Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today reported Q4 2021 sales of 60,326 Mercedes-Benz models. Additionally, Mercedes-Benz Vans recorded Q4 sales of 15,705, bringing MBUSA to a grand total of 76,031 vehicles for the quarter, a decrease of -20.2% over the comparable period last year. On a year-to-date basis, MBUSA recorded sales of 276,102 Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles and 53,472 Vans. This brings MBUSA's total year-to-date sales to 329,574 units, an increase of 1.1% versus 2020. "Results for 2021 demonstrated the incredible demand for the Mercedes-Benz brand in the U.S. and worldwide despite ongoing supply challenges," said Dimitris Psillakis, President and CEO of MBUSA. "Together with our Mercedes-Benz dealer partners, we will advance our position with the electric EQS-sedan, all new SL, new C-Class, EQE, EQS SUV and EQB in 2022 and further accelerate our long term ambitions for an electric future." Mercedes-Benz volume leaders in Q4 included the GLE, GLC, and GLS model lines. The GLE led totals with 17,495 units followed by GLC with sales of 13,674. The GLS rounded out the top three with 6,786 units. Year-to-date, MBUSA's volume leaders are the GLE, GLC, and C-Class with totals of 65,074; 51,805; and 30,815 respectively.

The Swiss stock market ended the trading week with slight losses. The SMI fell by 0.2 per cent to 12,772 points. Among the 20 SMI stocks, there were 11 price losers and nine price winners. 39.13 (Thursday: 35.96) million shares were traded. The continuing rise in inflation in Europe also dampened the buying mood. Contrary to expectations, inflation in the euro area continued to rise in December to 5.0 per cent, the highest level since the beginning of monetary union. This increases the pressure on the ECB to take countermeasures, as they have long been on the way in the USA, for example. Among the individual stocks, the shares of banks and insurers rose, in some cases significantly, because the companies concerned are considered to be beneficiaries of higher interest rates. UBS was the day's winner in the SMI with a plus of 2.5 per cent. Here, an upgrade by Exane BNP to "Outperform" also provided support. The shares of CS Group, Swiss Life, Zurich Insurance and Swiss Re rose by up to 1.9 per cent.

European equity indices ended Friday's session in mixed order after the release of the monthly US jobs report reinforced the prospect of faster than expected monetary tightening. The Stoxx Europe 600 index lost 0.4% to 486.3 points, with a decline of 0.3% for the week as a whole. In Paris, the CAC 40 and the SBF 120 both lost 0.4% on Friday. In Frankfurt, the DAX 40 was down 0.7% while the FTSE 100 in London gained 0.5%. Consumer prices in the eurozone increased at a record pace in the year through December as food prices jumped, presenting a fresh challenge for the European Central Bank as it strives to persuade households and businesses that inflation will return to its target toward the end of this year without a rise in borrowing costs. The European Union’s statistics agency Friday said consumer prices in December were 5% higher than a year earlier, a pickup from the previous record of 4.9% in November. Sanofi SA and Exscientia PLC are to partner on drug development in oncology and immunology in a deal that could see the latter receive up to $5.3 billion, the two pharmaceutical companies said Friday. Paris-listed Sanofi and U.K.-based Exscientia will collaborate to identify and select target projects, using Exscientia’s artificial-intelligence-driven personalized medicine platform. Under the research, collaboration and licensing agreement, the two companies will develop up to 15 novel small-molecule candidates in oncology and immunology, they said in a joint release.

U.S. stocks were set to open Monday slightly lower. On Sunday night, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures shed 62 points, or 0.2%, while the S&P 500 futures lost 0.3% and Nasdaq Composite futures fell 0.3%. The S&P 500 slipped for the fourth consecutive session, losing 19.02 points, or 0.4%, to 4677.03 Friday. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 144.96 points, or around 1%, to 14935.90. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 4.81 points, or less than 0.1%, to 36231.66. The S&P 500 ended the week with a loss of 1.9%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost 0.3%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 4.5%, its worst week since February.Amazon.com Inc. is reducing how long its U.S.-based workers must isolate after testing positive for Covid-19 after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently shortened its quarantine guidance for people infected with the virus. The online retail giant said in a memo to employees Friday that those with positive tests can return to work after isolating for seven days. That is a longer period than the one recommended by the CDC, which reduced its isolation guidance from 10 days to five. The agency also recommends that people should wear a mask for another five days after isolating. FedEx Corp. is warning that the spread of the Omicron variant is contributing to staffing shortages and delaying shipments traveling on aircraft. “The explosive surge of the COVID-19 Omicron variant has caused a temporary shortage of available crew members and operational staff in the FedEx Express air network,” the company said in service alerts this week.

The start of the week on the stock markets in East Asia was mixed. While the indices on the Chinese stock exchanges in Hong Kong (+0.8%) and in Shanghai (+0.2%) are now in the green after a narrowly maintained start in each case, the Kospi in Seoul recorded a significant minus of 1 per cent. Among the individual stocks, China Life Insurance lost 1.9 per cent in Hong Kong after the insurer's chairman came under scrutiny by the authorities for possible disciplinary violations.

Treasury yields were little changed in Asia after they posted their biggest weekly gains in years on Friday, helped by further advances in most rates as traders focused on positive elements of the December jobs report.

Citi raises London Stock Exchange to Buy (Neutral) – Target GBP 93 (86)
UBS raises the Novartis target to CHF 82 (80) – Neutral
CS raises the Societe Generale target by 5% to EUR 40 – Outperform

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