What I Am Reading

October 18 (Friday) Markets Stocks Climb on Strong Earnings, Brexit Deal (W) US Manufacturing Sputters as Broader U.S. Economy Slows (W) U.S. Consumers’ Comfort in Buying Climate Climbs to Record High (B) Europe EU and U.K. Reach a Brexit Deal, But It Quickly Hits a Snag (B) EU Shuts Down Talk of Fallback If Deal Defeated: Brexit Update (B) US politics Medicare for All Loses Support Amid Lack of Detail on Costs to Voters (W) Geopolitics & trade Turkey, U.S. Agree to Brief Cease-Fire to Allow Kurdish Retreat (B) Trump to Host G-7 at Miami Resort, Sparking Conflict Claims (B) Industries & companies Autos: GM deal with UAW includes closing three US plants, $11,000 ‘ratification’ bonuses (C) Financials: Goldman Sachs CEO Solomon says the bank’s investment in WeWork is still profitable at this time (C) Logistics: Fred Smith Created FedEx. Now He Has to Reinvent It. (W) Corporate finance Saudi Aramco delays planned IPO to allow for earnings update: sources (R) WeWork could run out of cash by mid-November — here’s what would happen next (C) Airbnb’s cash numbers could show that it’s not another WeWork in the making (C) Offbeat The latest in the brokerage wars: Charles Schwab will allow people to buy fractions of stocks (C)

October 17 (Thursday) Markets Stock Market Refuses to Cooperate With Trump’s ‘Up Big’ Call (B) Central banks Charles Evans Says Fed May Want to Cut Interest Rates Again (B) Fed’s Brainard Views Cost-Benefit of Negative Rates Unattractive (B) The Fed Is Buying Treasurys Again. Just Don’t Call It Quantitative Easing. (W) Record-Low 0.0000000091% Yield on Japan Bond Shows BOJ Effect (B) Germany’s Central-Bank Chief Warns of U.S.-Europe Trade-War Dangers (W) US U.S. Economy Flashes Vivid Contradictions With Housing, Retail (B) Europe European Officials Strike Upbeat Tone on Brexit Deal (W) Geopolitics & trade ‘Don’t be a fool!’ Trump letter warned Turkey’s Erdogan against Syria offensive (C) Democrats say they left White House meeting on Syria after Trump ‘meltdown’ (C) Industries & companies Autos: GM, UAW agree on tentative labor contract that could end a monthlong strike by 48,000 workers (C) FAANGs: Netflix soars after beating on earnings, despite miss on subscribers (C) FAANGs: Inside Facebook’s Botched Attempt to Start a New Cryptocurrency (W) Financials: Bank of America Profit Falls on Charge (W) Materials: Alcoa Plans Up to $1 Billion in Assets Sales as Demand Sags (B) Pharma: J&J Offers $4 Billion Opioid Litigation Settlement (W) Retail: U.S. Retail Sales Unexpectedly Drop in Signal of Shaky Consumer (B) Retail: Retail Stocks Shrug Off Weak Data (W) Tech: IBM Earnings Fall in Prolonged Sales Slump (W) Transports: CEO of the largest US trucking company predicts ‘difficult’ quarter for transport industry (C) Corporate finance T-Mobile Purchase of Sprint Clears FCC Vote, Heads to Court (B)

