EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Fig 1: China's Property Market Remained Soft In August

Source: Bloomberg Finance L.P./MNI
UK
BOE (MNI INTERVIEW): The Bank of England may have underestimated the effects of quantitative tightening on gilt yields and this will add to arguments for reducing the programme’s pace next week when the Monetary Policy Committee fixes a fresh target for cutting its gilt stocks over the next 12-months, Resolution Foundation Research Director James Smith told MNI.
HOUSE PRICES (BBG): “London led UK house prices to their first annual fall in almost two years, with the capital and other pricey areas facing the risk of further weakness amid fears of a new tax raid on property, a report warned.”
POLITICS (GUARDIAN): “After a disastrous week in which Angela Rayner resigned and Peter Mandelson was sacked as ambassador to Washington, a number of MPs said a challenge was likely if local and Welsh elections went badly next May.”
ENERGY (BBC): “The UK and US are set to sign a landmark agreement aimed at accelerating the development of nuclear power. It is expected to be signed off during US President Donald Trump's state visit this week, with both sides hoping it will unlock billions in private investment.”
FINANCE (BBC): “Belfast, along with London, Edinburgh and Manchester, is set to benefit from a wave of new US investment into the financial services sector. Bank of America intends to create up to 1,000 new jobs. Citigroup has also pledged investment. The US firms, which also include PayPal and S&P Global, have announced the investments, worth more than £1.25 billion, ahead of President Donald Trump's state visit to the UK.”
TECH (POLITICO): “At a couple of pages long, the technology pact the U.S. and the U.K. will sign this week when President Donald Trump lands in London will be easy to miss amid the circus of a state visit. But what will be impossible to ignore is the group of technology heavyweights joining Trump’s entourage. Nvidia boss Jensen Huang, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Blackstone chief executive Stephen Schwarzman are among those accompanying the U.S. president.”
UKRAINE (BBC): “A further £142 million in UK aid will support Ukraine's energy infrastructure and vulnerable communities, while 100 new sanctions will aim to further hit Russia's economy and military supplies.”
POLITICS (BBC): “Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has urged Labour to remain united as she launched her bid for the party's deputy leadership. In a speech in Sunderland, she told supporters to back her to bring the party together, secure a second term and "deliver the change we want to see and beat Reform".”
EU
RUSSIA (BBG): “US President Donald Trump said he’s prepared to move ahead with “major” sanctions on Russian oil if NATO countries do the same.”
NATO (BBC): “Romania says a Russian drone has breached its airspace - the second Nato country to report such an incursion. Romanian fighter jets were in the air monitoring a Russian attack in Ukraine on Saturday and were able to track the drone near Ukraine's southern border, the defence ministry said in a statement.”
NATO (BBC): “More Nato countries will move troops and fighter jets eastwards after more than a dozen drones entered Polish airspace on Wednesday.”
SECURITY (POLITICO): ““Russia’s incursion into Romanian airspace is once again a blatant violation of EU sovereignty and a serious threat to regional security,” European Commission President von der Leyen said in a post on X. EU foreign policy chief Kallas called Saturday’s incursion into Romania “yet another unacceptable breach of an EU Member State’s sovereignty,” in a separate post on X.”
GERMANY (DW): “As polls closed across North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, initial forecasts show Merz's CDU is set to take around 34% of the vote, followed by center-left SPD, with 22.5%, and the far-right AfD, with 16.5% — over three times more than the 5.1% the party secured in 2020. Sunday's polls were the first local elections since Chancellor Merz took office in May.”
FRANCE (BBG): “Fitch has downgraded France’s sovereign credit rating by one notch to A+, assigning a stable outlook. Fitch is citing a high and rising debt ratio, political fragmentation, a weak fiscal record and an uncertain consolidation path as the main drivers behind the downgrade.”
FRANCE (POLITICO): “The new prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, announced on Saturday that he will scrap proposals from his predecessor to eliminate two public holidays as part of a belt-tightening drive to shrink France’s massive public debt.”
FRANCE (POLITICO): “Marine Le Pen fired up a crowd of supporters on Sunday in Bordeaux as she lashed out at President Emmanuel Macron for bringing the country to the verge of chaos, casting her party as the only real alternative after years of business-as-usual by mainstream parties.”
