Flash News

TREE NEWS reports: Eurozone industrial production fell 1.1% year-on-year in August, against expectations of a 0.1% rise and a prior reading of 0%. The print marks a sharp miss for the bloc’s factory sector, with output swinging from flat to contraction.

TREE NEWS update: Japanese Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Minoru Kiuchi said fiscal sustainability is the premise of the government’s policy. The statement, made in his capacity as economy and fiscal policy minister, frames fiscal discipline as a precondition rather than an afterthought for Japan’s policy stance. No further details or figures were provided.

TREE NEWS reports: The EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council are expected to postpone a major political summit in Riyadh as host Saudi Arabia comes under attack from Yemen’s Houthi forces. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Thursday that the October 24 meeting will likely be delayed, possibly for security reasons. Some Gulf officials have told European counterparts they will likely postpone, sources said.

TREE NEWS update: Eurozone industrial production figures for August are scheduled for release at 17:00 Beijing time, a data point that will feed into assessments of the bloc’s manufacturing activity. The print covers output across the currency area’s industrial sector for the month. No forecast was given in the schedule notice.

TREE NEWS update: Iran said the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is at grave risk. The comment, attributed to Iranian officials, described the accord as hanging in the balance. No further details or specific policy measures were given.

TREE NEWS update: Ukraine said Starlink internet service has been restored, after disruptions to the satellite network used widely by Ukrainian forces and civilians. The restoration was announced by Ukrainian authorities, who did not give a reason for the earlier outage or specify how long service was down. Starlink, operated by SpaceX, has been a critical communications link in Ukraine since the war began.

TREE NEWS update: UK Chancellor John Healey said the budget must acknowledge the pressure facing businesses and households, and that it will stay on its established path as urged by the International Monetary Fund. He also said now is the time to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin.

TREE NEWS update: UK Chancellor John Healey said the banking sector is one of the jewels in the British economy’s crown, adding that the budget will comply with fiscal rules and follow the path urged by the International Monetary Fund. He said UK growth is resilient and the budget will protect it, while past speculation over the budget has caused substantial damage. He said spending must be controlled and the deficit reduced, and the budget will give households as much breathing room as possible.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Commerce opened a public consultation on the EU’s trade and investment policies ahead of the WTO’s 16th Trade Policy Review of the bloc, scheduled for December 8 and 10, 2026. The review will examine EU policy shifts since 2023 and their impact. Companies, industry associations and research institutes have until November 15 to submit written or electronic comments to the ministry’s WTO department.

TREE NEWS reports: Richemont and Signet Jewelers are in talks to join the Global Diamond Consortium led by former De Beers CEO Gareth Penny, which is seen as a leading contender to acquire diamond miner De Beers, five people familiar with the matter said. The negotiations are at an advanced stage, though it is not guaranteed the two groups will ultimately join.

TREE NEWS update: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Russia will continue importing gasoline at least until the end of the year. Contracts will be signed before diesel exports begin, Novak said. The remarks set the timeline for Russia’s continued fuel imports and for the resumption of diesel shipments abroad.

TREE NEWS reports: The onshore yuan closed at 6.6916 per dollar at 16:30 Beijing time, up 9 pips from the previous official close and 62 pips from the prior overnight close.

TREE NEWS reports: Bank of England Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden said the businesses she speaks with are discussing cost cuts rather than passing energy price shocks on to customers. She said the labour market is loosening and expressed hope this means no wage-price spiral of the kind seen in 2022. Firms absorbing the energy shock themselves makes policymakers’ job easier, she added.

TREE NEWS update: The United States will release its September producer price index and retail sales data at 20:30 Beijing time on October 15, with both figures landing in the same slot. Retail sales is widely watched as the “terror data” print. Markets are awaiting the two releases for the latest read on US inflation and consumer demand.

TREE NEWS update: Han’s Laser said it expects net profit attributable to shareholders of 2.12 billion to 2.22 billion yuan for the first three quarters of 2026, up 145.55% to 157.13% year on year. The company attributed the gain to sharply higher orders and revenue across PCB equipment, consumer electronics equipment, lithium-battery and semiconductor equipment, and general industrial laser processing. New orders signed in the period reached about 24.3 billion yuan, up roughly 90%, with an undelivered order backlog of about 8.9 billion yuan at end-2025.

TREE NEWS reports: The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX), Wall Street’s so-called fear gauge, touched a two-week high on October 15, rising 0.69 point to 17.56. The move marks the index’s highest level in two weeks.

TREE NEWS update: Russia has notified the Japanese government that it conducted bombing drills on Iturup, one of the four islands claimed by both countries, from October 13 to 17. Japan lodged a protest through diplomatic channels on October 13. The drills took place on an island Japan calls Etorofu in the Northern Territories.

TREE NEWS update: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said budget negotiations are expected to be very difficult, adding that he hopes to reach an agreement on the EU budget before the end of the year. The comments signal a hard stretch of talks ahead over the bloc’s spending plans.

TREE NEWS update: Hengyi Petrochemical said it expects attributable net profit of 7.9 billion to 8.1 billion yuan for the first three quarters of 2026, up 3,318.59%-3,405.13% from 231 million yuan a year earlier. Non-recurring net profit is seen at 7.83 billion to 8.03 billion yuan, with basic earnings per share of 2.30-2.36 yuan, driven by full-load operations at its Brunei refinery and strong sales of its caprolactam-polyamide project. The figures are unaudited.

TREE NEWS reports: Bank of England Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden said the global investor base for government bonds has changed, and that the central bank is watching whether the energy shock has faded or been merely delayed. Breeden gave no further detail on the composition of the shift or on the timing of any policy implications.