Federal Government

In a mixed session, which has seen Asian stocks ex-Japan broadly higher, the European Stoxx 600 index dropped as much as 0.6% after data Markit PMI data signalled euro-area economy grew in July at its slowest pace in six months while carmakers extended declines on continued concern about antitrust collusion in the industry.  Germany’s DAX Index was hardest-hit euro-area benchmark, down as much as 0.8%. Autos continued to be the worst-performing sector on the Stoxx Europe 600 after EU and German regulators said they are studying possible collusion among German automakers.

Authored by Soeren Kern via The Gatestone Institute,

Two months after the Fed fined Deutsche Bank a paltry $157 million for manipulating currency markets after the German bank's traders were found to be using "chat rooms" to rig FX trading, we learn that there was more gambling going on here, and on Monday the Fed announced that it will fine French BNP Paribas $246 million "for the firm's unsafe and unsound practices in the foreign exchange (FX) markets."

It was another painfully low-volume overnight session, which however did not prevent global stocks from hitting another record highs, capping their best week in over two months as the dollar stayed close to nine-month lows following Yellen's dovish retreat in which she noted caution on persistently low inflation (hence today's CPI print will be especially important) as odds of future rate hikes in 2017 and 2018 dropped.

Noting that she is "looking very closely at inflation," The Fed's Lael Brainard continued the recent trend of warnings from Fed speakers by noting "asset valuations do look a bit stretched," which seemed to take some of the exuberance out of stocks...

Brainard adds to the list of Fed worriers, as we detailed previously...