Currencies
FX round-up: Speeches eclipse data releases, dollar drops on Yellen talk
Data releases out on Friday included positive German business climate with a print of 115. 9 and worse than expected durable goods orders number in the US at -6. 8%.
US durable goods orders fall by more than expected in July
Orders in the US for goods made to last more than three years dropped sharply last month more than undoing a similarly large spike in June.
Fed's Yellen says any changes to Volcker Rule should be "modest"
The head of America's central bank defended the financial regulations put in place in the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis, arguing that consideration had been taken to balance the gains achieved for the broader economy in terms of increased stability versus the possible negative effects they might have on lending and economic growth.
Trump to start tax reform process next week, Cohn says
Donald Trump’s chief economic adviser Gary Cohn has said that the US President will begin to centre his agenda around tax reform from next week.
Euro unlikely to reach parity with sterling, says ING
The euro is unlikely to reach parity against the pound, according to ING Bank, which said the recent rally in the single currency is just an overshoot of more fundamentally-justified levels rather than a sustained trend towards parity.
German business confidence dips less than expected in August - Ifo
German business confidence weakened less than expected in August as companies were more upbeat about the future, according to a widely-followed survey.
German economy firing on all cylinders in the second quarter
Germany's economy continued expanding at a steady clip in the second quarter of the year, thanks to robust household consumption and government spending.
Oil production halted in Gulf of Mexico as Hurricane Harvey intensifies
A storm in the Gulf of Mexico intensified on Friday, quickly becoming mainland USA's biggest hurricane in a dozen years.
French consumer confidence slips in August
French consumer confidence slipped lower as the outlook for future living conditions and unemployment soured.