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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said on Wednesday that he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump roughly 10 days ago, describing the exchange as “respectful and cordial.” His comments mark the first confirmation of direct communication between the two leaders in months.

Maduro added that both sides have begun taking initial steps toward establishing a more “respectful dialogue,” signalling a potential shift in the long-strained relationship between Washington and Caracas. Though no details were disclosed, the remarks suggest a tentative opening for diplomatic engagement following years of political tensions and U.S. sanctions.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

Japan Foreign Investment in Japan Stocks increased to ¥655.6B in November 28 from previous ¥-348.7B

The yuan is edging toward the closely watched 7-per-dollar level, lifted by improving US–China relations and a softer dollar, though the speed of its rise suggests Beijing is carefully managing the appreciation.

Info via a (gated) Bloomberg report. In brief.

China’s onshore yuan strengthened to around 7.06 on Wednesday, its firmest level in more than a year, after the PBOC set its daily fixing at the strongest since October 2024.

Even so, authorities are signalling they want the rally to remain controlled:

• PBOC has recently been publishing fixings that are weaker than market models imply, while state-owned banks have intermittently bought dollars to slow the yuan’s advance, traders said;
• Officials appear wary of the yuan breaking too quickly into the 7.0–7.1 zone, which could trigger large dollar selling by corporates and risk destabilising flows.
• Citigroup strategists note policymakers are comfortable with a stronger yuan but still prefer a “managed appreciation.”
• Offshore traders and hedge funds have been positioning for additional gains, selling dollars against the yuan in both spot and options markets. Still, analysts at OCBC and others caution that the PBOC will continue to prioritise stability, favouring a gradual and policy-guided strengthening path.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

The USD/JPY pair attracts some sellers to around 155.25 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The US Dollar (USD) softens against the Japanese Yen (JPY) on weaker-than-expected US jobs data and expectations of further US rate cuts.

Chevron has set its 2026 capital-spending budget at $18–19 billion, the low end of its previously guided $18–21 billion range through 2030, as the company focuses on high-return upstream growth in the United States and Guyana. The plan follows last month’s announcement of a multiyear cost-cutting and efficiency drive aimed at boosting returns.

CEO Mike Wirth said the budget prioritises discipline and efficiency while targeting projects with the strongest cash-flow payoff. Upstream will account for around $17 billion of total capex, including roughly $9 billion in the United States. Chevron plans to put $6 billion into US shale and expects domestic production to exceed 2 million boe/day next year.

Offshore spending will total about $7 billion, supporting development in Guyana — including Chevron’s newly acquired 30% stake in the Stabroek Block via its $55 billion Hess purchase — alongside projects in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf of Mexico. Downstream capex will be around $1 billion, slightly below 2025 levels.

The 2026 program reinforces Chevron’s focus on scaling output from its biggest growth engines while maintaining capital discipline as it integrates Hess’ assets, including additional acreage in the Bakken.

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Info via Reuters

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

Silver price retreats late in the North American session on Wednesday even though the US Dollar weakens after data reaffirmed investors intentions that the Federal Reserve would cut rates next week. At the time of writing, XAG/USD trades at $58.49 down 0.14%.

Wall Street executives and major corporate insiders are making a final push to dissuade President Trump from appointing Kevin Hassett as the next Federal Reserve chair, according to people familiar with the outreach.

The info comes via Charles Gasparione, Greg had the info here earlier:

• Gasparino: Wall Street does not like Hassett.

Their concern centres on Hassett’s perceived lack of credibility inside the central bank, given his political role as NEC chief and past partisan work, a profile they argue could undermine the Fed’s independence at a critical moment.

Sources say the worry is twofold:

• First, that a Hassett-led Fed could struggle internally, creating a “messy” policy process if staff and governors question his authority.
• Second, if Hassett were to push through short-term rate cuts despite sticky inflation, any split vote would likely be viewed as politically driven — feeding inflation fears rather than easing them.

Market participants warn that such optics could drive long-term Treasury yields higher, especially the 10-year, which anchors mortgage and consumer-credit rates. A spike in term premiums ahead of the midterms could tighten financial conditions and risk slowing the economy.

Trump is still expected to follow his own instincts on the appointment, but insiders say the pushback reflects mounting anxiety around the Fed race. Other candidates still in play include former Fed governor Kevin Warsh and current governor Christopher Waller.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

Calls for a ban on congressional stock ownership have grown in recent years, and California Rep. Mike Levin said the measure has bipartisan support.

Morgan Stanley expects a busy year for dealmaking in 2026, with a strong pipeline forming across mergers, acquisitions and IPOs, according to Mo Assomull, the bank’s co-head of investment banking. Speaking at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York, Assomull said activity levels are healthy across most major sectors — particularly technology, healthcare, industrials and financials — and supported by a more constructive economic backdrop.

He added that the Trump administration’s pro-growth stance is likely to further accelerate consolidation in financial services. A friendlier regulatory climate and banks’ need to gain scale should drive more sector M&A over the next several years, Assomull said.

On artificial intelligence, he noted that investors and lenders have become more selective in backing AI companies, with financing now favouring firms that can demonstrate real commercial traction rather than aspirational growth plans.

Morgan Stanley’s optimism follows a third quarter in which the bank posted record dealmaking revenue and delivered a profit beat. Its CFO said in October that the firm’s investment banking pipeline had reached “all-time highs,” underscoring expectations for a robust 2026.

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Info via Reuters.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.