Halister News

(Bloomberg) -- S&P/Case-Shiller Composite-20 City Home Price Index seen rising 5.73% y/y in Jan. vs Dec. gain of 5.74% (forecast range 5.4% to 6.4%).

• M/m index seen rising 0.7% vs 0.8% increase (forecast range 0.5% to 1%)
  • NOTE: Index based on three-month avg; covers Boston, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, Tampa

Economic Release Details: {SLMMRVRT Index ECOD} --NIVEDITHA RAVI

(Bloomberg) -- “FTN’s analysis still senses agnosticism in bond prices about the next oil move -- more wariness it could go higher but not convinced of stability above $42 just yet,” and “smart fixed-income investors will start watching demand data more closely than supply headlines,” strategist Jim Vogel says in note.

• Other observations from strategist morning notes:
• CRT (David Ader): “We’re reluctant to over-emphasize the fundamentals behind the overnight moves as momentum continues to point toward lower yields, and the relatively subdued nature of the move is more consistent with a technically inspired drift than any significant shift in the economic and policy outlooks”
• Marty Mitchell (independent): “Hawkish tone from Yellen today should lead to curve flattening, benefiting the back end of the curve at the expense of the front end,” while a balanced tone, “as we expect,” will be “perceived as less hawkish and should allow for a steepening on the curve as the front end leads yields lower”
• Seaport Global (Tom di Galoma): “Look for buyside accounts to add duration during the 5yr and 7yr auctions as well as on a more robust ADP figure over the next few sessions”

--ALAA SHAHINE

(Bloomberg) -- Casino junket operator Kim Wong linked to $81m cyber heist willing to return as much as $14.3m he received from 2 Chinese nationals linked to stolen funds, Wong says at Senate hearing in Manila.

• Wong to surrender through his lawyer $4.6m to Anti-Money Laundering Council, fund is lodged in a junket account in Solaire casino
• Wong said he’s willing to return 450m pesos in debt payment made by 1 of 2 Chinese nationals who is his business associate
• “This is a positive step,” Bangladesh envoy John Gomes says. “We appreciate what the Senate is doing.”
• Senate Blue Ribbon Committee orders Anti-Money Laundering Council to submit details of fictitious accounts where $81m in stolen Bangladesh reserves were transferred
• Lawmakers investigating cyber heist issued order after Rizal Bank refused to disclose accounts, citing Bank Secrecy Act
• Law does not protect fictitious persons who own accounts, Senator Aquilino Pimentel says at hearing
• Anti-laundering agency got court order on March 1 to freeze and examine dollar accounts