Morning Brief: Bessent Flags Bigger Debt Buyback Potential; Japan’s Inflation Picks Up; China Plans New Fiscal Support Policies Soon; Eurozone Composite PMI Beat Expectations
Find here our morning brief which compiled the main macro news — released on Twitter — concerning Americas, Asia and Europe.
Americas
Markets
🇺🇸 Walmart Posts Slowest Quarter for US Sales Growth in Six Years – Bloomberghttps://t.co/e5Wch44CUO pic.twitter.com/YNajW3UDlU
— Christophe Barraud 🇫🇷 🇲🇨 (@C_Barraud) August 20, 2026
*Focus on AI
🇺🇸🇨🇳 Nvidia Plots #China Comeback With New AI Chip – The Informationhttps://t.co/gizn1zD1wL
— Christophe Barraud 🇫🇷 🇲🇨 (@C_Barraud) August 21, 2026
Reports Anthropic Said To Prepare IPO Filing As Soon As End-August
— LiveSquawk (@LiveSquawk) August 20, 2026
– Expects To Match SpaceX's Record IPO Size Or Top It
– Recent Investor Briefings Led By CFO Rao
Economic Indicators and Prospects
US Initial Jobless Claims Aug 13: 206K (est 210K; prev 209K; prev R 212K)
— LiveSquawk (@LiveSquawk) August 20, 2026
– Continuing Claims Aug 8: 1799K (est 1788K; 1777K; prev R 1781K)
US Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Aug: 47.4 (est 24.8; prev 41.4)
— LiveSquawk (@LiveSquawk) August 20, 2026
🇺🇸 CEOs shift messaging around AI and layoffs – Axioshttps://t.co/T3GzkI6Ssq
— Christophe Barraud 🇫🇷 🇲🇨 (@C_Barraud) August 21, 2026
Housing
US 30-Year Freddie Mac Fixed Rate Mortgages 20-August Wk: 6.65% (prev 6.67%)
— LiveSquawk (@LiveSquawk) August 20, 2026
– 15-Year Freddie Mac Fixed Rate Mortgages: 5.95% (prev 5.96%)https://t.co/mWbHuzkgvC pic.twitter.com/047rLXYvzf
Monetary Policy
San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly says policymakers are focused on their job, not what the Treasury Department is doing when it comes to buying back more longer-dated debt https://t.co/ARnKCXhzb3 pic.twitter.com/Hc4tcrsFoZ
— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) August 20, 2026
Fed's Musalem says hiking rates now could save more aggressive action laterhttps://t.co/cdqTfSsjFy
— investingLive (@investingLive_) August 20, 2026
Fiscal Policy
Bessent Says Treasury Buyback Operation Could Be More Than $4 Bln – @CNBChttps://t.co/OTdOgckUMh
— LiveSquawk (@LiveSquawk) August 20, 2026
Trade, Politics and Geopolitics
CANADA AND THE U.S. ARE CONTINUING TO HOLD TALKS ON A POSSIBLE DEAL AND ARE 'VERY CLOSE' TO AN AGREEMENT WHILE CONTINUING TO MAKE PROGRESS, THE CANADIAN MINISTER IN CHARGE OF U.S. TRADE TIES SAYS.
