Johnson Goes for Broke to Thwart No-Deal Brexit Rebels – The Times
Boris Johnson has pushed Britain to the brink of a constitutional crisis as internal discord rises.
- Suspension of Parliament is an Affront to Democracy – Financial Times
- ‘A Very British Coup’: How Europe Reacted to Johnson Suspending Parliament – Daily Telegraph
- Davidson Expected to Quit as Scottish Tory Leader – The Guardian
- MEPs to Trigger EU Investigation into UK Government Over Suspension of Parliament – Independent
- Bets on Pound Volatility Climb After Johnson’s No-Deal Gambit – Financial Times
China’s Yuan Languishes in Longest Losing Streak on Record – Bloomberg
China’s yuan is poised for its longest losing streak on record. It’s on track for 11 straight sessions of decline, which would be its most prolonged slump according to China Foreign Exchange Trade System data that goes back as far as 2007.
- Has the Chinese Government Really Been Weakening the Yuan? – New York Times
- Has America’s China Backlash Gone Too Far? – Wall Street Journal
- US Business Groups Urge Trump to Postpone Further China Tariff Hike – Reuters
China Discussing September Trade Talks with US: Commerce Ministry – Reuters
China and the United States are discussing face-to-face trade talks that were scheduled to be held in the United States in September, China’s Commerce Ministry said on Thursday.
Mnuchin Says US Doesn’t Intend to Intervene on Dollar for Now – Bloomberg
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the Trump administration doesn’t intend to intervene in the dollar market right now, but signaled he’d prefer any future move be coordinated with the Federal Reserve and global allies.
Italian President Summons Conte, Expected to Give New Government Mandate – Reuters
Italian President Sergio Mattarella has summoned outgoing Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte for a meeting on Thursday morning, a presidential official said.
An Old Grudge Between South Korea and Japan is Getting Out of Hand – The Economist
America is doing too little to bring its allies back to their senses.
Regulatory News
Japan Considers Tighter Ownership Reporting Rules to Better Monitor China – Reuters
Japan is considering lowering the 10% ownership threshold at which foreigners are required to report stakes in domestic companies, two officials said, as Tokyo looks to better monitor Chinese investment in areas related to security.
APRA Warns of ‘Systemic’ Risks – Australian Financial Review
The prudential regulator has highlighted the weaknesses of our biggest financial institutions as issues that need to be closely monitored as it sketched out its priorities in an update of its five-year plan.
WFE Flags Concerns About Emir 2.2 Proposal – FOW
World Federation of Exchanges highlights concerns about EU proposals for the supervision of third country CCPs.
Treasury’s Financial Crimes Unit Opens Foreign Investigations Office – Wall Street Journal
The US Treasury Department’s financial crimes unit has created a division that will be responsible for identifying foreign money-laundering threats.
Crypto News
Alibaba, Tencent, Five Others to Receive First Chinese Government Cryptocurrency – Forbes
China’s central bank will launch a state-backed cryptocurrency and issue it to seven institutions in the coming months, according to a former employee of one of the institutions who is now an independent researcher.
Crypto Crash Prompts Guessing Game – Bloomberg
Cryptocurrencies plunged suddenly in afternoon trading on Wednesday, spurring a guessing game of potential catalyst among enthusiasts and investors.
TrueDigital Partners with Crux – Profit & Loss
TrueDigital, a provider of institutional-grade products to the crypto space, has announced a partnership with Crux Informatics, a cloud-based platform and managed service that provides data delivery and operations at scale.
Switzerland’s First Licenced Cryptocurrency Bank, to Foray into Singapore – South China Morning Post
Crypto firm Sygnum plans to apply for a banking licence in the island nation and also will offer custody, brokerage and tokenisation services for digital assets to qualified investors.
A Crypto Miner Cuts Costs and Rides Bitcoin’s Price Rise – Wall Street Journal
Toronto-based Hut 8 Mining laid off staff and renegotiated contracts before cryptocurrency’s rally.
Company News
RBC, TD in the FX Regulatory Firing Line – Profit & Loss
The Ontario Securities Commission is to hold a hearing at which it will be decided whether to accept settlement offers from the Royal Bank of Canada and TD Bank over the banks’ alleged failure of adequately supervise their FX businesses, as well as insufficient controls.
NAB Survey Highlights Growing FX Internalisation at Fund Managers – Profit & Loss
As well as highlighting a greater focus on currency amongst managers, the NAB 2019 Superannuation FX Survey also highlights changing FX business structures at funds with a growing number taking more care over their execution policies.
US Company Dividends Now Outstrip Treasury Yields – Financial Times
The dramatic decline in yields on US Treasury bonds means that investors can now get more income from dividends on S&P 500 shares than on even the longest-dated government debt, upending the traditional relationship between stocks and bonds and potentially driving more savers towards the stock market.
Koch Industries Seeds New Quantitative Trading Firm – Wall Street Journal
Koch Industries Inc. has helped launch a new quantitative-trading firm aimed at boosting investment returns at a time of market volatility.
Market Savvy
Fed’s Daly Says Her ‘Bias’ is to Run Hot US Economy – Reuters
San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly on Thursday signalled support for continued US monetary policy accommodation, saying she believes the benefits of running a “hot” economy currently outweigh the potential costs.
SNB’s Maechler Says Franc Level Means Expansionary Policy Needed –Bloomberg
Swiss National Bank Governing Board Member Andrea Maechler said the franc’s value means the central bank’s ultra-loose monetary policy is vital.
BOJ Policymaker Warns of Dangers of More Easing, Widening Rift in Board – Reuters
A Bank of Japan board member warned of potential dangers if the central bank’s already massive stimulus is ramped up, a view suggesting there is no consensus on how quickly it should ease policy again to head off the risk of recession.
Europe Needs a Stronger Anchor for Fiscal Policy – Financial Times
An EU-wide spending rule would be simpler and clearer than the focus on deficits.