Headlines

Deutsche Bank said on Tuesday that it now expects the Bank of England to raise interest rates by half a percentage point at its August meeting, Reuters reported. Data released earlier in the day showed a key measure of British wages rose at the joint fastest pace on record. "For now, evidence of still more persistent wage pressures will keep the MPC's foot on the accelerator," Deutsche said in a note, referring to the BoE's rate setting body. "A second consecutive 50-bp hike now looks more likely than not.

The European Union and Australia have failed to conclude talks on a planned free trade agreement, a European Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The EU and Australia opened negotiations in 2018 and had hoped to conclude talks this week. However, differences remained, particularly over the degree to which the EU will open its markets to Australian farm products, notably beef. "We regret it was not possible to conclude our talks with Australia this week. We made progress but more work is required to address key outstanding issues," the spokesperson said.

Some 27 percent of nursing homes and related service facilities in Japan may go bankrupt or shut down operations in a few years if soaring prices and utility costs continue to put pressure on them, according to a survey by nursing care groups, Kyodo News reported. "Nursing care facilities are not able to pass along cost increases to consumers in the same way as other companies, and this has a significant impact on their business," said an official of Minkaikyo, an association of nursing care providers.

The quarterly MNP Consumer Debt Index out this morning showed that Canadians who report being insolvent have reached a record high, the Financial Post reported. More than half of the 2,000 Canadians interviewed for the survey conducted by Ipsos reported that they were $200 or less away from not being able to meet their financial obligations, up six percentage points from the last quarter.

A resolution professional appointed to oversee the insolvency process for Go Airlines (India) Ltd has invited Expression of Interest for the sale of the carrier as part of the process, the Economic Times of India reported. According to the advertisement placed in the Economic Times, the last date for receipt of interest for the airline is set for August 9.The EoI process means the formal commencement of seeking buyers, or investors, for a potential investment, as required by Indian law.

China's producer prices fell at their fastest pace in over seven years in June, while consumer prices teetered on the edge of deflation, adding to the case for policymakers to use more stimulus to revive sluggish demand, Reuters reported. The worsening factory-gate price deflation and the move by consumer prices towards deflation for the first time since February 2021 bode ill for China's economic growth.

South Korea's financial services regulator has asked major commercial banks to prepare around $4 billion in financing to support a credit cooperative hit by customer withdrawals, Reuters reported. An official at the Financial Services Commission said it could not confirm the amount or other details, but it had asked the banks for cooperation in preparing liquidity through repurchase-agreement facilities to aid MG Community Credit Cooperatives (MGCCC). "(Authorities) are closely monitoring the liquidity of MGCCC," the official said, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The Bank of Israel left short-term borrowing rates unchanged on Monday for the first time in more than a year amid signs of easing inflation, but warned that rates could still be hiked further if the moderation in price growth did not continue, Reuters reported. The central bank kept its benchmark rate at 4.75% - its highest level since late 2006. It had raised rates 10 straight times in an aggressive tightening cycle that has taken the rate from 0.1% last April. "Inflation is broad and remains high.

The European Union signed a free trade agreement with New Zealand on Monday that the two sides expect will increase bilateral trade by up to 30% within a decade, the Associated Press reported. New Zealand will gain up to 1.8 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.1 billion; €1 billion) in exports to the 27-country bloc every year, a government statement said. The European Union signed a free trade agreement with New Zealand on Monday that the two sides expect will increase bilateral trade by up to 30% within a decade.

The European Commission announced a new data transfer pact with the United States on Monday, seeking to end the legal uncertainty plaguing thousands of companies which transfer personal data across the Atlantic, Reuters reported. However, the move was immediately criticised by non-profit group noyb, led by privacy activist Max Schrems, which said it would challenge the agreement.