U.S. FCC votes to advance proposed ban on Huawei, ZTE gear

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to advance a plan to ban approvals for equipment in U.S. telecommunications networks from Chinese companies deemed national security threats like Huawei (HWT.UL) and ZTE (000063.SZ).
Analysis: Biden may hinder oil and gas drilling even after court loss

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has the power to stymie oil and gas development on government-controlled lands and waters, industry and environmental experts said, even though a court decision ended his freeze on federal drilling auctions.
U.S. senators propose 25% tax credit for semiconductor manufacturing

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Thursday proposed a 25% tax credit for investments in semiconductor manufacturing as Congress works to increase U.S. chip production.
U.S. corporate junk-bond spread narrows, lowest since 2007

The yield spread between junk-rated corporate bonds and U.S. Treasuries tightened further late on Wednesday, falling to its lowest level in more than a decade as yield-hungry investors snapped up risky debt.
The great exit: central banks line up to dial back emergency stimulus

The U.S. Federal Reserve is projecting a faster timetable for interest rate rises and Norway’s central bank is preparing markets for four rate hikes by mid-2022, the latest signs policymakers are preparing to exit pandemic-driven stimulus.
Analysis: Shaken but not stirred: bond markets may weather hawkish Fed for now

A hawkish shift at the U.S. Federal Reserve has ended a weeks-long rally in bond markets, but don’t bet on a repeat of the sharp selloff seen earlier this year just yet.
BOJ may start debate on stimulus retreat in 2023, former c.banker says

The Bank of Japan may be able to start debating ways to phase out its extraordinary stimulus programme, such as by ditching negative interest rates, in 2023, said former central bank executive Eiji Maeda.
Investors trim long positions on Asian currencies, yuan bets halved

Long bets on most of Asia’s emerging currencies were trimmed, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday, as investors weigh the prospect of tighter monetary settings as the U.S. recovery outperforms, while the COVID-19 situation locally is brought under control.
Dollar hits two-month highs on Fed’s hawkish surprise; kiwi climbs after GDP

The dollar rose to its highest level in almost two months versus major peers on Thursday after the Federal Reserve brought forward its projections for the first post-pandemic interest rate hikes into 2023, citing an improved health situation and dropping a long-standing reference that the crisis was weighing on the economy. read more
Crude oil prices steady near multi-year highs

Crude oil prices hovered near multi-year highs on Thursday buoyed by dropping U.S. crude inventories and broadly shrugging off a stronger U.S. dollar.