Market Pulse - Currencies
Brent futures jump after drone attack against Saudi pipeline
Crude oil futures popped higher on Tuesday after the Saudi energy minister said that oil installations in the east of the country had been attacked by armed drones and reiterated a call to action against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
UK labour market holds steady at historic high
The UK’s historic levels of employment continued to hold steady in the first quarter, with a record number of people in work.
Asian stock markets fall as Trump hardens stance against China
US President Donald Trump defended his decision to raise tariffs on China putting, keeping investors on edge and contributing to losses for Asian stocks on Tuesday.
BoE deputy warns Brexit delay may further dampen business investment
Deputy governor of the Bank of England Ben Broadbent warned on Monday that another Brexit delay might damage the long-term economic outlook as the resulting uncertainty weighed on investor spirits.
China approves $60bn-worth of retaliatory tariffs on US goods
China will raise tariffs on $60bn-worth of US exports in retaliation for the latest decision from Washington to increase levies on $200bn of Chinese goods from 10% to 25%.
Trump warns China not to retaliate as trade war escalates
Tensions between Washington and Beijing were put in sharp focus on Monday after a series of tweets by Donald Trump aimed at Chinese counterpart President Xi.
Bitcoin climbs past $7,000 and hits nine-month high
Bitcoin has climbed past $7,000, reaching its highest price since September on the back of an extended rally that has seen it surge by more than $1,000 over the weekend.
Week ahead: Vodafone and Burberry report; UK jobs data and US retail sales eyed
Next week sees the release of results from the likes of Vodafone, Tui and Burberry, while investors will also be keeping an eye out for the latest UK jobs data, US retail sales and the German ZEW survey.
US producer prices rise less than expected in April
Wholesale prices in the States edged up last month, buoyed by dearer energy as well as transportation and warehousing costs and for some economists the most likely direction of travel going forwards was pointing upwards.
Trump prepares to increase tariffs on China on Friday as negotiations resume
The US administration is moving ahead with preparations to increase its tariffs on Chinese exports on Friday even as the negotiating team from Beijing arrives in Washington for two days of talks.
Tory rebels renew push to topple May
Dissident Tory MPs were once again trying to garner support to unseat Prime Minister Theresa May as pressure intensified on her to provide a departure timetable.
Post-Brexit customs union would leave Britain 3% poorer, says NIESR
UK GDP would be 3% lower if the UK retained a customs union with the EU after Brexit than if it had remained in the bloc, according to a report on Thursday.
FX round-up: Political uncertainty takes its toll on Sterling, UK data back in focus
Sterling gave back ground on Wednesday amid a significant amount of 'market chatter', ahead of the 23 May elections to the European Parliament, regarding pressure on the Prime Minister to quit.
Thursday preview: China CPI, BT Group
Markets' focus on Thursday will continue to be very much on all things China as the country's National Bureau of Statistics releases a report on consumer prices covering the month of April.
Facebook picks London as base for Whatsapp payments push
Facebook has picked London to be the base for its push into payments on its Whatsapp messaging service due to its standing as Europe’s fintech talent capital.
Hackers nab $40m Bitcoin from Binance exchange
Hackers breached the security of the Binance exchange, making off with 7,000 bitcoins worth around $40m in a single transaction, revealed a post on the bitcoin market's website.
Europe midday: Stocks slip amid negative news on US-China talks, Italian politics
Stocks on the Continent are trading slightly lower, amid reports that Beijing is backtracking on trade commitments with the US and reports of tensions in the Italian government.
China foreign trade data for April paints mixed picture of the economy
Chinese export growth fell back unexpectedly last month and while an acceleration in imports pointed to an improvement in the domestic economy, economists were somewhat divided on the strength one could expected of any rebound.
Iran drops key commitments under 2015 nuclear deal
Iran announced on Wednesday that it would drop two of the key commitments that it entered into as part of the 2015 nuclear deal in response to America's withdrawal and its decision to reinstate sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Wealthy UK investors see positive outcome from Brexit - UBS
Wealthy UK investors grew more optimistic on the economic impact that Brexit might have, the latest survey from UBS shows.