Things must be getting tough for Wall Street: JP Morgan is cutting voicemail to some employees to trim overhead. What’s next? Bring-your-own-phone? In Asia, meanwhile, shares are expected to open flat or even lower after U.S. equities dropped overnight. China is still enveloped in gloom, as hundreds of passengers from a tourist boat that sank Monday remained missing.
Asian equities seen opening softly. With Wall Street ending the session down, investors could be discouraged from buying up shares. The Nikkei may fall for a second day as gleaned from the Chicago and Osaka futures, both traded below the index’s 20,543 close on Tuesday. CNBC
More than 400 passengers still unaccounted for in Yangtze River accident. Rescuers have pulled only a handful of survivors from the tourist boat which capsized in bad weather. The event is shaping up to be the worst maritime disaster in China on record. South China Morning Post
Wealthy Chinese tourists foray into North and South Poles. These destinations have become popular among Chinese jet setters last year, according to a recent survey. These travellers ranked Europe as their No.1 destination, followed by the U.S. South China Morning Post (paywall)
FIFA’s Sepp Blatter steps down as scandal threatens to engulf him. The soccer organization president was re-elected for the fifth time on Friday. The move could mean that Qatar won’t host the 2022 World Cup; authorities are probing how tiny Qatar won that right. Bloomberg
Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticizes SEC Chair Mary Jo White. In a 13-page letter, Warren says she is “extremely disappointed” with White, charging she hasn’t done enough to change executive pay on Wall Street. She also says that she needs to recuse herself from matters way too often to avoid conflicts with her husband’s law firm. New York Times (paywall)
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