‘Cautious’ Optimism, Inequality Capital, OECD Warning: Eco Day

(Bloomberg) --

Welcome to Thursday, Americas. Here’s the latest news and analysis from Bloomberg Economics to help get your day started:

• China’s chief trade negotiator indicated he was “cautiously optimistic” about reaching a phase one deal with the U.S., as two titans of American diplomacy in Asia warned of the dangers of escalating the tariff war
• Atlanta is the capital of U.S. inequality for the second year in a row, according to a Bloomberg analysis of large American cities with a population of at least a quarter-million
• The global economy is stuck in a rut that it won’t exit unless governments revolutionize policies and how they invest, rather than just hoping for a cyclical upswing, the OECD said
  • Meanwhile, here’s a look at why the world economy wasn’t as bad as it seemed in August, but may not be as good as it seems now
• In the corridors of corporate Canada, Finance Minister Bill Morneau tends to inspire equal measures of grievance and hope
• ECB President Christine Lagarde is facing calls to refocus her lobbying for looser fiscal policy on a euro-zone budget, rather than seeking national stimulus
• As the U.S. and China struggle to agree a ceasefire in their trade war, Europe’s own pro-commerce stance still looks unshakable
• Investors are giving Germany the benefit of the doubt after a year of economic turmoil that put the economy on recession watch. Across the border, the Yellow Vest protests have done little to stymie foreign companies’ growing appetite to invest in France
• New forces are shaping economies across Asia, Tom Orlik writes in this Special Report
• Trade dominated Day One of Bloomberg’s New Economy Forum in Beijing.

To contact the reporter on this story: David Goodman in London at dgoodman28@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Gordon at pgordon6@bloomberg.net, Zoe Schneeweiss

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