— First Squawk (@FirstSquawk) August 20, 2026
CANADIAN MINISTER SAYS 'WE WILL STAY HERE UNTIL WE HAVE DETAILS OF A DEAL WORKED…
Focus on Middle East conflict
When Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent vowed to ramp up pressure on Iran by targeting its economic partners, he echoed former President George W. Bush’s warning to US allies after the Sept. 11 attacks https://t.co/dhU3iSBJ4v
— Bloomberg (@business) August 21, 2026
US says it will impose 'toughest sanctions in history' on Iran https://t.co/Ce6zytorkF https://t.co/Ce6zytorkF
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 21, 2026
Yemen's Houthis: Attacked 'Sensitive' Saudi Target At Najran Airport And Aramco In Najran
— LiveSquawk (@LiveSquawk) August 20, 2026
– No Immediate Saudi Confirmationhttps://t.co/vWZpegshFQ pic.twitter.com/2mkd5YVqhf
Asia/Middle East
Markets
Samsung plans to announce Friday a new shareholder return package that could be worth as much as $79 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter https://t.co/8mxH223UOB
— Bloomberg (@business) August 21, 2026
Samsung will regain the top position in the smartphone market this year, in a sign of its greater resilience to higher memory-chip prices, Counterpoint Research predicted https://t.co/5642ojMToO
— Bloomberg (@business) August 21, 2026
Economic Indicators and Prospects
Housing
🇨🇳Shanghai to speed purchase of second‑hand homes for affordable rental housing
— CN Wire (@Sino_Market) August 20, 2026
Six Shanghai agencies — the Municipal Housing and Urban‑Rural Development Commission, Municipal Housing Management Bureau, Municipal Finance Bureau, PBOC Shanghai Branch, Shanghai Financial Regulatory… pic.twitter.com/aVaID8pFX0
Monetary Policy
In today’s Markets Daily India, we look at the selloff in bonds, the outlook for metals and mining stocks, and the latest on the global bond rout. https://t.co/JuDF2XmvPT
— Bloomberg (@business) August 21, 2026
Fiscal Policy
🇨🇳 Why #China’s Policymakers Will Ride Out Poor Economic Data – Bloomberghttps://t.co/Tkktgauu6t pic.twitter.com/9MohJWLU2E
— Christophe Barraud 🇫🇷 🇲🇨 (@C_Barraud) August 21, 2026
Trade, Politics and Geopolitics
China urges South Korea not to take sides, blames US policy for Korea tensions https://t.co/WxVDl9KAbi https://t.co/WxVDl9KAbi
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 20, 2026
Europe
Economic Indicators and Prospects
France Manufacturing Confidence Aug: 103 (est 101; prev 101)
— LiveSquawk (@LiveSquawk) August 21, 2026
– Business Confidence: 98 (est 98; prev 97)
– Production Outlook Indicator: -11 (prev -10; prev R -11)
– Own-Company Production Outlook: 9 (est 2; prev -1)
🇫🇷 French Business Activity Unexpectedly Weakens on Heat Wave – Bloomberghttps://t.co/qrFJ43qRC6
— Christophe Barraud 🇫🇷 🇲🇨 (@C_Barraud) August 21, 2026
*On Inflation: "This was also true for output charges, with selling prices in the service sector rising at the fastest rate since May."
*Direct link: https://t.co/xhk2DqsiVD pic.twitter.com/z9ITVQH8fm
Why Germany’s industrial machine is stalling https://t.co/FeCgqCu4cq via @martin_marilen @KowalczeKamil pic.twitter.com/i3nIuwDGX0
— Zoe Schneeweiss (@ZSchneeweiss) August 21, 2026
🇪🇺 Euro-Zone Business Activity Edges Up on Manufacturing Surge – Bloomberg (citing S&P Global)
