Market Pulse - Currencies
Week ahead: Parliament, US-China trade in focus
All eyes during the coming week will be on Brexit and US-China trade relations with matters possibly coming to a head in the case UK amid rapidly increasing speculation that new elections might be called possibly even as soon as over the next few days.
New EU executive to crack down on US tech giants
The European Union's new executive will not grant America's tech giants any tax relief and will devise new laws to regulate the companies and artificial intelligence technology, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
New York Times pulls sponsorship for London Oil and Money conference
The New York Times newspaper has binned its plans to sponsor one of the world's biggest oil industry conferences following pressure from environmental activists.
FX round-up: Pound knocked lower by speculation new elections imminent
The downdraft in Sterling resumed at the start of the week as MPs returned early from their summer vacations amid heightened speculation that early elections might be called for as soon as the coming week.
IQE bullish on 5G even as Asian supply chains race to rebuild
IQE sounded a confident note on the outlook for growth on the back of the advent of 5G, despite the challenging market backdrop, including the need to adapt to the shifting supply chains of its clients, that drove it into a loss at the half-year stage.
Flat August retail sales 'incredibly disappointing', BRC says
Retail sales "flatlined" in August even as food and drink purchases leapt amid a summer heatwave, according to figures released on Tuesday by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG.
Euro area producer prices edge up in July, but fall in France, Italy and Spain
Industrial prices across the euro area edged higher in July, but fell in three of the single currency bloc's largest economies, France, Italy and Spain.
Commodities: Brent futures drop as US and China struggle to fix date for meeting
There was a 'risk-off' tone to trading in the commodities space at the start of the week.
Tuesday preview: UK Parliament, IQE in focus
Investors' attention will be trained on Parliament on Tuesday as MPs return from the summer recess with possibly as little as a week to try and head off the risk of a 'no deal' Brexit, be it through the legislative path or via a successful no-confidence vote against Boris Johnson.
Morgan Stanley downgrades LondonMetric to 'underweight'
Analysts at Morgan Stanley downgraded its recommendation on British property group LondonMetric from 'equal-weight' to 'underweight' on Monday as part of a research note on the wider sector, saying the firm's valuation looked "extended" when viewed in a historical context.
House prices could fall by 20% in wake of no-deal Brexit - KPMG
New analysis by KPMG revealed the potential for a decline of around 6. 0% in UK house prices in 2020 after a no-deal Brexit with scope for a drop of as much as 20% depending on how exactly economic agents reacted.
PM threatens to 'purge' rebel Conservatives over upcoming Brexit vote
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to purge Conservative rebels, including former ministers such as Philip Hammond, from his party if they vote against a no-deal Brexit on Thursday.
Pound set for 'turbulent week' amid Brexit showdown
The British pound was under pressure on Monday as traders prepared for a potentially messy week of Brexit debate after a weekend filled with speculation that there may be an early election.
Infrastructure spending boosts China manufacturing PMI in August
Chinese manufacturing sector conditions strengthened in August amid higher levels of output, even as firms' confidence in the outlook registered one of its softest readings ever, the results of a closely-followed survey revealed.