Currencies
Market buzz: Pound plunges further on weak CPI, Barclays mulling mergers?
1635: Close Lots of moving pieces, too many perhaps. US dollar strength was the 'name of the game' on Wednesday, as the US President sounded a downbeat note overnight on the prospects for the China trade talks and the upcoming (but perhaps not) summit with North Korea.
FX round-up: Pound skids lower still ahead of retail sales data
Sterling continued to skid lower ahead of Thursday's eagerly-awaited monthly retail sales report, amid warnings from Brexiteers against any plans that would see the UK remain tied to EU tariffs for a single minute longer than was necessary.
Brexit minister admits UK will have to pay £39bn divorce bill before trade deal is agreed
Brexit minister Suella Braverman was forced to admit to lawmakers that the UK is legally bound to pay the £39bn divorce bill even if it doesn’t manage to secure a trade deal with the European Union.
Turkish central bank executes emergency rate hike to stem lira weakness
Turkey's central bank has hiked interest rates following an emergency meeting by rate-setters in Ankara.
US crude oil inventories jump over latest week, DoE says
US crude oil and product stockpiles jumped last week, on the back of a jump in net imports.
Sector movers: Miners, Oil & Gas shares pace losses as US dollar jumps
Mining and Oil & Gas shares were at the bottom of the pile on Wednesday, after US President Donald Trump poured cold water on hopes for a fast solution to trade frictions between China and the US.
US new home sales drop 1.5% in April
Sales of new US single-family homes fell in April, according to figures released on Wednesday by the Commerce Department, which revised down its data for each of the last three months.
US service sector activity, price pressures jump in May - IHS Markit
The pace of growth in America's economy accelerated in May, according to the results of two widely-followed surveys, amid signs of heightened price pressures in the pipeline.
Europe open: Stocks drop sharply as Trump douses optimism on trade, geopolitics
European stocks have started the morning lower after the US President said he was not happy with the results of recent trade talks between his country and China.
Eurozone boom tailing off, surveys say
European economic growth is slowing further, manufacturing and services industry surveys indicated on Wednesday.
Trump warns US-North Korean summit could be delayed
The US president warned that the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un set for 12 June in Singapore could be delayed.