October 16 (Wednesday) Markets Global stocks jump on report Brexit deal may be close, oil slips (R) Brexit Hopes Carry Pound and Banking Stocks Higher (W) Earnings season Earnings season gets off to a great start with only two misses (C) Wall Street gains as earnings season begins in earnest (R) Central banks Fed’s James Bullard Cites Risk of Slowing Economy (W) Fed’s Daly Still Weighing Her Rate View (W) Global Global Economy on Course for Weakest Growth Since Crisis (W) Trade Woes Push IMF Global Growth Outlook to Decade-Low of 3% (B) Removing U.S.-Chinese tariffs would boost global economy 0.8%: IMF (R) US Lower mortgage rates are causing an epic housing shortage (C) Europe Brexit Talks Edge Closer to a Deal (W) China As Facebook’s libra faces headwinds, China is racing to launch its own global cryptocurrency (C) US politics Warren pledges to turn down money from Big Tech and top Wall Street executives (C) Biden vs. Warren: A Difference of Philosophy, Not Just Policy (W) Trump is on his way to an easy win in 2020, according to Moody’s accurate election model (C) House Democrats will hold off on full vote authorizing impeachment probe: source (R) Pence, Giuliani Say They Won’t Give Congress Documents in Trump Impeachment Inquiry (W) Geopolitics & trade U.S. House Passes Bill Aimed at Supporting Hong Kong Protests (B) U.S. to Try Diplomacy in Turkey as Russian Forces Swoop Into Syria (W) Industries & companies Autos: GM labor talks with UAW could be ‘in the home stretch’ as CEO Mary Barra joins negotiations (C) Aerospace: Pictures Raise Specter of Fake Evidence in 737 Max Crash Probe (B) FAANGs: Google’s aggressive ‘ambient computing’ strategy means it wants to be everywhere (C) FAANGs: She Fined Tech Giants Billions of Dollars. Now She Wants Sharper Tools. (W) Financials: JPMorgan Flexes Muscle as Goldman Stumbles (W) Financials: Dimon Says Regulation Limited JPMorgan From Calming Repo Market (B) Health Care: Health-Care Stocks Get a Welcome Respite (W) Pharma: Drug Distributors Are in Talks to Pay $18 Billion to Settle Opioid Litigation (W) Pharma: Johnson & Johnson Raises Outlook, Beats Profit Estimates (W)

October 15 (Tuesday) Earnings season Wall Street faces a tough earnings season: ‘Caution probably makes sense right now’ (C) Industrial earnings take center stage in third quarter with trade, economy in focus (R) 5 prominent U.S. companies are most at fault for the earnings recession (MW) Markets U.S. Stocks Inch Lower in Quiet Session (W) Investors Pull Money Out of Stock Funds, Squeezing Money Managers (W) Oil Takes Hit Amid Wariness Over Trade Deal (W) Central banks China, Facing Slowdown, Unlikely to Push for More Stimulus (W) Kuroda Is on Course to Shrink the Bank of Japan’s Bond Holding (B) Europe Boris Johnson’s Brexit Deal On Knife Edge as EU Needs More Time (B) Give Us Your Rich, Europe Tells the U.K. (W) China China Widens Its Data Collection Through Popular App and Translation Service (W) US politics Mike Bloomberg keeps talking to allies about running for president as Joe Biden struggles against Elizabeth Warren (C) Geopolitics & trade Hold the ‘champagne’: What Chinese state media are saying about the trade talks (C) Beijing is ‘relieved’ by partial trade agreement, says Trump outside advisor on China (C) Are U.S.-Chinese tariffs on almost everything the ‘new normal’? (R) Trump halts trade negotiations with Turkey, raises its steel tariffs to 50% (C) Pence headed to Turkey as U.S. calls for cease-fire in Syria (MW) Industries & companies Aerospace: Boeing’s New Chairman Is a Boardroom Force Familiar With Crises (W) Autos: Auto analyst Jonas says investors ‘comfortable’ with GM strike despite potential multibillion cost (C) Pharma: Johnson & Johnson’s Legal Challenges Mount (W) Corporate finance Biggest U.S. IPOs Fall or Keep Falling Amid Gains Elsewhere (B) SoftBank Seeks WeWork Control Via Financing Package (W) Barneys’ New Suitor Seeks Tie-Up With Saks (W) Offbeat Companies Say Costs of Complying With Goodwill Accounting Rules Outweigh Benefits (W) AI Has Learned to Create Fake News Stories (W)

