Stock markets rallied on Monday, and ‘haven’ assets pulled back, with investors squarely focused on monetary policy ahead of the Federal Reserve’s annual economic conference later this week.

Shares in embattled low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle rose by 9 per cent on Monday morning after the carrier sold its entire shareholding in its former bank subsidiary.

British outsourcer Mitie is to sell its catering division to specialist caterer CH&CO for £85m as part of an overhaul process that has seen it look to narrow its focus.

A wave of sluggish economic growth across Asia has arrived on the shores of Thailand, with the south-east Asian nation reporting its weakest rate of quarterly expansion in almost five years amid a slowdown in tourism and rising trade tensions.

Exports from Japan fell at a slower rate than forecast in July, marking an improvement on the previous month as shipments to Asia dipped amid global trade tensions.

Major international airports across the US warned passengers of long delays when arriving from overseas after the computer system used to process customs forms went down.

An annual gathering of central bankers in Wyoming and minutes from the latest policy meetings at the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank will give investors fresh insight into monetary policy, amid growing reservations about the health of the global economy.

Wall Street recovered some of its lost ground on Friday, but the gains were not enough to prevent US equities from posting their third consecutive weekly decline, underlining investor fears about the precariousness of the global economy.

Fitch Ratings has downgraded Argentina, citing concerns about the country’s capacity to repay its debt following a collapse in the peso triggered by the surprise victory of Peronist Alberto Fernández over incumbent president Mauricio Macri in recent primary elections.

The teeth straightening company SmileDirectClub said it plans to go public as an umbrella partnership corporation, or up-C, becoming the latest example of the organisational structure known for granting tax benefits to company insiders.

US consumer sentiment fell more than expected in August to its lowest level in seven months, data on Friday showed, as monetary and trade policies heightened uncertainty about their financial outlook.

Rashida Tlaib said Friday she would not travel to Israel despite a government reprieve allowing her a “humanitarian visit” to the West Bank, a day after the US congresswoman had been barred from visiting over her support for a group promoting anti-Israel boycotts.

The rate of US new home construction fell by the most in five months in July, led by apartments, despite lower mortgage rates, data on Friday showed.

A High Court judge in the UK has taken the unprecedented step of blocking the proposed transfer of £12bn of annuities from Prudential to Rothesay Life, raising questions about the potential for other big life insurance deals.

US tractor maker Deere & Co has cut its full-year earnings forecast for the second time in four months as the US-China trade war continues to hit American farmers.

Trade between eurozone member states contracted in June at the fastest pace in over six years, raising fears that the US-China trade dispute is starting to hit European exports.

Hong Kong’s economy grew at its slowest annual pace since the financial crisis in the second quarter, official data showed, as the Asian finance hub struggles amid simmering trade tensions and ongoing political turmoil. Worse could be yet to come. 

A software glitch on the London Stock Exchange caused a nearly two-hour delay to the start of trading on Friday, in the most serious malfunction for the LSE in eight years.

A rescue deal for British Steel is in sight after a Turkish investment group owned by the country’s military pension fund reached a provisional agreement for a takeover of the stricken company.

North Korea has fired two projectiles into the Sea of Japan and rejected calls for dialogue with Seoul, in a blow for South Korean president Moon Jae-in’s efforts to resume talks. 

Japan edged out China as the largest holder of US Treasuries in June, as optimism about the world’s biggest superpowers minting a trade deal began to fade.

Shares in US chipmaker Nvidia climbed 7 per cent in after-market trading on Thursday after quarterly numbers that showed a hoped-for rebound at the chipmaker was still on track, despite the latest economic and political uncertainties.

The European Central Bank has closed down another Latvian bank after ruling it had become insolvent, pulling the plug on a lender that was a vocal critic of the Baltic country’s financial authorities.

A sharp rally in government bonds set fresh records on Thursday, with the yield on 30-year US government bonds falling below 2 per cent for the first time as investors sought safety amid growing fears over the global economy and renewed trade tensions.