RUSSIA/UKRAINE (BBG): “The Kirishi oil refinery, known as Kinef, in the Leningrad region was attacked by Ukrainian drones overnight as Kyiv keeps up the pressure on Russian energy and industrial facilities.”
TURKEY (RTRS): “A Turkish court will decide on Monday whether to oust the head of the main opposition, in what some see as a test of the country's shaky balance between democracy and autocracy after a nearly year-long legal crackdown on the party.”
EU (POLITICO): “The far-right Patriots for Europe is taking legal action after the European Parliament suspended access to millions of euros in public funds over alleged misspending.”
US
FED (MNI INTERVIEW): Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will justify next week’s widely expected interest rate cut by citing rising downside risks to employment but refrain from signaling a string of cuts beyond September because the Fed must also contend with inflation heading in the wrong direction, former Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart told MNI.
FED (BBG): “President Donald Trump predicted a “big cut” from the Federal Reserve this week ahead of a pivotal meeting at which the central bank’s governors are expected to ease policy for the first time in nine months.”
US/CHINA (RTRS): “U.S. and Chinese officials concluded a first day of talks in Madrid on Sunday on their strained trade ties, a looming divestiture deadline for Chinese short-video app TikTok, amid Washington's demands that its allies place tariffs on imports from China over its purchases of Russian oil.”
RUSSIA (POLITICO): “Sen. Lindsey Graham wants to tie sanctions against Russia to the coming bill to fund the federal government.”
OTHER
CANADA (MNI): A growing budget deficit under Prime Minister Mark Carney aimed at countering the hit to demand from the U.S. trade war means Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem will not need to lower interest rates much further to support flagging growth, former officials told MNI.
MIDDLE EAST (RTRS): “Israeli forces destroyed at least 30 residential buildings in Gaza City and forced thousands of people from their homes, Palestinian officials said, as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Sunday to discuss the future of the conflict.”
AUSTRALIA (MNI POLICY): MNI looks at the key risks that could impact the RBA's outlook. On MNI Policy MainWire now, for more details please contact sales@marketnews.com.
JAPAN (MNI BOJ WATCH): The Bank of Japan board is likely to keep its policy rate unchanged at 0.50% at the two-day meeting ending Friday as it assesses the impact of tariffs on the U.S. and Japanese economies.
CHINA
INVESTMENT (MNI BRIEF): China’s fixed-asset investment growth decelerated to 0.5% y/y in the Jan–Aug period from the previous 1.6%, marking the slowest pace since Aug 2020 and missing an expectation of 1.5%, National Bureau of Statistics data showed Monday.
CPI (MNI BRIEF): China’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) could be rebounding, supported by stronger consumer demand and seasonal factors, according to Fu Linghui, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics.
TECH (SECURITIES TIMES): “A second batch of exchange-traded funds focusing on tech bonds in China continued to be well-received by the market after subscriptions kicked off on Friday, the Securities Times reports.”
US/CHINA (BBG): "China launched two investigations targeting the US semiconductor sector ahead of planned talks between the two nations on trade and other issues."
MNI: PBOC Net Injects CNY88.5 Bln via OMO Monday
MNI (BEIJING) - The People's Bank of China (PBOC) conducted CNY280 billion via 7-day reverse repos, with the rate unchanged at 1.40%. The operation led to a net injection of CNY88.5 billion after offsetting maturities of CNY191.5 billion today, according to Wind Information.
MNI: PBOC Sets Yuan Parity Higher At 7.1056 Mon; -0.89% Y/Y
MNI (BEIJING) - The People's Bank of China (PBOC) set the dollar-yuan central parity rate higher at 7.1056 on Monday, compared with 7.1019 set on Friday. The fixing was estimated at 7.1231 by Bloomberg survey today.
The CFETS Weekly RMB Index was 96.60 on Sep 12, down 0.17% from 96.77 on Sep 5.