October 14 (Monday) Markets & investing Wall Street has doubts after partial trade deal: ‘I don’t think this gets us to Christmas’ (C) What to watch in third quarter earnings from U.S. companies (R) Stocks’ Path Toward Records Led by Defensive Plays (W) Investors are flocking to money markets at the highest rate since the financial crisis (C) Harvard and Yale Missed the Stock Market Rally. Here’s Why. (BR) The Case for Investing in Water (BR) Pensions Really Matter for Stocks. Here’s What Investors Need to Know After GE’s Freeze. (BR) Central banks Fed Will Purchase Treasury Bills at Least Into Second Quarter of 2020 (W) Fed’s Kashkari: If Data Continues As It Has, Another Rate Cut Is Warranted (W) Global Is the World Economy Sliding Into First Recession Since 2009? (B) Europe Significant work to do, but Brexit deal still possible: UK PM Johnson (R) Weekend Talks Between EU and U.K. to Continue Monday, Says EU (W) 5 Years Into Negative Rates, Europe’s Banks Feel the Pain (BR) China U.S. Companies Faces New Challenges in China (BR) China’s Xi warns attempts to divide China will end in ‘shattered bones’ (R) Xi Jinping Comes to Nepal Bearing Investments, and India Is Watching (N) Emerging Mexico Could Win From the U.S.-China Trade War. Its President Isn’t Helping. (BR) US politics Hunter Biden resigns from Chinese firm following Trump attacks (C) Hunter Biden disputes Trump attacks of his work, wades into impeachment fight (R) Geopolitics & trade Trump defends Syria withdrawal amid reports of atrocities and ISIS supporters escaping (C) Trump tells Pentagon to begin withdrawing remaining troops from northern Syria (R) U.S. set to pull remaining troops from north Syria after Turkish incursion (R) Khamenei tells Iran’s Guards to develop advanced, modern weapons (R) Trump Says U.S. Treasury ‘Ready to Go’ With Sanctions on Turkey (B) U.S. Moves to Restart Taliban Peace Process (W) Industries & companies Aerospace: Costs pile up for airlines as Boeing 737 Max grounding enters eighth month (C) Autos: UAW boosts strike pay as GM walkout continues (R) Consumer: Kellogg Stock Looks Like It’s Worth Snacking On (BR) Energy: ‘Broken system’ starves U.S. oil boom of immigrant workers (R) FANG: How a massive Amazon wind farm promises to change a tiny town in rural America (C) Industrials: GE and 4 More Favorite Stocks From a Fan of Disruption (BR) Tech: Apple’s newest iPhone relies on cameras to hide its lack of innovation (C) Offbeat Investor Ken Fisher loses $600 million contract after making sexist comments at summit (C) Scientists endorse mass civil disobedience to force climate action (R) Kosgei shatters world marathon record, Cherono wins men’s race (R) Biles dazzles on floor to win record 25th world championship medal (R)

October 12 (Saturday) Markets Stocks Rally as U.S.-China Trade Talks Progress (W) These stocks could be the biggest winners if the US completes this phased trade deal with China (C) Wall Street jumps but ends off highs after partial trade deal (C) Central banks Trump says the Fed should cut rates anyway even though US and China have agreed to trade deal (C) QE, or Not QE? Impact of Fed Bond-Buying Will Depend on Treasury (B) Fed to Start Buying $60 Billion of Treasury Bills a Month From Oct. 15 (B) US A Bite-Size Trade Deal Won’t Save U.S. Industry (W) Earnings Season May Not Be as Bad as Investors Think (W) Europe Brexit Bounce: U.K. Assets Surge on Divorce-Deal Optimism (W) China Who Willed the Electric Car? China, and Here’s Why (W) US politics Indicted Giuliani associate worked for Ukrainian oligarch Firtash (R) Trump urges appeals court to shield tax returns from N.Y. prosecutors (R) Trump’s Stonewalling on Impeachment Shows Cracks With Testimony (B) Industries & companies Aerospace: Boeing’s board separates CEO, chairman roles (R) Autos: GM Talks With UAW Hit Impasse, Propelling Strike Into the Weekend (W) FAANGs: Facebook’s libra cryptocurrency coalition is falling apart as eBay, Visa, Mastercard and Stripe jump ship (C) Geopolitics & trade Trump says the US has come to a substantial phase one deal with China (C) US says China tariffs scheduled to rise on Tuesday suspended; no decision on other tariffs (C) U.S., China agree ‘Phase 1’ trade deal; Trump suspends October tariff hike (R) Trump administration clears the way for sanctions on Turkey: ‘We can shut down the Turkish economy’ (C) Corporate finance IAC Proposes to Spin Off Match (W) Technology Can an AI System Be Given a Patent? (W) Offbeat Secret Recordings Describe Extensive Corruption at Mexico’s Pemex (W)

