10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

 NOV. 6, 2014

REUTERS/Luke MacGregor

Participants in costumes hold burning torches as they take part in one of a series of processions during Bonfire night celebrations in Lewes, southern England November 5, 2014.

Good morning! Here’s what you need to know.

The ECB Meeting Is Coming.The big economic calendar event today is the European Central Bank’s rates decision, and Mario Draghi’s press conference. Economists expect no change in policy. However, the post-meeting presser could reveal clues about further easing actions. Here’s everything you need to know.

The Bank Of England Stays Put. The Bank of England kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 0.50% and its asset purchase program target at 375 billion pounds.

German Factory Orders Were Awful Again. The eurozone’s biggest economy recorded a measly 0.8% boost to factory orders for September. Analysts had expected a 2.3% rise, which would have partly counteracted August’s 5.7% collapse.

Markets Are Down. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei closed down 0.8% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.2%. European markets are slightly down with Britain’s FTSE 100 down 0.3% and France’s CAC down 0.1%. US futures are unchanged.

US Data. At 8:30 a.m. ET, we’ll get the latest weekly tally of initial unemployment insurance claims. Economists estimate the pace of weekly claims fell to 285,000 from 287,000 a week ago. “Initial claims have been below 300k for seven consecutive weeks and continuing claims have been steadily trending lower, suggesting solid improvement in labor market performance,” Nomura economists said.

Tesla Surges. Electric car maker Tesla reported a $0.02 profit per share, beating expectations for a breakeven quarter. Shares are up by 6% in pre-market trading.

Whole Foods Goes Bananas. Grocery chain Whole Foods announced earnings of $0.35 per share, beating expectations for $0.32 per share. This was driven by a 3.1% gain in same-store sales. The stock is up by 9% in pre-market trading.

Luxembourg’s Alleged Secret Tax Deals With Massive Firms Have Been Leaked. Hundreds of the world’s biggest companies reportedly brokered secret deals with Luxembourg to avoid paying billions of dollars in tax according to a trove of leaked documents published by an investigative journalism group.

Dealogic Is Being Bought For $700 Million. Carlyle Group LP said it would partner with other investors to buy US-based financial data provider Dealogic. 

News Corp Revenues Are Up 4%. News Corp, publisher of the Wall Street Journal, the Sun, and the Times, reported a 4% rise in quarterly revenue, helped by higher sales at its book publishing and online real estate services businesses.

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

 OCT. 31, 2014

REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda smiles as he leaves the International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo May 24, 2013.

Good morning! Here are the major stories making headlines and moving markets globally early Friday.

Japan Shocked Markets With More QE. In the face of disappointing inflation, Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda has hiked Japan’s bond purchases, and the Nikkei soared to a six year high. 

The Eurozone’s Inflation Ticked Up A Little. Eurozone inflation rose to 0.4%, taking pressure to ease off the European Central Bank a little, but not much: the core measure of inflation is at its joint-lowest in history. 

Russia Hiked Interest Rates Massively. The Russian central bank raised rates by 150 basis points to 9.5% in a gamble that higher rates will halt the ruble’s slide against the dollar and the euro.

German Retail Sales Fell Through The Floor. Germany’s retail sales dropped 3.2% in September, the worst monthly decline since May 2008.  

European Stocks Are Surging. France’s CAC 40 index is up 2.03%, Germany’s DAX is up 1.75% and the UK’s FTSE 100 is up 1.11%. That’s after a massive rally which sent the Nikkei up 4.83%.

Ukraine Seems To Have Brokered A Gas Deal With Russia. Russia agreed to resume gas deliveries to Ukraine through the winter in an EU-brokered deal reached by the three parties in Brussels on Thursday, an EU source said. 

Consumer Spending Is Coming. Personal income and spending figures from the US are coming, at 8:30 a.m. ET, figures that should give some idea of the economy’s strength in September. 

RBS Is Braced For $639 Million Of Fines. State-owned Royal Bank of Scotland has set aside £400 million (€509 million) to settle allegations of price-rigging in foreign exchange markets. 

Sony Reported A Narrower Q2 Loss Than Expected. Operating loss reached 85.6 billion yen ($771 million) in July-September, compared with the 164.3 billion yen average estimate of three analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

OCT. 30, 2014

REUTERS/Amit Dave

Good morning! Here are the major stories making an impact early Thursday.

