US-China Trade Deal Close, Trump Says; Negotiations Continue – Reuters

The United States and China are close to agreement on the first phase of a trade deal, US President Donald Trump said, after top negotiators from the two countries spoke by telephone and agreed to keep working on remaining issues.

Time for Beijing to Rethink Hong Kong Script After Pan-Democrat Landslide – South China Morning Post

The results of the district council elections will boost the power of the non-establishment camp and possibly influence the race for the city’s leader, observers say as a central government official agreed that Beijing was surprised by the landslide win for the pan-democrats.

China’s Economy Slows for 7th Month, Early Indicators Show – Bloomberg

The earliest-available indicators of China’s economic performance point to a continued slowdown in November.

Michel Barnier Pledges to Prioritise UK Trade Deal Post-Brexit – Financial Times

Michel Barnier has told EU politicians that he will prioritise nailing down the fundamentals of a new trade deal with Britain after Brexit and warned of the squeezed timetable to sort out the two sides’ broader future relationship.

Fed’s Brainard Calls for ‘Flexible’ Average Inflation Target – Reuters

The Federal Reserve should move from a strict 2% inflation target to a broad, “flexible” promise that inflation would average that level over time, a key member of the US central bank’s board of governors said in one of the most explicit endorsements yet of changes in its monetary policy framework.

Bank of Japan’s Sakurai Says Can Go Slow on Easing if Overseas Woes are Moderate – Reuters

Bank of Japan board member Makoto Sakurai said the central bank can afford to spend time scrutinising data in deciding whether to ease monetary policy further, if the hit from slowing overseas growth on Japan’s economy is moderate.

Boris Johnson Poses a New Challenge to the Bank of England – Bloomberg

Whatever happens in the election, fiscal politics is back with a vengeance in Britain. The central bank is going to have to become a lot more active.

Brazil Real Hits Record Low, Central Bank Intervenes Twice – Reuters

Brazil’s currency slid to an all-time low against the dollar, forcing two rounds of central bank intervention to ease the pressure after comments from Economy Minister Paulo Guedes that he was not worried about its weakness.

No Australian QE Until Interest Rates Hit 0.25pc – Australian Financial Review

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe has hosed down the prospect of quantitative easing and asserted that the central bank would not move to such a tool until the official interest rate dropped to 0.25 per cent which was still a “fair way” off.

Chile Brings Forward Rate Decision as Social Unrest Hits Economy – Bloomberg

Chile’s central bank will hold its next monetary policy decision two days earlier than scheduled in a bid to provide “timely information” about the country’s economic situation following weeks of social unrest.

Stories of Have-a-Go Forex Trading Heroes Belie a Quiet Market – Financial Times

Sleepy conditions are good for corporate treasurers but painful for intermediaries.

Regulatory News

CFTC Hits Goldman for Recording Failures – Profit & Loss

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has issued an order filing and simultaneously settling charges against Goldman Sachs for failing to make and keep certain audio recordings as required under CFTC regulations for swap dealers.  

China’s $40 Trillion Man Has the Toughest Job in Global Finance – Bloomberg

As banking regulator, Guo Shuqing is tasked with eliminating excess risks without stifling growth.

Lobby Group Warns on Heavy New EU Penalties for ‘Failed Trades’ – Financial Times

The International Capital Markets Association, a Zurich-based trade association for brokers, on Wednesday warned that a new EU-wide regime due to come into effect next September would make buying illiquid securities more expensive and more difficult.

Natixis Suspends Trader in New York Amid Internal Probe – Bloomberg

Natixis SA, the French lender roiled by risk-management problems since last year, has suspended a senior trader at a subsidiary in New York pending an internal investigation.

Crypto News

LMAX Digital Begins Publishing Daily Volumes – Profit & Loss

LMAX Digital, the spot cryptocurrency exchange owned by LMAX Exchange Group, has started publishing its daily trading spot volumes on the exchange’s website.

Bitcoin Set to Post Worst Month of 2019 – Bloomberg

Even though Bitcoin is on pace to post its worst month this year, technical signals show its recent downturn could be coming to an end.

Want to Invest in Crypto? Think About Buying Stocks – Wall Street Journal

Investors looking for a piece of the cryptocurrency game have one avenue that is sometimes overlooked: stocks.

ECB Explores Development of a Digital Currency – Financial Times

The European Central Bank is examining whether to develop a digital currency as an alternative to cash, one of its most prominent board members has said, warning that the region is falling behind the US and Asia in the global payments market.

Company News

London Stock Exchange Shareholders Bless $27 Billion Refinitiv Deal – Reuters

London Stock Exchange shareholders overwhelmingly backed the exchange’s $27 billion takeover of data and analytics company Refinitiv, a deal designed to broaden LSE’s trading business and make it a major distributor of market data.

Schneider Joins ROW Asset Management – Profit & Loss

ROW Asset Management has hired Andy Schneider as managing director, global head of business development.

Hedge Fund Citadel’s Commodities Business Up About $1 billion for the Year – Reuters

Citadel’s commodities investments are up at least $1 billion for the year, according to three sources familiar with the matter, helping to drive strong overall performance at one of the world’s largest hedge funds.

Moore-Backed Macro Hedge Fund Stone Milliner to Shutter – Bloomberg

Stone Milliner Asset Management, the macro hedge fund started by former Moore Capital Management traders, is winding down following poor performance and client withdrawals, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Market Savvy

Pound Weakens as Traders Question Complacency Over UK Election – Bloomberg

The pound slipped as polls showed the ruling Conservative party’s lead narrowing into a December election, with the tightening race raising investor fears about an inconclusive result.

How the Japanese Yen Stays Strong Despite a Faltering Domestic Economy – South China Morning Post

The yen’s strength derives from its safe-haven status and the fact that much of Japan’s wealth is held overseas, in foreign assets and currencies; in a crisis, investors repatriate the yen, boosting its demand and giving it strength.

China Raises $6 Billion in its Biggest Ever International Bond Sale – Reuters

China raised $6 billion in its biggest ever international sovereign bond sale, as it pounced on the year’s sharp dive in borrowing costs.

MSCI Tells China to Fix Issues Before It Even Considers Adding Shares – Bloomberg

MSCI Inc. said it will only consider adding more yuan-denominated shares to its indexes after China addresses concerns over market accessibility.

Market Exuberance Is Back! Is It Rational This Time? – Bloomberg

The parallels between the stock market of today and that of the 1990s are eerie — and not necessarily reassuring.