Market Pulse - Currencies
London close: Stocks end quarter on a strong note as Parliament rebuffs PM's proposal
London stocks pushed higher on the last day of the quarter as lawmakers voted down the government's proposed EU withdrawal agreement for a third time, possibly paving the way for a milder sort of Brexit and perhaps even general elections, according to some analysts.
Global M&A activity down in Q1 due to Brexit uncertainty
Global merger and acquisitions fell by 17% in the first quarter of the year as fears of an economic slowdown and the growing uncertainty around Brexit dampened CEOs’ interest in pursuing takeovers.
Independent Group will register as political party
The Independent Group of MPs announced on Friday that they will register formally as a political party, named Change UK, with former Conservative MP Heidi Allen taking the role of interim leader.
Fed can 'hardly ignore' global risks, Clarida says
Policymakers in the US can "hardly ignore" the impact that Brexit, a sharp slowdown in global growth prospects, or trade tensions might have on their economy as America, a top Federal Reserve official said.
China makes 'unprecedented' proposals, US may lift some tariffs
China has made "unprecedented" proposals to Washington on various issues, including the forced transfer of technology, Reuters reported, citing a US official, and Washington might be open to removing some of its tariffs on Chinese goods.
Europe midday: Stocks edge into the green, helped by progress in US-China trade talks
Stocks on the Continent are moving into the green shortly after the midpoint of the session with shares of Basic Resources companies and lenders' trading places even as, at least for now, global growth concerns appear to abate.
Bercow blocks third vote on May's Brexit deal
House of Commons speaker John Bercow appears to have blocked Theresa May's attempts to pass her Brexit deal through Parliament, stating that no meaningful vote could take place without significant changes to the proposal.
ECB's Draghi sounds confident note but adds that risks have risen
European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi sounded a confident note on the economic outlook on Wednesday, but conceded that risks had risen recently and that negative interest rates might possibly be having some undesired 'side effects'.
Retail sales fall at fastest rate for 17 months - CBI
Retail sales fell sharply in March, as the British high street continued to battle fragile consumer confidence and Brexit uncertainty.
EU calls for fairer trade relationship with China
Europe’s top leaders told President Xi Jinping on Tuesday at talks held in Paris they wanted a fairer trading relationship with China.
ECB's Rehn says policy to remain accommodative for 'quite some time'
A top European Central Bank official said on Tuesday that the current slowdown in the Eurozone economy might be more protracted than what had been expected just a few months before and that monetary policy would need to remain accommodative for "quite some time".
Commodities: Oil futures whipsawed amid growth concerns, gold gains
Commodity traders endured another volatile session on Monday, as 'market chatter' around a possible US recession looming on the horizon percolated through the different asset classes.
FX round-up: Sterling slips after government postpones third meaningful vote
Sterling slipped at the start of the week as the Prime Minister told MPs she did not yet have sufficient support to get her proposed Brexit deal through the House of Commons; hence her decision to postpone another vote on it.
Jefferies jacks up RBS target in anticipation of 'large scale capital return'
Analysts at Jefferies jacked up their target price for shares of RBS following a meeting with the lender's finance chief, Katie Murray, that saw them come away with "more conviction than ever around large scale capital return".
Policy may need to be loosened, Fed's Evans says
A top US central bank official said on Monday that the downside risks to the economy outweighed those to the upside and that interest rate cuts might be needed.
EU takes control of Brexit date as May flounders at summit
Theresa May lost control of the Brexit departure date on Thursday as EU leaders agreed a short postponement despite an appeal for a three month delay from the British prime minister.
Central Bank of Russia opens door to rate cut as soon as 2019
Rate-setters in Moscow lowered their forecast for consumer price inflation and opened the door to a cut in official interest as soon as 2019.
Pound plunges as EU rebuffs May's call for short Brexit delay
Theresa May on Wednesday told the House of Commons that she is "not prepared to delay Brexit any further than the 30 June" but reports leaking from the European Union suggested otherwise.
EU trade surplus with US rises to more than €11bn
The European Union’s trade surplus with the United States continued to rise in January, further underlining tensions between Brussels and Washington.
Credit Suisse upgrades European Cyclicals to 'overweight'
Credit Suisse raised its recommendation on shares of European cyclicals relative to defensives on Friday, from 'benchmark' to 'overweight', while lowering their view on defensives from 'benchmark' to 'underweight'.