Rosneft’s Profits Are Collapsing. Rosneft, Russia’s biggest oil producer, reported a net profit of just 1 billion rubles ($23 million) in the third quarter, down from 172 billion rubles ($3 billion) in the previous quarter

German Unemployment Took An Unexpected Plunge. According to figures out Thursday from the country’s statistical agency, the number of people out of work and looking fell by 22,000 in October. The rate stays unchanged at 6.7%.

Modi Madness Catapulted India Stocks To Record Highs. India’s Sensex stock index is climbing to record intraday highs early Thursday. It’s up 0.92% today so far, sitting at 27,265.73 currently.

European Business Sentiment Ticked Up. After four months of stagnation or decline, economic sentiment among business managers in Europe has finally picked up in the euro currency area (by 0.8 points to 100.7).

Chad Holliday Will Be Shell’s First American Chairman. Bank of America’s ex-chairman Chad Holliday is about to become oil giant Shell’s chairman, according to a filing from the massive multinational Thursday morning. 

European Markets Are Getting Hit. After opening up, the major European equities indices are taking a beating. France’s CAC 40 is down 1.11%, Germany’s DAX is down 1.40% and the FTSE 100 is down 1.04%.

Barclays Is Braced For An $800 Million Forex Fine. Barclays on Thursday set aside £500 million ($800 million) linked to probes into price-rigging allegations in foreign exchange markets, and posted slumping third-quarter net profits.

US GDP Is Coming. Third quarter GDP figures will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET, with analysts expecting 3% annualized growth, a slight slowdown from the second quarter. 

Retailers Are Changing Their View On Apple Pay. MCX CEO Dekkers Davidson shot down an earlier report from The New York Timesthat said MCX members would suffer fines or penalties if they accepted Apple Pay.

Samsung Profits Are Sinking. Samsung Electronics says its third-quarter income has plunged 49% to the lowest level in nearly three years as its handset business slows down.

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

OCT. 29, 2014

Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters

Ukraine may be close to an agreement on gas with Russia.

Good morning! Here are the major stories making waves in global financial markets early Wednesday.

The Fed Decision Is Coming. The Federal Reserve announces its latest monetary policy decision at 2 p.m. ET, with the final tapering installment and the end of QE3 expected. 

The Ruble Is Pushing To Fresh Lows. The ruble fell to a record low against the dollar and euro in early trading Wednesday despite a $2.5 billion intervention from the Russian central bank to prop up the currency.

Algeria Has Started Selling Light Crude Oil To Venezuela. That’s helping to prop up demand for oil as the price falls from Algeria’s perspective, but it’s a clear symbol of Venezuela’s decline. 

Facebook Is Taking A Beating. Facebook execs warned that 2015 will be a big year of investment for the company, and the share price dropped 10% in after-hours trading. 

Deutsche Bank Just Posted A $117 Million Loss And Fired Its CFO. Deutsche Bank reported a quarterly net loss of 92 million euros on Wednesday as heavy legal costs outweighed a rise in investment banking earnings.

There’s A 50% Chance Of Russia-Ukraine Gas Deal. Guenther Oettinger told Germany’s ZDF TV that a lot had been achieved so far in the three-way negotiations, but when asked what the chances were of a breakthrough, he answered: “Fifty percent.”

Nintendo Beat Analyst Forecasts. Long-struggling Japanese video game maker Nintendo eked out an unexpected operating profit in its fiscal second quarter, bolstering hopes it may be on track for its first annual profit in four years.

Hitachi Profits Surged. Hitachi said Wednesday its net profit for the six months to September nearly tripled to $850 million as the Japanese giant hiked its full-year earnings forecast.

Volkswagen Recalls Over 270,000 Audi Cars. Volkswagen’s Chinese joint venture will recall 270,635 Audi cars in China due to an air bag software issue, China’s quality watchdog said on Wednesday. 

Markets Are Rallying. In Europe, Germany’s DAX is up 0.77%, France’s CAC 40 is up 0.33% and the UK’s FTSE 100 is up 0.75%. Asian markets saw significant gains, with the Nikkei up 1.46% and the Hang Seng up 1.27%.

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

SAM RO

OCT. 27, 2014

REUTERS/Nacho Doce

Garbage bins with campaign stickers of Brazilian President and Workers’ Party (PT) presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff and former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are seen during a march in support of Rousseff in Sao Paulo.

