Be in the know. 27 key reads for Thursday…

  1. U.S. Auto Sales Bounced Back in 2023 (wsj)
  2. JPMorgan’s Liu is undeterred. While clients might prefer “something concrete” from Chinese policymakers to justify snapping up undervalued shares, she said that from her experience “the best buying opportunity is when there are no catalysts.” (ft)
  3. Singapore hedge fund eyes ‘big upside’ in Chinese stocks after four-year slump (scmp)
  4. Investment bankers are watching these 6 signals as they pray for an M&A rebound in 2024 (businessinsider)
  5. Suppliers said they were drowning in unsold inventory and were questioning whether dealing with Shein and Temu would be sustainable in the long run. (wsj)
  6. Fed Minutes Suggest Rate Hikes Are Over, but Offer No Timetable on Cuts (wsj)
  7. Buy GM Stock to Play the EV Strategy and Falling Rates, Says Analyst (barrons)
  8. Online holiday spending reaches record $222B, driven by buy now, pay later options (foxbusiness)
  9. Fed officials in December saw rate cuts likely, but path highly uncertain, minutes show (cnbc)
  10. Walgreens Just Slashed Its Dividend. Its Stock Is Rising. (barrons)
  11. Stock market fails to stage a ‘Santa Claus rally’ in rough start to 2024 (marketwatch)
  12. Here’s what’s been keeping a lid on oil prices despite risks of a wider war in the Middle East (marketwatch)
  13. Office-loan delinquencies hit 5-year high in 2023 and likely will rise even higher, Moody’s says (marketwatch)
  14. New Yorkers waiting an hour in the cold for $10, TikTok-famous hot chocolate (nypost)
  15. Tencent Buybacks Hit Record as China Watchdog Roiled Markets (bloomberg)
  16. Private payrolls added 164,000 in December, beating expectations, ADP says (cnbc)
  17. Alibaba’s Lazada cuts staff across Southeast Asia in fresh round of layoffs (cnbc)
  18. Alibaba “has a massive base to work from in terms of customers and data, and that is a treasure trove of any AI operation. They still have some amazing minds in the organization,” former executive Wong said. (cnbc)
  19. What happened to EVs? (businessinsider)
  20. 7 business leaders reveal how their companies are embracing AI in 2024 (businessinsider)
  21. The Hidden Force Pushing Mortgage Rates Down (wsj)
  22. The Hero Maniac Who Played 580 Rounds of Golf in One Year (wsj)
  23. PBOC Steps Up Real Estate Support, Game Over for Gaming Officials as Tencent & NetEase Rally (chinalastnight)
  24. M Stanley: TENCENT (00700.HK) Sees 3 Catalysts, Meaning Opportunity to Build Positions (aastocks)
  25. Piper Sandler’s Scott Siefers previews bank stocks ahead of earnings season (cnbc)
  26. Natural gas can have a ‘rally at any moment’ during winter season: Skylar Capital’s Bill Perkins (cnbc)
  27. China Services Sector Expands in December, Private Survey Shows (bloomberg)