19Apr2019 Market Commentary: As A Reminder, The Stock Market Is Closed Today For Good Friday

Here is the current market situation from CNN Money

European markets finished mixed as of the most recent closing prices. The DAX gained 0.57% and the CAC 40 rose 0.31%. The FTSE 100 lost 0.15%.

China will keep supporting economy as ‘pressure’ lingers: politburo

China will maintain policy support for the economy, which still faces “downward pressure” and difficulties after better-than-expected first quarter growth, a top decision-making body of the Communist Party said on Friday.

Nissan slams output cut report as ‘completely incorrect’

Nissan Motor Co Ltd said on Friday a report by the Nikkei that it would slash production this year was “completely incorrect” and that it had lodged a complaint with the business daily, in an unusually strong denial of a media report in Japan.

Qualcomm’s joint venture with Chinese province to shut down: The Information

A joint venture between U.S. smartphone chipmaker Qualcomm Inc and China’s Guizhou province will shut down by the end of the month, The Information reported on Friday, citing employees at the venture.

Return of the bench seat: Concept EVs show space big enough for sofas

Electric vehicle (EV) concepts shown in Shanghai this week, such as the Audi AI:me and Infiniti QX Inspiration, point to a future of living-room-like comfort in cars with flat floors and ample space for sofa-like bench seats.

U.S. refiners planning major plant overhauls in second quarter

U.S. oil refiners are planning a heavy slate of plant overhauls in the second quarter, with total production this month off 8.5 percent compared with the start of the year, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Carlos Ghosn to be indicted on additional charge as early as Monday: NHK

Tokyo prosecutors are likely to indict former Nissan Motor Co Ltd Chairman Carlos Ghosn on an additional charge of aggravated breach of trust as early as Monday when his current detention period expires, public broadcaster NHK reported on Friday.

Foxconn says it remains committed to Wisconsin investment project

Taiwan’s Foxconn said on Friday it remains committed to its contract to build a display plant and tech research facilities in Wisconsin, days after the U.S. state’s governor said he wanted to renegotiate the deal.

Despite headwind, Japan’s Nomura says intent on going it alone

Japan’s Nomura Holdings has no plan to follow the lead of Wall Street rivals and seek a tie-up with a commercial lender, its chief executive told Reuters, pledging to stay independent even as the investment bank faces its first annual loss in a decade.

HNA denies embezzlement claims as it fights for control of Hong Kong Airlines

Embattled Chinese conglomerate HNA Group has denied accusations of embezzlement and financial irregularity made by a rival group of shareholders in Hong Kong Airlines (HKA) as the two sides fight for control of the struggling carrier.

Chinese State Media Reveals Mysterious Hypersonic Aircraft

With contribution from SouthFront

China’s China Central Television has briefly revealed the country’s new hypersonic aircraft under development. According to the report, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is currently working on a hypersonic vehicle, which is capable of traveling on the speeds of about 5-20 mach for about 5 hours.

Journalist Killed By ‘New IRA’ During Riots In Northern Ireland

Twenty-one years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, a resurgent ‘New IRA’, which has taken responsibility for a car bombing and a series of parcel bombs discovered at landmarks in London and Glasgow, was blamed on Thursday for the killing of a journalist during riots in the city of Londonderry, Northern Ireland’s second-largest city.

Reporter Lyra McKee, 29, was shot and killed during rioting that broke out in the Creggan neighborhood of the city Thursday night. Unrest erupted after police tried to raid the homes of several suspected militants in search of weapons and ammunition, fearing violence over the Easter weekend. Mark Hamilton, PSNI assistant chief constable, said 50 petrol bombs were thrown and two cars hijacked during the rioting, while McKee’s death was the only fatality. She was killed after being caught in the crossfire between dissidents and police sent to quell the riots.

Ecuador Issues International Arrest Warrant For Former Minister Who Backed Assange

With a corruption scandal – the revelations contained within the so-called INA papers – threatening to upend his administration, and criticism of his government intensifying ahead of a visit to Washington later this month, Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno appears to be cracking down on opposition voices, including outspoken supporters of Julian Assange.

Half Of England Is Owned By 1% Of The Population

Authored by Rob Evans via The Guardian,

Half of England is owned by less than 1% of its population, according to new data shared with the Guardian that seeks to penetrate the secrecy that has traditionally surrounded land ownership.

The findings, described as “astonishingly unequal”, suggest that about 25,000 landowners – typically members of the aristocracy and corporations – have control of half of the country.

The figures show that if the land were distributed evenly across the entire population, each person would have almost an acre – an area roughly the size of Parliament Square in central London.

Major owners include the Duke of Buccleuch, the Queen, several large grouse moor estates, and the entrepreneur James Dyson.

While land has long been concentrated in the hands of a small number of owners, precise information about property ownership has been notoriously hard to access. But a combination of the development of digital maps and data as well as pressure from campaigners has made it possible to assemble the shocking statistics.

Jon Trickett, Labour MP and shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, hailed the significance of the findings and called for a full debate on the issue, adding: “The dramatic concentration of land ownership is an inescapable reminder that ours is a country for the few and not the many.

“It’s simply not right that aristocrats, whose families have owned the same areas of land for centuries, and large corporations exercise more influence over local neighbourhoods – in both urban and rural areas – than the people who live there.

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Rail Week Ending 13 April 2019: Little Changed – In Contraction

Written by Steven Hansen

Week 15 of 2019 shows same week total rail traffic (from same week one year ago) contracted according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) traffic data. The economically intuitive sectors rolling averages remain in contraction.

Foxconn says still committed to Wisconsin plant as Gov. Evers seeks a reset

Taiwan’s Foxconn once again reiterated its commitment to build a display manufacturing and tech research center in Wisconsin on Friday, according to a Reuters report, just days after new governor Tony Evers said he wants to renegotiate the deal.

Asia Markets: Asian markets gain in muted holiday trading

Asian stock indexes rose moderately in quiet holiday trading on Good Friday as some markets were closed.

Health-care drama has now spread to biopharma stocks

Health stocks had another bad day, with investor jitters spreading to the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors, as well.