October 11 (Friday) Markets Stock futures rise after optimistic Trump comments on US-China trade (C) Trade Talk Flop Would Hurt Stocks More Than Mini-Deal Would Help (B) These stocks are the China trade talks ‘tells’ — they’ll move on deal progress or a breakdown (C) Signs Point to Increase in Corporate Bond Sales (W) Central banks Fed eases post-crisis rules for domestic, foreign banks (R) Fed’s Kashkari to back rate cut, but does not expect recession: WSJ (R) US U.S. consumer inflation tame, labor market still tightening (R) That Superlow Mortgage Rate? It Could Be Even Lower (W) US politics Giuliani associates charged with illegally funneling cash to pro-Trump group (R) Trump says he hopes his lawyer Rudy Giuliani doesn’t get indicted (C) White House Shifted Authority Over Ukraine Aid Amid Legal Concerns (W) Geopolitics & trade Trump Says Day One of U.S.-China Trade Talks Went Very Well (B) Day 1 of U.S.-China trade talks ends with hopes for limited deal (R) Trump to Meet With China’s Top Trade Negotiator on Friday (W) Thousands flee, hundreds reported dead in Turkish attack on U.S.-allied Kurds in Syria (R) Industries & companies FAANGs: Apple deferred to the Chinese government long before the Hong Kong protests (C) Offbeat More than two dozen now dead from vaping lung illness as outbreak spreads, CDC says (C)

October 10 (Thursday) Markets Stocks rise for the first time in 3 days as traders hope for US-China trade progress (C) Trump Is Tweeting Less About China and That’s Good for Stocks (B) Central banks Fed Officials Last Month Worried Trade War Could Curb Hiring, Consumer Spending (W) Fed Minutes Show Debate Emerges on When to Halt Rate Cuts (B) Federal Reserve policymakers increasingly divided on way ahead, minutes show (R) Powell: Fed’s ‘significant’ political protection makes public outreach an ‘obligation’ (R) Greece, Once in Crisis, Joins Negative-Rates Club (W) US Job Openings in U.S. Decline to Lowest Since March 2018 (B) Decreasing U.S. job openings point to cooling labor market (R) US politics Elizabeth Warren Vows to Remake Capitalism. Businesses Are Bracing. (W) Joe Biden calls for Trump’s impeachment for the first time (C) Sanders says he ‘misspoke’ about scaling back rallies after heart attack, vows ‘vigorous’ 2020 campaign (C) Geopolitics & trade China reportedly lowers expectations for progress on trade talks this week after US blacklist (C) Low expectations for trade talks: ‘If you’re looking for good news, they didn’t cancel the trip’ (C) China Open to Small Trade Deal If Trump Eases Tariff Threats (B) Trump says there is a ‘really good chance’ of U.S.-China trade deal (R) Trade Talks Resume at Pivotal Moment in U.S.-China Relations (W) Turkey Begins Offensive Against U.S. Ally in Syria (W) Industries & companies Aerospace: American Delays 737 MAX’s Return, Grounding Costs Mount (W) Autos: Tesla Needs Its Battery Maker. A Culture Clash Threatens Their Relationship. (W) Retail: Bed Bath & Beyond names Mark Tritton as President and CEO, stock soars (C) Utilities: Power Outage in California Affects Millions as PG&E Tries to Avoid Wildfire (W) Utilities: Next Part of Massive California Blackouts Starts Later Today (B) Cybersecurity Cambridge Analytica whistleblower: US heading in ‘same direction as China’ with online privacy (C) Marco Rubio Calls for Review of TikTok Deal (W) Offbeat Trump rips NBA players, officials for ‘pandering to China,’ but says league has to work out dispute on its own (C)

