China Opens Up Finance Sector to More Foreign Investment – Agence France-Presse
China lifted some restrictions on foreign investment in the financial sector Saturday, as the world’s second largest economy fights slowing growth at home and a damaging trade war with the United States.
UK Chancellor Hammond plans to quit if Johnson becomes PM – BBC
Philip Hammond has told the BBC he intends to resign as chancellor if Boris Johnson becomes the UK’s next PM.
Sink-or-Swim Showdown Beckons for Italy’s Fractious Coalition – Reuters
Italy’s fractious coalition partners are gearing up for a showdown this week that is likely to determine if the government will collapse, triggering autumn elections, or survive to the end of the year.
Federal Reserve Sets Sights on Quarter-Point Rate Cut – Financial Times
Chairman Jay Powell treads cautiously in supporting US economy.
Central Banks are in Sync on Need for Fresh Stimulus – Wall Street Journal
Central banks world-wide are poised to unleash some of the most aggressive monetary stimulus since the financial crisis a decade ago.
Abe’s Coalition Victorious, but Pro-Revision Forces Suffer Setback in Drive to Amend Constitution – Japan Times
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and allied forces fell short of a critical two-thirds majority of the 245-seat Upper House in Sunday’s election, according to final media tallies — a significant setback in their bid to revise the nation’s postwar Constitution.
Defining a True Measure of Liquidity in FX Markets (opinion) – Profit & Loss
Technology has been a huge enabler for the FX industry but it has brought challenges – one such being what can only be described as a false picture of liquidity in the market at any given time.
What Trump Got Wrong About China’s Economic Slowdown – South China Morning Post
China’s second-quarter GDP slowdown has more to do with the government’s debt crackdown than the US president’s efforts. Given China’s huge contribution to global GDP growth, any decline will adversely affect all economies.
Swiss Policymakers Caught in Crossfire over Franc – Financial Times
The adage in financial markets is ‘do not fight the central bank’. But can central banks fight the US president? The Swiss National Bank may be about to find out.
Regulatory News
In the FICC of It (podcast) – Profit & Loss
In this week’s podcast the Congressional hearings on Facebook’s cryptocurrency, FX turnover and unfair dismissals are firmly in focus.
Who Sees the Trade? The Effect of Information on Liquidity in Inter-Dealer Markets – FRBNY Staff Paper
Dealers, who strategically supply liquidity to traders, are subject to both liquidity and adverse selection costs. While liquidity costs can be mitigated through inter-dealer trading, individual dealers’ private motives to acquire information compromise inter-dealer market liquidity.
Federal Court Fines Over a Social Media-Based Forex Fraud Scheme – CFTC
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has announced that US District Court for the Southern District of Texas entered judgment against defendant Kelvin Ramirez in a CFTC enforcement action that found that he had fraudulently solicited and misappropriated funds from clients in a forex trading scheme.
The FCA and its Labyrinthine Rulebook Need a Serious Shake-Up (opinion) – Financial Times
Slow, inefficient and high-handed are all epithets flung at the UK financial watchdog.
SEC to Extend Mifid Exemption for US Brokers’ Research – Financial Times
The Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to extend an exemption that allows US brokers to sell research to European fund managers under the EU’s Mifid II regime that came into force last year.
Crypto News
St. Louis Fed Chief Pessimistic on Crypto as Non-Uniform Currency – Coin Telegraph
St. Louis Fed Chief James Bullard reportedly views cryptocurrencies as part of a global currency competition that is ultimately unhealthy.
Could Cryptos Be the Next Fiat Currency? – ETF Trends
In an ongoing issue of cryptocurrency safety due to its lack of regulation, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard raised concerns Friday about the rise of cryptocurrencies, uniting with other key economic and political officials who have questioned the fledgling platforms as Facebook prepares to launch its “Libra” digital token.
European Central Bank Exec: Libra Won’t Launch Until Regulators Are Satisfied – Coin Telegraph
Benoit Coeure, a board member of the European Central Bank, said that Facebook’s Libra coin will not launch until global regulators are satisfied.
MPs to Scrutinise Facebook’s New Cryptocurrency – Financial News
Chair of the House of Commons’ Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is worried about the launch of Libra.
Company News
Caplin Adds Crypto to Trading Platform – Profit & Loss
Technology provider Caplin has announced the addition of cryptocurrencies to its range of technology components for multi-asset trading.
Market Bounce Catches Bridgewater Fund Off-Guard – Financial Times
Bridgewater’s flagship fund suffered one of its worst first-half performances in two decades this year after being wrong-footed by rebounding markets.
Hyundai Motor Logs Biggest Profit Gain in Seven Years on Currency, New Models – Reuters
South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co on Monday posted its steepest quarterly net profit gain in over seven years, as a weaker local currency helped lift US income, while new models boosted domestic sales.
Tradeweb: A Short-Term Gain, But Long-Term Pain for Wall Street? – Financial News
The bond trading platform’s April IPO lifted banks in Q2 — but its long-term success raises questions about their place in fixed income markets.
Market Savvy
Will the ECB Live Up to Investor Expectations? – Financial Times
When Mario Draghi speaks on Thursday, the market will be hanging on his every word.
Market Braces for Mexico’s Annual Oil Hedge, Trading Surges – Reuters
Trading in crude oil options and futures surged last week as market participants prepared for Mexico’s annual oil hedging program, in which the country buys as much as $1 billion in contracts to protect its oil revenues.
With Brexit, Iran Tensions and Likely Global Financial Instability, the Dollar is Far from Down and Out – South China Morning Post
While the trade war, political uncertainties in the US and lower interest rates have hit sentiment surrounding the US dollar, risks in Europe and the prospect of higher oil prices could trigger a flight to the US currency.
Sterling Weakens as Traders Protect Themselves Against More Falls – Reuters
The pound edged lower on Monday, with investors holding on to their hedges against further weakness ahead of the result of the Conservative party’s leadership election on Tuesday, which will decide Britain’s next prime minister.
