Flash News

TREE NEWS update: The Bank of England kept its benchmark rate at 3.75% on Thursday, September 17, sending long-dated UK government bond yields sharply lower. The 30-year gilt yield fell 12.0 basis points to 5.739% and the 50-year dropped 17.9bps to 5.202%, while the 10-year fell 7.4bps to 5.222%. The 2-year yield slipped 2.3bps to 4.736%.

TREE NEWS reports: Bitcoin posted modest daily gains and traded near $76,500 as US stocks rebounded following the Federal Reserve’s first interest-rate hike since July 2023. The move marks the Fed’s return to tightening after a pause, with crypto tracking the broader risk-asset recovery.

TREE NEWS reports: RBC said the Bank of England’s review of quantitative tightening has only a limited effect on UK gilt supply. The assessment indicates the central bank’s reassessment of its balance-sheet runoff is unlikely to materially change the pace of government bond issuance.

TREE NEWS reports: Peru’s illegal gold production may have exceeded legal output by 8.7 tonnes in the first half of 2026, the first such reversal on record, said Carlos Gallardo, head of the Lima-based think tank IPE. Legal output fell 5.6% year on year from January to June while illegal production jumped 19.4%. Gallardo said illegal gold exports could exceed $16 billion this year, equal to 3% to 4% of GDP.

TREE NEWS update: US Central Command said it has redirected 104 merchant vessels as of September 17 to ensure strict compliance with measures tied to the US blockade against Iran. CENTCOM released photos showing an F/A-18F Super Hornet launching from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, which it said is operating in the relevant waters in continued support of the operation.

TREE NEWS update: The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a westbound tanker reported being tracked and approached by a small craft in an attempted interception. The agency issued the alert without specifying the vessel’s location, flag or the outcome of the incident. No further details were immediately available.

TREE NEWS reports: Citadel Securities equity and derivatives strategist Scott Rubner said he is growing more constructive on US stocks into the final quarter, arguing the sharp swing to negative AI sentiment and reduced positioning should reverse from October, starting with tech and then broadening out. In a client note he said September weakness may not be over, with supply-demand and technicals still unfavorable and further declines possible over the next two weeks, but advised using any late-month softness to rebuild exposure to core market sectors.

TREE NEWS reports: Freddie Mac reported that the US 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.95% last week, up from 6.76% a week earlier. It is the fourth consecutive weekly increase and the highest reading since at least June 2025.

TREE NEWS update: Glencore has suspended the head of its iron ore business, Hill, the company confirmed. No reason for the suspension was given, and no further details about the circumstances or the duration of the move were disclosed. Glencore has not commented on who will oversee the iron ore unit in the interim.

TREE NEWS reports: European Central Bank Governing Council member Boris Zigman said eurozone economic growth faces risks if inflation is not resolved, adding that market bets on the central bank’s rate path will not set the direction of future ECB action. He said no significant second-round effects have been observed and noted considerable optimism about the growth outlook.

TREE NEWS update: The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to a 3.75%–4.00% target range on September 16, its first hike since 2023, in a unanimous 12-0 vote that lifted the dot plot. The statement dropped prior language blaming supply-chain shocks for inflation and added that price growth should return to 2% “more promptly.” Nasdaq fell 0.5% while the S&P 500 lost 0.8%.

TREE NEWS update: Citigroup and Wells Fargo are selling investment-grade bonds after the Federal Reserve raised its policy rate for the first time in three years and credit risk concerns eased. Citigroup plans to raise at least $10 billion through a four-part deal with maturities of three to 11 years, while Wells Fargo plans at least $5 billion across three tranches maturing in four to 11 years. The issuance follows the Fed’s 25 basis point hike and its signal of further increases later this year.

TREE NEWS reports: ICE UK natural gas futures closed down 0.72% in late European trading on Thursday, September 17, while the TTF benchmark Dutch natural gas contract fell 1.19%. ICE EU Emissions Trading System allowance futures rose 1.44% over the same session.

TREE NEWS update: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece will take measures to address rising energy costs, in remarks carried by Ert TV. No further details on the specific measures or their timing were given.

TREE NEWS reports: The MSCI Nordic Countries Index rose 1.3% to 399.18 on Tuesday, its best single-day performance since July 9, when it closed up 1.4%. Industrials led gains among the ten sectors, while transport and logistics company DSV A/S climbed 4.8%, the strongest performer among Nordic stocks.

TREE NEWS update: The US Treasury auctioned four-week bills at a high yield of 3.820% with a bid-to-cover ratio of 3.02. It also auctioned eight-week bills at a high yield of 3.920% with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.94. The auctions were held as part of the Treasury’s regular short-term debt issuance schedule.

TREE NEWS reports: Germany’s DAX 30 index closed up 0.84% at 25,751.75 in preliminary trading. France’s index rose 0.68%, Italy’s gained 0.78% with its bank index up 0.85%, and the UK index climbed 1.20%. All figures are preliminary closes.

TREE NEWS reports: Europe’s STOXX 600 closed provisionally up 0.94% at 643.05 points. The eurozone’s STOXX 50 rose 0.96% to 6,326.91, while the FTSE Eurofirst 300 gained 0.94% to 2,567.93. The preliminary closes mark gains across the region’s main equity benchmarks.

TREE NEWS update: Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned a German diplomat, Iranian state media reported. No reason for the summons was given, and neither the diplomat’s identity nor the date of the move was disclosed. The step marks a diplomatic escalation between Tehran and Berlin.

TREE NEWS reports: Pure benzene, PVC and coking coal each closed down at least 2.5% in China’s night session, with LPG, fuel oil and paraxylene also dropping more than 2% and coke losing 1.3%. The declines were concentrated in energy and chemical futures.