October 09 (Wednesday) Markets U.S. Stocks Fall on Trade Worries (W) Asian stocks fall by the most in a week as U.S.-China standoff escalates (R) Central banks Fed Chair Powell Signals Balance Sheet Will Grow Soon After Recent Market Turmoil (N) Fed’s Powell says U.S. expansion is ‘sustainable’ (R) Fed to Buy More Treasurys in Bid to Avoid Funding-Market Strains (W) US Weak U.S. producer inflation bolsters case for Fed rate cut (R) U.S. Producer Prices Unexpectedly Declined in September (W) UBS Warns of Weakness for U.S. Consumers Who Propel Economy (B) Europe Britain, EU Trade Blows Ahead of Brexit Deadline (W) China China’s surveillance firms defend themselves after US blacklisting and claims of human rights abuses (C) US politics Trump Spurns Cooperation in Impeachment Probe, Escalating Fight (B) Geopolitics & trade China ‘strongly urges’ US to remove sanctions and stop accusing it of human rights violations (C) U.S. visa move against China casts pall over talks to end trade war (R) The U.S.-China Relationship Is Swiftly Deteriorating by the Day (B) Expanded U.S. Trade Blacklist Hits Beijing’s AI Ambitions (W) Russian Operative Said ‘We Made America Great’ After Trump’s Win (B) Industries & companies Aerospace: Boeing 737 MAX’s Return to Service Faces Further Delays (W) FAANGs: Facebook’s Libra Hits Extra Regulatory Roadblocks in Europe (W) Pharma: J&J Hit With $8 Billion Jury Award Over Antipsychotic Drug (W) Restaurants: Food Makers Say Taste, Not Health, Drives Sales (W) Corporate finance Aramco IPO prospectus to be filed by end of the month, report says (C)

October 08 (Tuesday) Markets U.S. Stocks Tick Lower as Investors Await Trade Developments (W) Oil Prices Inch Lower as Dollar Rises Ahead of Trade Talks (W) Hedge Funds Post the Best Performance This Year Since 2013 (B) Central banks Fed Chair Powell Underscores Importance of Independent Central Bank (W) China China’s Riskiest Form of State Borrowing Enjoys a New Boom (W) US politics Polls begin to signal rising impeachment threat to Trump (C) Republican Canaries in the Impeachment Coal Mine (W) Appeals Court Stays Order That Trump Release Tax Returns (W) Economists Worry That MMT Is Winning the Argument in Washington (B) Geopolitics & trade Former Trump officials and lobbyists dined with Zelensky campaign at Trump hotel months before infamous phone call (C) Pentagon, White House Budget Office Get Ukraine Subpoenas (W) U.S. Adds Chinese Firms to Blacklist (W) U.S. Blacklists Eight Chinese Tech Companies on Rights Violations (B) Trump’s updated China blacklist slams shares of chipmaker Ambarella (C) Republican allies blast Trump’s decision to hand northern Syria over to Turkey (C) Trump Whipsaws on Turkey as Threat Follows Green Light on Syria (B) Industries & companies Aerospace: Boeing Sued by Southwest Pilots on ‘Rush’ to Sell Unsafe Max (B) Financials: HSBC Plans Job Cuts as Interim CEO Seeks to Make His Mark (W) Industrials: GE to Freeze Pensions for 20,000 Workers (W) Industrials: Larry Culp’s GE Plan: a Fix, Not a Reinvention (W) Technology: Samsung says its third-quarter profit likely fell 56% from a year earlier (C) Corporate finance WeWork Investors Turned Off by ‘Sloppy’ IPO Filings (W) Group Nine to Acquire PopSugar in Latest Wave of Digital Media Tie-Ups (W) Offbeat Researchers find e-cigarettes cause lung cancer in mice in first study tying vaping to cancer (C)