Australia/ China coal shipments mostly symbolic value
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Local newspapers – disruption, finance and innovation
U.S. GAS INVENTORIES ended the year at 2,891 billion cubic feet on December 30. Stocks were -293 billion cubic feet (-9%) below the pre-pandemic five-year seasonal average down from a deficit of -71 billion cubic feet (-2%) on December 16, the result of a heavy weather-driven depletion in the final two weeks of the year:
U.S. NON-MANUFACTURING businesses reported an unusually sharp deceleration in activity in December. The Institute for Supply Management’s purchasing managers’ survey, which covers services, construction, mining and real estate, slumped to 49.6 (8th percentile for all months since 1997) in December from 56.5 (63rd percentile) in November and 54.4 (35th percentile) in October.
Non-manufacturing activity has been slowing in line with the manufacturing sector over the last 12 months following the post-pandemic boom. The ISM non-manufacturing index is more volatile than its manufacturing counterpart, so the sudden deceleration should be treated with extreme caution. But if confirmed in the next couple of months it would indicate the business cycle downturn is spreading from merchandise to services:
JKempEnergy.com 