UK shoppers still hear the same Christmas classic tunes, but the bright signs screaming “sale, sale, sale” aren’t what they had expected. The deals of Christmas-past are distant memories as inventory cutbacks are in full swing.
“It’s in the US's advantage to have a weaker dollar,” David Bloom from HSBC told CNBC Wednesday. “The weak dollar helps exports, reinvigorates the economy and punishes people like me who hold dollar debt,” he said, adding that it creates a “your dollar, our problem” mentality.
Japan's export data for October is “irrelevant to the prospects of a double dip in” in the country, Naomi Fink from Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi told CNBC Wednesday. The potential double dip in Japan is “probably much more related to prospects of a double dip in the US,” she added.
The Nikkei 225 closed 0.4% higher Wednesday, snapping a 5-session losing streak, but investors remained wary of the strength of the yen. Makiko Utsuda from The Nikkei has the details.
The UK economy shrank by 0.3% in the third quarter, data revealed Wednesday after a slight upward revision from the flash estimates. George Magnus from UBS considers the outlook for the UK economy.
UK soft drink maker Britvic posted a sparking set of full-year results Wednesday, beating expectations with a 23% rise in profit. "We had a very strong 2009," CEO Paul Moody said. "We see that momentum roll into the new year …The soft drinks market, both fizzy and still, is showing growth," he added.
WestLB received a last-minute lifeline Tuesday as Germany's Finance Ministry confirmed that an agreement had been reached to help the stricken lender. Lothar Mentel from Octopus Investments and CNBC's Silvia Wadhwa have analysis.