Flash News

TREE NEWS update: France’s energy regulator CRE said the country may add more renewable capacity to curb consumer electricity costs, provided government policy supports demand. It estimated solar and wind farms deployed since 2020 saved French users about €8 billion last year, against €6.2 billion in subsidies paid to producers.

TREE NEWS update: The European Commission approved €114.7 million in emergency aid to Spain on September 9 to strengthen border controls in Ceuta, a North African enclave, and speed up repatriation of migrants. The funds will enhance border security facilities and support reception, screening, and deportation efforts.

TREE NEWS reports: Royal Bank of Canada CEO Dave McKay expressed concern over escalating US-Canada trade tensions, warning of caution in credit markets. He emphasized the importance of reaching a good agreement to mitigate the impact. McKay’s remarks highlight growing unease among financial leaders as trade disputes persist.

TREE NEWS reports: The New York Fed reported that the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) fell to 3.64% on September 8, down from 3.65% the previous day. The effective federal funds rate held steady at 3.63%.

TREE NEWS update: HSBC Holdings has appointed Hannes Hofmann, a former JPMorgan veteran, as global head of family offices, effective Thursday, based in London. Hofmann previously held a similar role at Citigroup until last year. Separately, Cayman Wills will join HSBC from Citigroup later this month as head of US private banking.

TREE NEWS update: A UK official said the Reform Party will face a criminal investigation. The announcement signals potential legal scrutiny for the party.

TREE NEWS reports: Brent crude rose above $101 per barrel to $101.02, up over 3% intraday, while WTI gained over 3% to $95.86. The rally reflects ongoing supply concerns in the global oil market.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday it is willing to engage in constructive dialogue with the US on an equal and mutually beneficial basis. However, if Washington uses the fight against AI distillation as a pretext to suppress Chinese AI companies, Beijing will take resolute countermeasures. The ministry urged the US to work with China to manage risks through dialogue.

TREE NEWS update: British police have initiated a criminal investigation into a donation made to the Reform Party. The probe marks a significant escalation in scrutiny over political funding in the UK.

TREE NEWS reports: At the US market open, major sector ETFs were mixed, with consumer staples, banking, and regional banking ETFs each falling over 1%, while energy ETFs rose over 1%.

TREE NEWS reports: US stocks opened lower on Friday. The S&P 500 fell 12.84 points, or 0.17%, to 7,660.68. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 78.17 points, or 0.15%, to 52,707.90. The Nasdaq Composite declined 96.35 points, or 0.36%, to 26,325.06.

TREE NEWS reports: Spot silver gained 2.0% on the day to reach $67.06 per ounce. The advance reflects continued strength in precious metals amid prevailing market conditions.

TREE NEWS reports: Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said Tuesday he is watching widening crack spreads — the gap between refined fuel and crude oil prices — more closely than headline oil prices. The spread is surging due to lost refining capacity from conflicts in Iran and Russia-Ukraine, driving European gasoline and diesel prices above $370 per barrel equivalent.

TREE NEWS update: On September 9, the China Association of Performing Arts and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences jointly released a report titled “New Popular Arts: Cultural Consumption Landscape of Livestreaming, Short Dramas, and Web Novels.” The report finds that these digital formats have become key carriers of cultural consumption, shifting consumer habits toward lighter, more frequent, and everyday engagement.

TREE NEWS update: Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday condemned a US attack on several Iranian ships on Saturday, calling it part of US military action, naval blockade and economic warfare against Iran, in violation of the UN Charter and international law. In response, Iran’s armed forces have carried out strikes on US military bases and vessels, the ministry said, warning that such actions escalate regional tensions and threaten peace and security.

TREE NEWS update: Amazon is set to raise £4.25 billion ($5.8 billion) from its first sterling bond sale, a four-part offering that was upsized despite slightly lower demand. Orders exceeded £11.65 billion, down from over £12 billion earlier. Pricing tightened, with the 3-year tranche at Gilts plus 53 basis points and the longest at plus 93 bps. This marks Amazon’s fourth bond sale outside the dollar market this year.

TREE NEWS reports: Night trading opened with crude oil surging over 4%, fuel oil rising over 3%, and pure benzene, propylene, low-sulfur fuel oil, asphalt, styrene, and LPG all gaining over 2%. Pulp fell over 1%. The moves reflect broad energy strength in the overnight session.

TREE NEWS reports: Global gold ETFs attracted $18 billion in August, the second-largest monthly inflow on record, pushing total assets under management to $615 billion and holdings to a record 4,189 tonnes. North America saw its third-largest monthly inflow, while Europe had its strongest month ever, together accounting for nearly 90% of global demand. Daily trading volumes rose 21% month-on-month.

TREE NEWS update: US agencies accused Chinese firms of distilling American AI models, prompting China’s Foreign Ministry to reject the allegations as unfounded. Separately, Iran announced plans to establish a new maritime ‘sanctions zone.’ Oil prices topped $100 per barrel for the first time since July amid US-Iran tanker clashes, with HSBC warning that Hormuz disruptions could become the new norm.

TREE NEWS update: Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is open to trilateral talks involving the US and Ukraine. The statement signals Moscow’s willingness to engage in diplomatic discussions amid ongoing tensions.