MARKET DATA
UK SEPT. RIGHTMOVE HOUSE PRICES +0.4% M/M; AUG. -1.3%
UK SEPT. RIGHTMOVE HOUSE PRICES -0.1% Y/Y; AUG. +0.3%
NEW ZEALAND AUG. BNZ SERVICES PSI 47.5; JUL. 48.9
CHINA AUG. NEW HOME PRICES -0.30% M/M; JUL. -0.31%
CHINA AUG. EXISTING HOME PRICES -0.58% M/M; JUL -0.55%
CHINA AUG. RETAIL SALES +3.4% Y/Y; EST. +3.8%; JUL. +3.7%
CHINA AUG. INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT +5.2% Y/Y; EST. +5.6%; JUL +5.7%
CHINA JAN.-AUG. FIXED INVESTMENT +0.5% Y/Y; EST. +1.5%; YTD JUL. +1.6%
CHINA END-AUG. SURVEYED JOBLESS RATE 5.3%; EST. 5.2%; JUL. 5.2%
CHINA JAN-AUGUST PROPERTY INVESTMENT -12.9% Y/Y; EST. -12.5%; YTD JUL. -12.0%
CHINA JAN-AUGUST RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES -7.0% Y/Y; YTD JUL. -6.2%
MARKETS
US TSYS: Asia Wrap - Futures Edge Lower On A Japanese Holiday
The TYZ5 range has been 113-02 to 113-07 during the Asia-Pacific session. It last changed hands at 113-05+, down 0-03+ from the previous close.
Fig 1: 10-Year US Yield 2H Chart

Source: MNI - Market News/Bloomberg Finance L.P
AUSSIE BONDS: Weak Start To The Week, Jobs On Thurs
ACGBs (YM -3.0 & XM -6.0) are weaker and hovering near session lows on a relatively subdued session.
BONDS: NZGBS: Closed Cheaper Ahead Of A Busy Week Of Local Data
NZGBs closed 2-4bps cheaper, with the 2/10 curve steeper.
FOREX: Asia FX Wrap - Can The USD Break Lower Before FOMC ?
The BBDXY has had a range of 1197.50 - 1199.03 in the Asia-Pac session; it is currently trading around 1197, -0.05%. The USD could not follow through on Friday and remains frustratingly above its recent support. A sustained break below 1197/1195 is needed to regain the momentum lower and retest the year's lows towards 1180 where demand should return initially. A break sub 1180 would be extremely bearish, should the USD start another leg lower it would have big implications for FX and potentially see a lot of the recent ranges in G10 broken. With the FOMC approaching we might see the ranges continue until the market hears what Powell has to say about the potential new rate cutting cycle the market is pricing in.
Fig 1: GBP/USD Spot 2H Chart

Source: MNI - Market News/Bloomberg Finance L.P
JPY: Asia Wrap - USD/JPY Trading Sideways On A 147 Handle
The USD/JPY range has been 147.37 - 147.79 in the Asia-Pac session, it is currently trading around 147.40, -0.20% on a Japanese holiday. USD/JPY continues to trade sideways with no clear trend. The price remains in the middle of its recent 146-149 range, and we need a convincing break to see a clearer direction again. CFTC data shows leveraged funds paring back some of their short JPY position last week but remain core short, looking for this support to continue to hold. A move back below 145/146 is needed to potentially start seeing these positions being flushed out.
Fig 1 : JPY CFTC Data

Source: MNI - Market News/Bloomberg Finance L.P
AUD: Asia Wrap - AUD/USD Consolidates Around 0.6650
The AUD/USD has had a range of 0.6641 - 0.6662 in the Asia- Pac session, it is currently trading around 0.6660, +0.20%. US Equities traded sideways as the market turned its focus towards the FOMC this week and what the potential upcoming cutting cycle could look like. The AUD consolidates around 0.6650, trying to find the momentum it needs to accelerate above this pivotal area. Should the USD break and extend lower we could see the AUD gain momentum above 0.6650/0.6700 and potentially target levels back towards 0.6900/0.7000. The price action suggests dips will be supported for now as we await confirmation of this potential break higher, the first buy-zone is back towards the 0.6550 area.
