Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day
Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day
(Bloomberg) --
Good morning. Stocks were mixed overnight with little impetus for direction, corporate earnings come thick and fast today, and one of Europe’s publicly traded soccer teams secured a stunning victory. Here’s what’s moving markets this morning.
Priced In
Stocks were mixed in Asia with few catalysts of note to dictate direction, and recent optimism around a China-U.S. trade deal potentially priced in. The dollar is firmer this morning after the Australian dollar dipped on soft economic growth data from Australia and the pound weakened on news that Theresa May’s chief whip isn’t confident of rustling up enough support for her latest Brexit package ahead of a vote next week.
Profits
Corporate earnings are in full swing in Europe today. In technology, watch out for full-year numbers from German-listed chip-maker Dialog Semiconductor Plc amid continued demand uncertainty for the sector, as well as U.K. food delivery platform operator Just Eat Plc. Earnings from other sectors include asset manager Legal & General Group Plc, bookmaker Paddy Power Betfair Plc and brewer Royal Unibrew A/S.
Almighty Ajax
Soccer (football) doesn’t feature in this column regularly, but then results like this don’t come around very often. Shares of AFC Ajax NV are likely to rally after the Dutch team earned a famous 4-1 Champions League victory against Real Madrid, winners of the tournament in each of the last three seasons. It’s the first time Ajax have progressed through a Champions League knockout stage tie since 1996-1997, according to the BBC.
Big Insurance
There’s an insurance mega-merger brewing in the U.S. that could have a read-across for European peers. Aon Plc said it’s considering a combination with rival brokerage Willis Towers Watson Plc, confirming a Bloomberg report from Tuesday afternoon. It would be the industry’s largest ever tie-up as Willis Towers Watson has a market value of about $24 billion.
Coming Up...
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development releases its interim economic outlook later, having warned in September that the expansion “may now have peaked,” as it trimmed its global growth forecasts. Firm euro-zone purchasing managers index data on Tuesday bucked a recent trend of lackluster figures, while statistics from Italy confirmed that the country is in a recession, just about.
What We’ve Been Reading
This is what’s caught our eye over the past 24 hours.
- Investment bankers are circling Europe’s growing cannabis market.
- Switzerland’s controversial 1,000 franc ($1,000) note just got a makeover.
- British boxer Tyson Fury talks Brexit endgame, Jose Mourinho and staying focused.
- The software that spots potential shoplifters before they’ve stolen anything.
- Person appears free of HIV after stem-cell transplant, in only second case of its kind.
- Angry Birds maker wants to create a “ Netflix for Games.”
- This is where the world’s super rich live.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Phil Serafino at pserafino@bloomberg.net
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