Asia

Back in 2014, a scandal erupted when media reports confirmed what many had previously speculated about China's banking system: namely that much of China's staggering loan issuance had been built (literally) upon air and that trillions in loan collateral had been "rehypothecated" between two, three or many more debtors - or never even existed - forcing banks to accept that they would never recover much if any of the pledged collateral - in most cases various commodities - if the economy were to suffer a hard-landing resulting in mass defaults.

• NYC truck attack: Investigators scour driver’s background (AP)
• Release of House tax bill delayed until Thursday (Reuters)
• U.S. pursues direct diplomacy with North Korea despite Trump rejection (Reuters)
• GOP Braces for ‘All Hell’ to Break Loose Over Tax Bill (BBG)
• Former Trump adviser’s guilty plea could rattle White House (AP)
• Disclosure of Papadopoulos’s Email Hunt Sheds Light on Quest for Clinton ‘Dirt’ (WSJ)
• Brexit May Cost 75,000 U.K. Finance Jobs, Top Regulator Says (BBG)

US equity futures have hit a new records, helped by surging Asian and European stocks which have all started November on a euphoric note. Surging commodity prices, optimism about tax reform and hope for a new dovish Fed chair all combined to drive global stock markets to record highs on Wednesday, with the MSCI’s world stock index climbing 0.3% to a fresh all time high. Mining stocks lead gains as nickel and other industrial metals soar.

There will be "almost no prospective returns" from U.S. stocks over the next decade because the market is fully valued following years of gains, according to the global strategist at Allianz Global Investors, which manages $569 billion.

Yesterday's sharp Chinese selloff is now a distant memory after the BTFDers emerged, and this morning U.S. equity futures are once again levitating as the FOMC begins its two-day policy meeting, following an uneventful BOJ announcement on Tuesday morning which left all QE parameters unchanged. Asian stocks traded mixed steady while European shares climb.