Good morning! Here’s what you need to know:

25 European Banks Fail The Stress Test. The European Central Bank examined how 130 European banks would perform under various adverse scenarios, and 25 of them failed. The review found that those 25 banks had a capital shortfall of €25 billion (or about $32 billion). “Banks with shortfalls must prepare capital plans within two weeks of the announcement of the results,” the ECB said. “The banks will have up to nine months to cover the capital shortfall.”

The World’s Oldest Bank Was The Worst. “Italy’s Monte dei Paschi di Siena faces a €2.1 billion ($2.7 billion) funding shortfall that could force it to seek a merger, after a European banking review revealed serious weak points in the Italian financial system,” Reuters reported. “The historic Tuscan lender, which was founded in 1472 and carried out a 5 billion euro capital increase as recently as June, said on Sunday it had hired Citigroup and UBS as advisers to consider strategic options.”

What About The Eurozone Deflation Scenario? Amid slowing growth, one of Europe’s biggest problems is low inflation, which puts the economy at risk of falling into deflation. This exclusion had folks saying that the stress tests weren’t stressful enough. “The scenario of deflation is not there because indeed we don’t consider that deflation is going to happen,” the ECB’s Vitor Constâncio said. “But let me highlight that nevertheless, whereas the baseline scenario which is in the stress test has inflation at 1.6 in 2016, in the adverse it comes down to 0.3. So this drop in inflation is indeed factored in in the exercise and is a very significant drop. So it cannot be said that we did not consider the impact of a scenario of very low inflation. Indeed, we did it in comparison with the baseline.” 

Credit Supply Isn’t The Problem In Europe. The ultimate conclusion of the ECB’s bank stress tests is that the banking system is relatively healthy. The banks have money to lend. So that’s not Europe’s problem. “Blockages are concentrated on the credit demand side rather than credit supply,” Societe Generale’s Michala Marcussen said.

Markets Are Sliding. In Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 is down 0.3%, France’s CAC 40 is down 0.4%, Germany’s DAX is down 0.4%, and Italy’s FTSE MIB is down 1.7%. Asia closed mixed, with Japan’s Nikkei up 0.6% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng down 0.6%. US futures are in the red, with Dow futures down 23 points and S&P futures down 5 points.

Brazil Re-Elects Dilma Rousseff. Dilma Rousseff had about 52% of the vote, securing her a second term as Brazil’s president. While this was largely expected, it is a sign that Brazil faces more of the same ineffective policies. “Over the last four years the country has taken a turn for the worse,” BI’s Linette Lopez noted. “Low commodity prices have hurt Brazilian exports, and so has a Chinese slowdown. Inflation is high and corporate profits are thin. This is a task that Wall Street analysts thought [center-right candidate Aecio] Neves was better suited for. He ran a campaign on tightening monetary policy and bringing investment back to Brazil.“

Brazilian Stocks Are Crashing. As soon as markets opened in Asia, a popular ETF tied to Brazil’s stock market trading in Japan plunged 7%. Similar ETFs trading in Europe are down by over 9%, led by an 11% plunge in Brazilian energy giant Petrobras.

German Confidence Tumbles. Germany’s IFO Business Climate Index fell to a 22-month low of 103.2 in October, which was worse than the 104.5 expected by economists. “The overall message from the IFO survey is then one of weak growth ahead, and elevated downside risks for growth in the fourth quarter,” Pantheon Macroeconomics’ Claus Vistesen said. “This downbeat signal from the IFO, though, is at odds with a more benign outlook as implied by the PMIs, but the survey data are currently broadly consistent with weak growth for the rest of the year.”

US Economic Data On Deck. At 9:45 a.m. ET, we’ll get the Markit US services PMI, which economists estimate will fall to 57.8 in October from 58.9 in September. At 10 a.m., we’ll get September pending home sales, which is expected to climb 1.0% month-over-month. The Dallas Fed Manufacturing Activity index at 10:30 a.m. is expected to climb to 11.0 in October from 10.8 a month ago.

US Earnings Announcements On Deck. The pharmaceutical giant Merck announced Q3 net earnings of $0.90 per share, which was stronger than the $0.88 expected by analysts. The drug company Allergan releases Q3 results before the bell. After the bell, Twitter announces earnings; analysts are forecasting $0.01 per share on the bottom line.

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

 OCT. 24, 2014

pamhule/flickr

China Central Television’s headquarters in Beijing.

Good morning! Here’s what you need to know. 