Fig 1: AUD CFTC Data

Source: MNI - Market News/Bloomberg Finance L.P
NZD: Asia Wrap - NZD/USD Doing Some Work Below 0.6000
The NZD/USD had a range of 0.5947 - 0.5966 in the Asia-Pac session, going into the London open trading around 0.5965, +0.20%. US Equities traded sideways as the market turned its focus towards the FOMC this week and what the potential upcoming cutting cycle could look like. The NZD topped out just below 0.6000 as momentum higher stalled. The USD though is still looking vulnerable, which continues to support the NZD. A close back above 0.6000 would negate any semblance of the downward pressure it was exhibiting, but for those that have a bearish view this remains a decent entry point to express that. We might have to wait for the FOMC to get some clarity as CFTC Data shows positions are light with conviction obviously low.
Fig 1: NZD CFTC Data

Source: MNI - Market News/Bloomberg Finance L.P
ASIA STOCKS: China Kicks off the Week with Strong Gains
Following strong opposition from investors, the Korean government's policy to lower the capital gains tax threshold for equity investors has finally been dumped, marking the first major about face for the new government. The NIKKEI is closed today for a public holiday, having closed Friday at new highs. The focus for investors for the week ahead will be the Federal Reserve meeting this week as markets globally hope for a rate cut.
OIL: Crude Trends Higher As Sanction Risk The Focus
Oil prices have trended higher in today’s APAC trading after rising over last week. WTI is up 0.5% to $63.03 following a peak of $63.13 earlier, while Brent is 0.5% higher at $67.33 after reaching $67.43. Current geopolitical risks are having the opposite effect to supply/demand fundamentals with a large market surplus expected in 2026. The USD index is slightly lower.
Gold Slightly Higher As Awaits Direction From The Fed This Week
Gold prices are off today’s low of $3626.66/oz to be up slightly at $3644.5. It reached a high of $3646.93. It has found support from a slightly lower US dollar. The key event for bullion this week will be Wednesday’s Fed decision (a 25bp cut is widely expected), the accompanying comments and Chair Powell’s tone. The outlook for Fed policy is likely to drive direction.
UP TODAY (TIMES GMT/LOCAL)
| Date | GMT/Local | Impact | Country | Event |
| 15/09/2025 | 0900/1100 | * | Trade Balance | |
| 15/09/2025 | 1130/1330 | ECB Schnabel At EIB Chief Econ Meeting | ||
| 15/09/2025 | 1230/0830 | ** | Monthly Survey of Manufacturing | |
| 15/09/2025 | 1230/0830 | ** | Wholesale Trade | |
| 15/09/2025 | 1230/0830 | ** | Empire State Manufacturing Survey | |
| 15/09/2025 | 1300/0900 | * | CREA Existing Home Sales | |
| 15/09/2025 | 1530/1130 | * | US Treasury Auction Result for 13 Week Bill | |
| 15/09/2025 | 1530/1130 | * | US Treasury Auction Result for 26 Week Bill | |
| 15/09/2025 | 1810/2010 | ECB Lagarde at Institut Montaigne Paris | ||
| 15/09/2025 | - | FOMC Meetings with S.E.P. | ||
| 16/09/2025 | 0600/0700 | *** | Labour Market - AWE & Unemployment | |
| 16/09/2025 | 0600/0700 | *** | Labour Market - AWE & Unemployment | |
| 16/09/2025 | 0600/0700 | *** | Labour Market - Payrolls & Claimants | |
| 16/09/2025 | 0600/0700 | *** | Labour Market - Payrolls & Claimants | |
| 16/09/2025 | 0800/1000 | *** | HICP (f) | |
| 16/09/2025 | 0900/1100 | *** | ZEW Current Expectations Index | |
| 16/09/2025 | 0900/1000 | ** | Gilt Outright Auction Result | |
| 16/09/2025 | 0900/1100 | ** | EZ Industrial Production | |
| 16/09/2025 | 1215/0815 | ** | CMHC Housing Starts | |
| 16/09/2025 | 1230/0830 | *** | CPI | |
| 16/09/2025 | 1230/0830 | *** | Retail Sales | |
| 16/09/2025 | 1230/0830 | ** | Import/Export Price Index | |
| 16/09/2025 | 1230/0830 | *** | Retail Sales | |
| 16/09/2025 | 1255/0855 | ** | Redbook Retail Sales Index | |
| 16/09/2025 | 1315/0915 | *** | Industrial Production |