve your experience update it here News World Australian cricketer found guilty of raping sleeping woman in the UKBy AAP8 39pm Apr 13, 2019Facebook Tweet Mail An Australian cricketer has been found guilty in England of raping a sleeping woman during a sexual conquest game . Ex-Worcestershire county all-rounder Alex Hepburn has been found guilty of one count of oral rape after a retrial. AAP Hepburn sighed and then slumped into his seat, covered his face with his hands and sobbed after the verdict was returned by the foreman. He had denied the two counts of rape relating to the attack in the early hours of April 1, 2017, at his flat in Worcester. He was cleared of a second count of rape and will be sentenced at Hereford Crown Court on April 30. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

book payment: Toshiba said last November it would sell Toshiba America LNG Corp. to ENN Ecological for 15 million as part of its restructuring measures and would pay about 93 billion 836 million to the Chinese company, given the risk the business would be unprofitable with a future drop in LNG prices, according to The Japan Times. Toshiba had planned to book the payment as a special loss in the fiscal year that ended March 31 but will now estimate the impact of the cancellation of the deal on its earnings. The Chinese company notified Toshiba of its decision, citing considerable uncertainty partly caused by the delayed completion of the purchase, Toshiba said late Thursday. ; The deal, initially planned to be wrapped up by the end of March, has yet to be completed due to the prolonged approval process of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The company is in the midst of efforts to restore its footing after suffering huge losses in the U.S. nuclear power industry. Toshiba aimed to procure the LNG for Japanese utility companies for power generation but LNG prices have since declined, making it difficult to make the operation profitable. In 2013, the firm said it had signed a deal with a U.S. firm to secure rights to process U.S.-produced natural gas into 2.2 million tons of LNG annually over 20 years from 2019. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

china ceec: As the last stop of his visit to Europe, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is scheduled to attend the eighth leaders' meeting of China and CEEC. Before the summit, the Chinese premier was in Brussels for the 21st China-EU summit, according to Global Times China. On Thursday local time, Li met with senior officials and state leaders, including Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, where consensuses to enhance cooperation were reiterated. Photo Xinhua Increasing cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries CEEC is neither driving the latter away from European integration nor making the continent more divided, Chinese analysts stressed, as leaders from China and CEEC gathered in Croatia on Friday for their annual meeting. While visiting the Croatian capital Zagreb on Wednesday before traveling to the summit in the country's southern coastal town of Dubrovnik, one of the locations where HBO's popular series was filmed, Li said that Our relationship isn't Game of Thrones, but real cooperation. On the contrary, the 16 1 has proven to be a mechanism that plays a positive role for CEEC to be better engaged in globalization and European integration, Wu Yikang, the director of the European Studies Center at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. His remarks come amid concerns over whether a closer relationship between China and CEEC will make Europe more divided as the 16 1 is yielding concrete fruits despite Europe labeling China an economic competitor in industrial fields and a systemic rival in the political sector last month. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

dow jones: How did the benchmarks fare The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, 1.03% gained 269.25 points, or 1%, to end at 26,412.30, while the S&P 500 index SPX, 0.66% rose 19.09 points, or 0.7%, to finish at 2,907.41, according to Market Watch. The Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, 0.46% advanced 36.80 points, or 0.5%, to close at 7,984.16. The rise by the blue-chip gauge was paced by gains for shares of JPMorgan and Walt Disney Company, which rallied after the entertainment giant unveiled plans for its new streaming service. For the week, while the S&P 500 gained 0.5% and the Nasdaq added 0.6% while the Dow edged down 0.1%. What drove the market Quarterly results from Dow component JPMorgan Chase & Co., which kicked off a new earnings season early Friday, were better than expected, while Wells Fargo & Co. also posted robust revenue and in-line earnings. U.S. import prices rose sharply in March for the second straight month, the government said, though most of the 0.6% jump in March can be blamed on rising fuel prices. Strong bank earnings bolstered confidence in the underlying economy, and JPMorgan Chief Executive James Dimon further underscored this message, noting that, Even amid some global geopolitical uncertainty, the U.S. economy continues to grow, employment and wages are going up, inflation is moderate, financial markets are healthy and consumer and business confidence remains strong. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.

dow jones: That move came as the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, 1.03% the S&P 500 index SPX, 0.66% and the Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, 0.46% were on the verge of breaking above their all-time closing peaks, according to Market Watch. Read The volatility cavalry' is coming for the stock market, other assets, according to this chart The VIX itself, which uses S&P 500 options to measure trader expectations for volatility over the coming 30-day period and is often referred to as a guide to the level of investor fear, has declined by 67% after spiking above 36 back in December amid a brutal selloff at the end of 2018. The VIX VIX, -7.76% referring to index's ticker symbol, hit an intrasession low at 11.95 on Friday, marking its lowest level since Oct. 3, according to Fact Set data. However, stocks have U-turned higher, with the VIX, which tends to move inversely to stocks, turning south. The tone was seen as an about-face from the Fed's hawkishly received December meeting when it delivered its fourth rate increase of 2018, representing the ninth increase in borrowing costs for markets since the end of 2015. Gains for the market have been supported by an apparent reversal in policy by the Federal Reserve, which said a weakening global economy was giving it reason to pause interest-rate increases that had been seen as tightening financial conditions and roiling stock benchmarks. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.