The Ruble Is Getting Crushed. The Russian ruble has fallen further against the dollar and the euro hitting record new lows against the currencies.

UK GDP Was In Line With Expectations. GDP rose by 0.7% in the third quarter, compared to the second, driven particularly by services. 

The EU Is Ordering The UK To Pay An Extra $2.6 Billion To Brussels. Britain has been told it must pay an extra €2.1 billion into the European Union budget by the end of next month because the UK economy is doing better relative to other European economies.

The Big European Markets Are Down. The FTSE 100 is down 0.23%, France’s CAC 40 is down 0.45%, and Germany’s DAX is down 0.32%. The Nikkei closed 1.01% higher. 

China’s Crumbling Property Market Just Wiped Out A Year’s Gains.Property prices are falling in 69 of China’s 70 major urban areas.

73 Swiss Banks Want US Tax Amnesty Deals Revised. Lawyers representing 73 Swiss banks seeking to avoid a tax-evasion probe by US authorities wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice raising questions over a dozen demands, including the banks’ cooperation with other nations.

Asian Economic Growth Is Set To Languish As China Slows. Emerging Asia will contribute less to the global economy in 2015 than was expected just months ago as a slowdown in China drags on growth in the region, partially offset by acceleration in the United States, Reuters polls showed.

New Home Sales Are Coming. US sales of new homes in September will be out at 10 a.m ET, with analysts expecting about 470,000 sales. 

Amazon Is Taking A $170 Million Charge For Unsold Fire Phones. Amazon said it had $83 million worth of unsold Fire Phones at the end of the third quarter this year.

A US Port Squeeze Could Ruin Holiday Shopping. A shortage of transportation equipment and possible labor disruptions at ​the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex, ​the nation’s busiest, is delaying shipping containers for up to three weeks, threatening timely delivery to retailers for the holiday season.

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

 OCT. 23, 2014

REUTERS/CDIC

Peugeot CEO Maxime Picat.

Good morning! Here are the major stories making a big impact early Thursday.

The World’s Second Largest Retailer Is In Trouble. Tesco’s profits came in down 91.9% in comparison to their last result, and shares are down another 5%, after dropping by more than half in the last year.

It Looks Like France Is Back In Recession. France’s PMI figures are the worst in eight months, at 48, while Germany’s manufacturers look like they are out of the danger zone.

British Retail Sales Dipped. Sales fell 0.3% between August and September, in comparison to the 0.1% increase that economists expected.

European And Asian Markets Are Down. France’s CAC 40 is down 0.37%, Germany’s DAX is down 0.22%, the UK’s FTSE 100 is down 0.76%. The Nikkei fell 0.37% and the Hang Seng dropped 0.30% last night. 

The US Manufacturing PMI Is Coming. At 8:30 a.m. ET, jobless claims are out. At 9:45 a.m. ET, Markit’s US manufacturing PMI is out. Analysts expect a 57 print.

Business Activity Is Up In China. The huge developing economy’s PMI reading inched up to 50.4 from 50.2, despite a lot of concerns about China’s growth. 

Huawei Says Q3 Smartphone Shipments Jumped 26%. Shenzhen-based Huawei shipped 16.8 million smartphones globally in the quarter ending Sept. 30.

US-Led Air Strikes In Syria Have Killed 533 People. The strikes have killed 464 Islamic State group fighters, 57 militants from Al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front, and 32 civilians, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Two More Italian Banks Will Likely Have To Raise Capital After Stress Tests. Monte dei Paschi di Siena and Banca Carige will likely need additional capital to plug shortfalls found by the European Central Bank in region-wide bank stress tests, according to Bloomberg.

Peugeot Says Sales Are Edging Them Out Of The Crisis. Peugeot Citroen said Wednesday strong quarterly sales in China and by its car-parts subsidiary has kept its drive away from crisis on track, despite an overall lackluster performance. 

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD, 7:13 PM

REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff.

Good morning! Here’s what you need to know. 

Eleven Banks Are About to Fail Europe’s Stress Tests. Spanish news wire EFE says that that at least 11 of the 130 banks the European Central Bank is now in charge of testing have failed their reviews.

Japan’s Trade Picture Is Collapsing. Japan’s shaky economy was dealt another blow Wednesday, as official data showed a widening September trade deficit that puts the world’s number-three economy on track to log a record annual shortfall.

