Fidelity Top Stories
New contracts help WPP deliver better-than-expected Q2
Advertising giant WPP said reported a better-than expected performance in the second quarter as it won new business and expanded deals from major clients such as eBay and Instagram.
Germany reportedly studying sale of new debt to finance climate protection
Germany is studying a possible 'U-turn' in fiscal policy which would see Berlin sell new debt to finance a climate protection package, in effect ditching its budget balance goal, a top official said.
American farmers sitting on record soybean stockpiles after sales to China tank
America's soybean farmers were scrambling to find new export markets in response to the sharp drop in Chinese demand, including in Europe, emerging countries in Southeast Asia, Egypt, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Bayer buys Bluerock Therapeutics for up to $600m
Germany's Bayer said it would pay up to $600m (£493m) to take control of cell therapy developer BlueRock Therapeutics.
Slow motion train crash feared in Italy as Salvini asks for finance minister's head
Italian deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini threatened to topple the government in Rome unless the PM, Giuseppe Conte, replaced various cabinet members, including the finance minister.
British Airways IT failure hits UK holidaymakers
Another computer failure at British Airways has left thousand of UK passengers facing cancellations and delays in the latest of a long line of mishaps for the airline.
US wants to reach a trade deal with China, Kudlow tells CNBC
The US President wants to reach a deal with China, but it has to be the right one, a top White House official said.
North Korea to invest stolen $2.0bn from crypto hacks on WMD programme
Experts at the UN said North Korean cyber agents had illegally raised an estimated $2. 0bn to invest in the country’s development of weapon programs.
Barclays sees even lower yuan in near term
Analysts at Barclays Research revised their forecasts for the Chinese yuan in order to factor in greater weakness.
PBoC sets higher daily yuan fix even after China named 'currency manipulator'
China's central bank acted to avoid further yuan weakness on Tuesday, just hours after the US Treasury labelled the country a "currency manipulator".
US services sector activity slows unexpectedly in July, ISM says
America's services sector slowed last month, contrary to economists' forecasts, amid a slowdown in output, new orders and price gains, although hiring did pick up.
PBoC says China will not seek competitive devaluation of yuan
The People's Bank of China said on Monday that the country would not manipulate the value of its currency as a tool in its ongoing trade dispute with the US.
China lets yuan weaken sharply against US dollar and euro
China let the yuan fall below the pyschological 7. 0 yuan level to the US dollar on Monday, reaching its weakest level in a decade against the Greenback, in response to US President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs.
HSBC CEO Flint steps down as H1 profits rise 16%
HSBC said chief executive John Flint had stepped down after only 18 months in the job as the bank believed a change was needed “to meet the challenges” it faces.
US non-farm payroll growth slows in July, workweek shrinks
The US jobs market slowed last month and the length of the average workweek declined a bit, although wages grew more quickly than expected and the labour force participation rate ticked higher.
US consumer continues to exude confidence in July, University of Michigan says
Americans continued to exude confidence last month with confidence in the outlook for their personal finances still near multi-decade highs, the results of a closely-followed survey revealed.
Trump announces fresh round of tariffs on $300bn-worth of Chinese goods
US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he will impose a 10% tariff on another $300bn (£247bn) of Chinese goods, in a sharp escalation of a trade war between the two countries.
Goals Soccer Centres uncovers 'improper behaviour' in accounting policies and practices
Football club operator Goals Soccer Centres announced on Friday that following ongoing detailed investigatory work into its historic accounting policies and practices, it had become evident that there had been "improper behaviour" within the company.
RBS delivers bigger than expected dividend but sounds cautious note
RBS announced a second special dividend but warned of tough times ahead as the interest rate curve shifts lower and due to Brexit, weighing on its shares.
China and US to resume trade talks in September
US and Chinese trade negotiators are set to resume the talks in early September even after the latest round of negotiations in Shanghai ended with little progress.