Fidelity Top Stories
ECB stands pat, focus shifts to Draghi's press conference
The European Central Bank's governing council decided to stay put on interest rates and asset purchases on Thursday, as expected by economists, and continued to signal that interest rates would remain steady at least through the summer of 2019.
BoE stays put, says uncertainty around EM, trade and Brexit have increased
Rate-setters at the Old Lady on Threadneedle Street were unanimous in their decision to keep Bank Rate unchanged on Wednesday.
Carney agrees to extend stay at BoE until January 2020
Mark Carney has accepted H. M. Treasury's offer for him to remain at the helm of the Bank of England until January 2020, thus extending his stay for another six months.
Report says UK officials are "misreading" statements by Brussels
Some officials in Brussels are "complaining" about "over-spin" by Westminster, saying that the European Union's stance vis-a-vis the Prime Minister's Chequers Plan had not changed one iota.
UK wage growth picks up despite slower employment growth
UK wage growth has strengthened to a three-year high but employment increased at a slower rate, official figures revealed on Tuesday, with economists seeing little chance of the Bank of England raising rates again soon.
Chinese export volumes hold up in August
China's global trade surplus narrowed last month, but widened against the US, with the latter taking some economists by surprise given the trade tariffs recently-imposed by Washington.
White House says a further $267.0bn-worth of tariffs set to be imposed
Shares on Wall Street are slipping lower after it was reported that Donald Trump had threatened tariffs on an additional $267. 0bn-worth of Chinese goods on top of those on $200. 0bn-worth which his administration was already mulling and the $50bn-worth which had already gone into effect.
Decision on China tariffs may not come on Friday, White House's Kudlow says
A decision on whether to impose a third round of tariffs on Chinese made goods might not come on Friday, a top official from the Trump administration appeared to indicate.
US August NFP miss forecasts, but wage growth picks up
US job growth undershot forecasts last month, when revisions to figures for the prior two months are taken into account, even as wage pressures increased at their fastest clip since June 2009.
EU's Barnier open to discussing new Brexit customs arrangement
The European Union’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier had told MPs he was open to discussing alternative Irish customs arrangements in order to secure a Brexit agreement, news that lifted the pound on Friday.
Economists spy FX sales by state-owned lenders in PBoC reserve data
China's stash of foreign exchange reserves was roughly steady last month, but economists believed the monetary authority had likely found an alternate manner of propping up its currency, the yuan; namely by instructing state-owned lenders to sell some of their foreign assets.
UK inflation expectations for one-year ahead edge higher, BoE says
Inflation expectations among the British public edged higher over the last quarter, according to the results of the latest survey carried out by TNS for the Bank of England.
Weekly US jobless claims fall towards half-century lows
A key indicator of the health of the US jobs market improved more than expected last week as firms continued to tread cautiously when it came to firing staff.
Pound surges as Germany and UK said to ditch key Brexit demands
Sterling shot higher against both the dollar and the euro on Wednesday afternoon following a report that the British and German governments have ditched key Brexit demands.
UK services PMI rises past forecasts in August
UK service sector activity picked-up to its second-highest level since February last month, buoyed by improved business conditions, according to the results of perhaps the most widely-followed survey of conditions in the sector.
French Navy 'ready to step in' as scallop war resurfaces
The French Navy is ready to intervene if tensions between British and French fishermen over scallop fishing grounds erupt once again, according to French agricultural minister Stephane Travert.
Slowdown in domestic economy weighs on Chinese manufacturing in August
Factory sector activity in the People's Republic of China continued to slow last month, amid a "grim" outlook for exporters and falling employment.