6.1 Million US Cars Are Being Recalled Over Defective Airbags. The US highway safety regulator expanded its warning Tuesday about faulty airbags made by Japanese auto-part maker Takata to include 6.1 million vehicles in the United States.

Daimler Made $800 Million Selling Its Tesla Stake. The parent company of Mercedes is selling its 4% stake in Tesla. 

Heineken Blames The Weather For Poor Sales In Q3. The Dutch brewer, which makes Heineken lager as well as Sol, Tiger, and Strongbow cider, said it sold 0.2% less beer in the July-September period with declines in both eastern and western Europe.

Europe’s Biggest Airline Is Close To A Major Outsourcing Deal With IBM. German airline Lufthansa says it is close to selling its IT infrastructure division and completing an outsourcing deal with IBM.

Brazil’s President Gains On Neves Ahead Of Sunday’s Runoff. President Dilma Rousseff has gained 1 percentage point on her rival Aecio Neves ahead of a runoff to Brazil’s presidential election, a new poll showed on Wednesday. The leftist incumbent has 47% of voter support.

European Markets Are Pretty Flat After A Rally In Asia. The FTSE 100 is currently down 0.12%, Germany’s DAX is up 0.03% and France’s CAC 40 is down 0.05%. Both the Nikkei and Hang Seng had strong days, closing up 2.64% and 1.37% respectively. 

Hong Kong’s Leader Warns Vigilantes May “Take The Law Into Their Own Hands” Against Protestors. Hong Kong chief executive CY Leung told international reporters that patience is wearing thin with the pro-democracy protestors who have occupied large parts of central Hong Kong.

Inflation Data Is Out Later. At 8:30 a.m. ET, US CPI data for September will be released, the only major economic data out Wednesday. Analysts are expecting a 1.6% print, comfortably below the Fed’s target of 2%.

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

OCT. 21, 2014

REUTERS/Charles Platiau

Christophe De Margerie died in a plane accident in Moscow.

Good morning! These are the major stories already making an impact globally this morning.

Oil Giant Total’s CEO Has Died In A Plane Crash. Christophe de Margerie died in a plane accident at about midnight Tuesday in Moscow when his plane crashed into a snowplow driven by someone who was drunk.

UK Public Finances Are Still A Mess. Figures out today show that the government actually borrowed more in the first six months of the fiscal year than last year, going against their own plans.

US Home Sales Are Coming. Figures for US existing home sales are out at 10 a.m. ET, with analysts expecting 5.1 million sales last month, up 1% from August. 

The US Says A Pacific Trade Pact Is Close. The time is “ripe” for Japan and the United States to reach a breakthrough in talks for a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, the US commerce secretary said on Tuesday, adding that the two were “a lot closer” to a deal than in recent months.

European Markets Are Up. After a rocky morning, All of Europe’s major indices are up by more than 1%, except the UK’s FTSE 100, which is still 0.94% higher than yesterday’s close. The Nikkei ended down 2.03%. 

Lufthansa’s Pilots Union Is Not Ruling Out Longer Strikes. Industrial action at Lufthansa could continue beyond Tuesday if the German airline fails to resume negotiations with its disgruntled pilots. 

China Is Slowing. Data released Tuesday showed GDP grew by 7.3% in the third quarter of 2014 compared to a year earlier, its slowest pace since the first quarter of 2009. 

Hong Kong’s Leader Says That Poor People Would Ruin A Free Election.CY Leung said open elections would result in the city’s many poor dominating politics.

Staples Is Investigating A Possible Payment Card Data Breach. The firm said late Monday that it has contacted law enforcement over the possibility that it has been hit by a cyberattack. 

Russia Is Hoping For A Gas Deal With Ukraine. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday he hopes to finalize a gas agreement during a trilateral meeting later in the day in Brussels, Interfax news agency reports. 

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

OCT. 17, 2014

REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Police are cracking down on Hong Kong’s protest encampments.

Good morning! These are the major stories from around the world getting traction this morning.

European Markets Are Rallying. After a dismal week, stocks across Europe are bouncing back, with every major index up between one and two percent today. 

The iPhone 6 Finally Hit China. Apple began selling its latest iPhone in China Friday, nearly a month after other major territories due to a license delay by regulators.

Virgin Bought Out Tiger Airways For 88 Cents. Virgin on Friday took full control of budget carrier Tigerair Australia, buying the remaining 40 percent it did not already own for one Australian dollar (88 US cents). 

