⛽️ It's a gas, gas, gas

Equinor and Germany have a deal | BlackRock's top five ideas | [Finimize](   TOGETHER WITH   Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for December 21st in 3:12 minutes.   🍳 Finimized over an eggs Benedict at [Wild Thyme]( in London, UK (8°C/47°F 🌨) Today's big stories - UK inflation slowed far more than expected in November, adding to pressure on the Bank of England to start cutting interest rates - Here are BlackRock’s top trade ideas for next year – [Read Now]( - Norway's Equinor signed a deal with German state energy group Sefe this week, its biggest contract in nearly four decades Cool Britannia [Cool Britannia] What’s going on here? Consumer prices in the UK [rose]( at their slowest pace in over two years, and that has Brits wondering when their central bank might start talking about interest rate cuts. What does this mean? British prices climbed by 3.9% in November – well below the 4.4% economists had expected. That no doubt had shoppers stepping out from under their umbrellas: just a month earlier, inflation was at 4.6% (to say nothing of the double-digit pace at the start of the year). Sure, the latest slowdown was mainly driven by lower energy and food costs. But even core inflation, which excludes these more volatile prices, fell sharply – to 5.1% from 5.7% the month before. Why should I care? For markets: Good news for stocks This cooldown came after the Bank of England (BoE) unleashed a barrage of icy-cold interest rate hikes to chill the economy and its red-hot inflation. Now the question is when the BoE will start to warm things up again. Traders seem to think that’ll happen soon: they’re already expecting the central bank to fire off five cuts next year. And that’s sent the British pound lower, since smaller interest rates make a currency less attractive to international investors and savers. But it’s given a boost to big stocks in London. After all, cheaper borrowing costs and a weaker pound would be good for major British companies that sell their wares overseas. The bigger picture: Not so fast. Nobody said markets are patient. Traders were already betting on four rate cuts next year, even before this data. And it seems like nothing the central bank can say will convince them otherwise. Just a week ago, the BoE was trying to tamp down expectations, warning that there are still miles to go in the battle against rising prices. And it’s got a point: inflation is still almost double the Bank’s 2% target and considerably higher than in the US and eurozone. You might also like: [The UK’s stocks are too cheap.]( Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Cool Britannia&utm_campaign=daily-global-21-12-2023&utm_source=email) Analyst Take 5 Greatest Tips: Where BlackRock Sees Opportunities In 2024 [5 Greatest Tips: Where BlackRock Sees Opportunities In 2024]( By Russell Burns, Analyst You’d be forgiven for feeling some whiplash from the recent swings in [market sentiment](: investors have flipped from recession fears to soft-landing optimism in a matter of weeks. BlackRock, however, is somewhere [in the middle](. It sees a period of slower growth, hotter-than-ideal inflation, higher interest rates, and greater volatility [ahead](. But it also sees [four trends and one market]( that are loaded with promise. That’s today’s Insight: [BlackRock’s top ideas for next year](. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( SPONSORED BY ADMIRALS Penny for your thoughts? There’s a whole world of stocks out there trading for less than $5 a share. These “penny stocks” are often overlooked, but [Admirals]( thinks they could be worth your time. See, [penny stocks]( have some real advantages: they’re cheap, they let you [diversify your portfolio](, and – especially in early-stage companies and startups – they could blow up. Just bear in mind that they have disadvantages too: penny stocks are more susceptible to market volatility, which means they could just as easily plummet. So while you might not want to bet the farm, you could [make a pretty penny]( with some prudent calls. To start you off, Admirals has made a list of its [top five stocks under $5](. Check it out today. [Find Out More]( 72% of retail CFD accounts lose money. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. Working Gas Hero [Working Gas Hero] What’s going on here? Norway’s gas behemoth Equinor [signed]( a record €50 billion ($55 billion) deal with the German state energy group Sefe this week. What does this mean? Germany has its industrial gas needs squared away for a while now, with Equinor set to supply a honking 129 billion cubic meters of the stuff through 2039 – enough to cover a third of its cravings. That’s a blast of good news for the country: the deal puts it a step closer to energy security. And it’s an encouraging sign for governments across the European Union too – they’re all on the lookout for stable fuel sources that aren’t Russia. This latest contract is also part of a growing strategy among EU nations to secure steady supplies while driving toward net-zero emissions by 2050. Why should I care? For markets: Not all heroes wear capes. Equinor seems to keep coming to Europe’s rescue. Its number of contracts has doubled since 2021 – with more of them for longer terms – as countries twig to the fact that the transition to greener energy is going to take a lot more time. That realization is also fueling fresh interest in low-emission nuclear energy. No surprise, then, that uranium – the key component in nuclear tech – has been a top-performing commodity this year, even with a sharp slowdown in Chinese consumption. Zooming out: Long winters. A steady gas supply is vital for an economy, so securing this deal must have Germany feeling warmer. Just last year, it shivered through an energy crisis when Russia cut its supply, sending monthly bills skyrocketing for households and businesses. Folks were turning their thermostats to near-frosty levels and factories were cutting operating hours, or shutting down altogether. But the country’s not out of the woods: in October, its industrial output fell 0.4% – hitting a low not seen since August 2020. You might also like: [Can nuclear energy light up your portfolio?]( Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Working Gas Hero&utm_campaign=daily-global-21-12-2023&utm_source=email) Reach the right audience at the right time Our [one-million-strong community of modern investors]( is clever, clued-in, and keen to learn. In other words, they’re exactly the type of folk your businesses want to reach. So whether you’re an established brand, scaleup, or startup, [our promotional campaigns]( can help you [introduce yourself to your future community](. 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When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. SPONSORED BY HEALTHWORDS.AI [HEALTHWORDS.AI]( When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. 🌍 Finimize Live 🤩 Coming Up Soon... All events in UK time. 💸 [Your 2024 Crypto Investing Roadmap](: 5pm, January 16th ❤️ Share with a friend Thanks for reading {NAME}. If you liked today's brief, we'd love for you to share it with a friend. You stay classy, {NAME} 😉 We’d love to hear your thoughts. [Give feedback]( Want to advertise with us too? [Get in touch]( Image Credits: Image credits: Wiki | Wiki Preferences: [Update your email]( or [change preferences]( [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( from all Finimize Emails 😴 Crafted by Finimize Ltd. | 280 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 4AG All content provided by Finimize Ltd. is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to represent trade or investment recommendations. 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