— Christophe Barraud 🇫🇷 🇲🇨 (@C_Barraud) August 21, 2026
*EUROZONE AUG. COMPOSITE PMI RISES TO 52.1; FORECAST 51.7
*EUROZONE AUG. MANUFACTURING PMI RISES TO 52.8; FORECAST 51.8
*EUROZONE AUG. SERVICES PMI UNCHANGED AT 51.7; FORECAST 51.5… pic.twitter.com/MagFl1VJiQ
🇪🇺 *EURO AREA JULY 3-YEAR CPI EXPECTATIONS 2.7%; EST. 2.8% – BBG
— Christophe Barraud 🇫🇷 🇲🇨 (@C_Barraud) August 21, 2026
*EURO AREA JULY 1-YEAR CPI EXPECTATIONS 2.9%
*Direct link: https://t.co/uDnAeFOulc pic.twitter.com/n42TvkWmMZ
UK Retail Sales Inc Auto Fuel (M/M) July: -0.5% (est -0.5%; prev 1.0%; prev R 0.7%)
— LiveSquawk (@LiveSquawk) August 21, 2026
– Inc Auto Fuel (Y/Y): 1.6% (est 2.2%; prev 4.2%; prev R 3.8%)
– Ex Auto Fuel (M/M): -0.9% (est -0.5%; prev 1.1%; prev R 0.9%)
– Ex Auto Fuel (Y/Y): 2.3% (est 3.3%; prev 5.4%; prev R 5.0%)
UK consumer confidence climbs to 2-year high, GfK survey shows https://t.co/4E6rJYMYoq via @irinaanghel12 pic.twitter.com/uSnxUFi6bf
— Zoe Schneeweiss (@ZSchneeweiss) August 21, 2026
British food firms urge Andy Burnham to act on costs as drought hits https://t.co/1SgI7Cgn60 via @malfonsinlarsen pic.twitter.com/HAO3lnz4EY
— Zoe Schneeweiss (@ZSchneeweiss) August 21, 2026
Monetary Policy
🇪🇺 #ECB GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER KAZAKS SPEAKS IN INTERVIEW – BBG
— Christophe Barraud 🇫🇷 🇲🇨 (@C_Barraud) August 21, 2026
*ECB'S KAZAKS: INFLATION EXPECTATIONS STILL ANCHORED NEAR TARGET
*ECB'S KAZAKS: WE SEE WAGE GROWTH GRADUALLY SLOWING
*ECB'S KAZAKS: WE'LL DECIDE IN SEPTEMBER BASED ON DATA
*KAZAKS: ECB WELL PLACED TO ACT IF NEEDED…
ECB well placed to act on ‘uncomfortable’ inflation, Kazaks says https://t.co/UaTJ3CSUsN via @aaroneglitis pic.twitter.com/nu6NDJPCwQ
— Zoe Schneeweiss (@ZSchneeweiss) August 21, 2026
Fiscal Policy
Germany is right to take more risks (financially), says @AllisonSchrager https://t.co/oSRZWiHfl8 via @opinion pic.twitter.com/rM7t4Cf1Xd
— Zoe Schneeweiss (@ZSchneeweiss) August 21, 2026
Surprise UK deficit shows the limits for Chancellor Healey in his first budget https://t.co/87ZWDGg4oe via @tomelleryrees pic.twitter.com/oSba2kBjk0
— Zoe Schneeweiss (@ZSchneeweiss) August 21, 2026
Energy
Germany says lower 60% gas storage target sufficient for winter https://t.co/qBYdYwaE7t via @petrasorge pic.twitter.com/qPniK0ZgIp
— Zoe Schneeweiss (@ZSchneeweiss) August 21, 2026
Trade, Politics and Geopolitics
Ukraine Seeks Musk’s Help To Hit Russian Missile Launchers – FThttps://t.co/jZhbpWFJa4
— LiveSquawk (@LiveSquawk) August 21, 2026
France stops 4,300 migrants from crossing the Channel after UK deal https://t.co/91OwU0KVI2 via @LucyGJWhite pic.twitter.com/EHEpsOWtUD
— Zoe Schneeweiss (@ZSchneeweiss) August 21, 2026
Swiss voters are set to reject stricter neutrality, poll shows https://t.co/oRiBZtbsqK via @bbenrath pic.twitter.com/H0yBXQ6hOg
— Zoe Schneeweiss (@ZSchneeweiss) August 21, 2026
Other Areas And Global Economy
⚠ #WeekAhead #Preview: Week 34 (2026) ⚠
— Christophe Barraud 🇫🇷 🇲🇨 (@C_Barraud) August 16, 2026
🇺🇸 #FOMC Minutes
🇪🇺 Lagarde's Speech
🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇯🇵 U.K., Canada and Japan CPIs
🇨🇳 Chinese Monthly Data
🇬🇧 U.K., Australia and Eurozone Wages
🌎 Global Flash PMIs
🇨🇳 Beijing's World #Robot Conference
…https://t.co/qPYxWRv8jW
*Note: Previous briefs can be found here