Yellen Is Speaking Later. The Fed chair will speak at 8.30 a.m. ET, and September housing starts will be announced at the same time. Economists expect over a million new units.

Russia Burned $13 Billion Trying To Prop Up The Ruble. The Russian central bank has been burning through the country’s foreign exchange reserves as investors sell the ruble, driving its value ever lower.

Police Are Cracking Down On Hong Kong’s Protestors. Hong Kong police cleared a pro-democracy protest site in the city’s densely populated Mong Kok area early Friday.

The World Health Organisation Says The Ebola ‘Situation Is Deteriorating’. While the US is panicking about three Ebola cases in one month, parts of West Africa are deteriorating rapidly, with little sign that the region is getting the outbreak under control. 

Japan’s First Commercial Jet In 50 Years Is About To Be Released. Mitsubishi Aircraft will roll out a new commercial jet on Saturday. 

Amazon Is Bringing Its Same-Day Delivery Service To New York. Amazon is expanding its online grocery delivery program to Brooklyn’s well-heeled Park Slope neighborhood on Friday. 

The Bank Of England Is Signaling A Later Rate Hike.  Chief Economist Andy Haldane said in a speech that he was “gloomier” about the economy than he was three months ago, and a rate hike might take more time. 

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD\, 7:25 PM

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Good morning! Here are the major news stories already making an impact today.

Italy’s tax Cut Is The Biggest Ever Done. Italy’s cabinet on Wednesday approved a 2015 budget just hours before an EU deadline, unveiling plans to increase borrowing to slash taxes by €18 billion ($23.03 billion). 

Saudi Arabia And Dubai Markets Plunge Amid Panic Selling. Saudi Arabia’s main stock index plunged 5 percent on Thursday amid panic selling by retail investors, dragging down other stock markets in the Gulf.

Europe’s ‘Fear Index’ Is Smashing Through The Roof Today. Europe’s volatility-measuring VSTOXX index is up by more than 20% already today.

European Markets Are Getting Hammered Again. The FTSE 100 is down 1.83%, France’s CAC 40 index is down 2.40% and Germany’s DAX is down 1.76%.

US Industrial Production Is Coming. At 9.15 a.m. ET, we’ll have industrial production figures for September, with analysts expecting a 0.4% increase from August. Then at 10 a.m. ET, the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey is out.  

Airbus’ CEO Says Germany Treats Defence Companies Like Smut.Germany treats the sector like ‘smut’, Airbus Group Chief Executive Tom Enders told a German newspaper.

Hong Kong’s Leader And Protestors Might Go Back To Negotiating. Hong Kong’s embattled leader reopened his offer of talks with student leaders Thursday a week after the government abruptly pulled out of discussions. 

ISIS’ Advance Has Been Stalled By Airstrikes. The advance of Islamic State fighters on Kobani stalled on Thursday according to a monitoring group, after U.S.-led coalition warplanes launched their heaviest bombardment yet on the militants. 

The White House Is Now In Crisis Mode Over Ebola. The White House has cancelled two days of planned political events as President Barack Obama strives to show he has control over stopping the spread of the deadly disease.

Oil Just Crashed Below $80. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) is now below $80/barrel for the first time since summer, 2012.

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

 OCT. 15, 2014

REUTERS/Jim Urquhart

Oil prices are still falling.

Good morning! Here’s what you need to know. 

Greek Stocks Are Getting Hammered Again.Markets are spooked following a rift between the Greek government and other EU states and the rise of the far-left SYRIZA party. 

BlackRock’s Third Quarter Profit Rose 26%. The world’s largest money manager reported net income of $917 million, or $5.37 per share, up from $730 million, or $4.21 per share, a year earlier.

A Saudi Prince Is Warning About Falling Oil Prices. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al-Saud has published a letter expressing his “astonishment” at reports that the Saudi oil minister is comfortable with collapsing oil prices.

The US Military Has Admitted That ISIS Has “Tactical Momentum.”  Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria are still making advances. 

UK Unemployment Is Back To A Pre-Crisis Low. Unemployment in the UK has fallen to 6%, the lowest rate since 2008, right before the economic crash.

Retail Sales Are Coming. US retail sales figures for September are out at 8:30 a.m. ET. Economists are expecting a 0.1% decline between August and September. 

Scotland Knows Who Its New First Minister Will Be. Scotland’s nationalists have a new leader, Nicola Sturgeon, who will be the country’s new first minister, and a key figurehead for the independence movement.

