Oil Prices Slip On Weak China Data

Oil prices declined on Monday as weak exports data from China and lingering U.S.-China trade worries spurred fresh concerns regarding fuel demand.

Also, investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of key developments this week, including the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate decision, new ECB boss Christine Lagarde’s first policy meeting and the U.K. general election.

Benchmark Brent crude dropped 0.9 percent to $63.83 per barrel, after having climbed nearly 3 percent last week on the prospects for lower production from OPEC and its allies.

West Texas Intermediate oil futures were also down 0.9 percent at $58.66 a barrel, after having risen almost 7 percent last week.

Investors fretted about an escalation in the U.S.-China trade war after top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said that a Dec. 15 deadline is still in place to impose a new round of U.S. tariffs on Chinese consumer goods.

Weak exports data from China underscored persistent pressures on manufacturers from the prolonged Sino-U.S. trade war.

China’s exports shrank for the fourth consecutive month in November, although imports came in better than expected, suggesting that Beijing’s stimulus efforts are working.

Rick Zamperin: NFL MVP award is Lamar Jackson’s to lose

With Week 14 of the National Football League season wrapping up Monday night in Philadelphia with a game between the Eagles and New York Giants, there is little time for players to make their case for this year’s Most Valuable Player award.

Then again, the race may already be over.

First thing’s first, I think it is a fait accompli that a quarterback is going to win the NFL MVP award, again, this season.

Sensex rises 42 points; bank, auto stocks shine

Among the Sensex stocks, HDFC emerged as the top gainer, rising by  2.06 per cent, followed by Axis Bank, Maruti, Reliance, Power Grid and Tata Steel.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Market benchmark BSE Sensex rose over 42 points on Monday to close at 40,487.43, driven by buying in select bank and auto counters.

After opening on a weak note, the 30-share BSE Sensex stabilised in afternoon trade and settled with gains of 42.28 points or 0.10 per cent at 40,487.43.

The index swung between a high of 40,645.63 and a low of 40,336.56 during the day.

The 50-scrip NSE Nifty closed 16 points or 0.13 per cent higher at 11,937.50.

Among the Sensex stocks, HDFC emerged as the top gainer, rising by  2.06 per cent, followed by Axis Bank, Maruti, Reliance, Power Grid and Tata Steel.

On the other hand, TCS, HCL Tech, L&T, IndusInd Bank, Tech Mahindra, SBI and ITC lost up to 2.93 per cent.

Sectorally, BSE Energy index rose the most by 1.06 per cent, followed by oil & gas and auto.

BSE IT and realty indices led the losers’ chart.

IMV Presents Updated Data From SPiReL Study, Topline Data Expected In 2020

IMV Inc. (IMV) presented updated data from SPiReL, an ongoing phase II study of DPX-Survivac in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with recurrent/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL) at the 61st annual meeting of American Society of Hematology (ASH) in Orlando on Sunday.

In the SPiReL study, 7/9 (77.8%) evaluable subjects exhibited clinical benefit, including three (33.3%) complete responses and two (22.2%) partial responses.

Clinical benefits and favorable toxicity profile were found in a heterogeneous population of r/r DLBCL patients, including those of advanced age and/or with comorbidities, who are more susceptible to adverse effects and more difficult to treat. Also, reproducible survivin-specific T cell responses were observed in all subjects who achieved clinical responses on treatment. One subject, who received three prior lines of systemic therapies and failed autologous stem cell transplant, reached a complete response at the first on-study scan following treatment with the DPX-Survivac combination regimen and remains free of disease recurrence after completing the study.

Top-line results from the SPiReL study and launch of a company-sponsored study in r/r DLBCL are planned in 2020.

IMV closed Friday’s trading at 2.83, down 0.7%.

Labour's McDonnell: No run on sterling if we win election

LONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) – Britain’s opposition Labour Party is not expecting a run on the pound if the party wins Thursday’s election, Labour’s would-be finance minister John McDonnell said on Monday, adding that he had seen evidence the currency would rise instead.

World Anti-Doping Agency imposes 4-year ban on Russia

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) – The Russian flag and national anthem were banned from next year’s Tokyo Olympics and other major sports events for four years on Monday. Russia’s hosting of world championships in Olympic sports also face being stripped after the World Anti-Doping Agency executive committee approved a full slate of recommended sanctions as punishment for state authorities tampering with a Moscow laboratory database. Russian athletes will be allowed to compete in major events only if they are not implicated in positive doping tests or if their data was not manipulated, according to the WADA ruling.

Trump to meet Russia's foreign minister on Tuesday – Ifax cites source

MOSCOW, Dec 9 (Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet U.S. President Donald Trump during talks in Washington on Tuesday, the Interfax news agency cited a source in Russia’s foreign ministry as saying on Monday.

Russia’s foreign ministry said earlier that Lavrov would travel to Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but did not mention talks with Trump. Moscow’s ties with the United States are at post-Cold War lows. (Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Andrey Kuzmin; Editing by Toby Chopra)