Toyota Has Recalled 1.67 Million Cars Worldwide. Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it was recalling more than 1 million vehicles for there seperate defects, including leaking break fluid. 

European Markets Are Slumping. The FTSE 100 is down 0.93%, Germany’s DAX is down 0.85% and France’s CAC 40 is down 0.87%. Asian markets closed up, with a 0.92% boost for the Nikkei and the Hang Seng closed up 0.40%.

Bank Of America Made A Third Quarter Loss. The second-largest US bank reported a quarterly loss due to a huge mortgage settlement with the US government.

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

OCT. 14, 2014

KCNA/Reuters

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has resurfaced.

Good morning! Here are 10 of the biggest stories already making an impact on financial markets Tuesday.

Germany Investor Sentiment Is Negative And Europe’s Industry Is Crashing.Eurozone industrial production dropped 1.9% in the year to August and the ZEW index of German investors fell into negative territory for the first time since 2012.

Greek Equities Are Getting Hit Hard. Another poll shows far-left radicals Syriza in the lead and likely to win the country’s next general election, and the Athens stock exchange is not liking it. 

Markets Are In The Red. In Europe, Britain’s FTSE is down 0.5%, France’s CAC is down 0.9%, and Germany’s DAX is down 0.7%. Asia closed down with Japan’s Nikkei plunging 2.4%. US futures are modestly higher.

Turkey Is Bombing Kurdish Fighters In Northern Syria. Turkish warplanes attacked Kurdish fighters in the first significant air operation against the militants since the launch of a peace process two years ago. 

Daimler Earnings Are Up Solidly. German car and truck maker Daimler reported a 29-percent jump in quarterly core earnings at Mercedes-Benz Cars, its biggest business.

Russia And China Just Signed Dozens Of Political Deals.Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev oversaw the signing of 38 agreements on currencies, energy and other issues.

Small Business Optimism Is Coming. The NFIB’s index of small business optimism is out at 7.30 a.m. ET, and should give a signal of how firms are faring. Last month, the index came in at 96.1.

Kim Jong Un Is Back. The North Korean leader has been identified at a public event again, after an absence of more than a month. Kim’s appearances are monitors for signs of tension among the North Korean leadership.

JP Morgan Had Its Earnings Leaked. The bank reported a third-quarter profit, moving past the huge legal claims that caused it to book a rare loss in the same quarter last year, according to an apparently authentic document posted on website shareholder.com.

Oil And Gas Explorer Afren Sacked Its CEO For Misconduct. Afren’s CEO and two other directors are out after a review found evidence of “gross misconduct.” 

10 Things You Need To Know Before The Opening Bell

MIKE BIRD

OCT. 10, 2014

Bobby Yip/REUTERS

There have been reports of artillery fire exchanges between South and North Korea.

Good morning! These are the major events making an impact on financial markets already today.

German Stocks Are Getting Slammed. The DAX is down by more than 2% today, and down more than 10% since Sept. 19.

North And South Korea Fired Artillery At Each Other. The AP says that the North fired at a South Korean propaganda balloon and the south fired back. 

UKIP Won Its First UK Member Of Parliament. The anti-EU party won a massive victory in a by-election and now has its first member of British parliament. 

The EU’s Stress Test Results Will Be Published On Oct. 26. The ECB revealed the date this morning. The announcement will be a major indicator of the health of Europe’s banks. 

Markets Are Getting Slammed. In Europe, the UK’s FTSE 1000 is down 1.39%, France’s CAC 40 is down by 1.63% and Germany’s DAX is down 2.15%. In Asia, the Hang Seng closed down 1.9% and the Nikkei closed down 1.15%.

Import And Export Prices Are Coming. The US inflation data are both expected to be negative, and are coming at 8.30 a.m. ET.

Tesla’s New Project Has Been Revealed. The Tesla “D” that Elon Musk so provocatively tweeted about last week is actually an all-wheel-drive version of the Model S Sedan. 

BMW’s Sales Boost Is Bucking The German Trend. BMW said sales of its core luxury-car brand rose 6.1% in September, powered by demand in Europe, Asia and North America.

Chinese Growth Is Likely To Fall To A Five Year Low. China’s economy likely grew at its weakest pace in more than five years in the third quarter as a property downturn weighed on demand, a Reuters poll showed.

A Huge Typhoon Could Make Landfall In Japan This Weekend.Japan is braced for this year’s strongest Pacific storm.