United States

With the traditional post-payrolls market lull setting in, and most trading desks taking a week or two off, it will be a relatively quiet week with attention turning to inflation data with releases in the US, China, Norway & Switzerland, a key factor as central banks consider if/when to tighten in the near future. The US print will gain most attention: a strong number will validate the Fed's balance sheet unwind intentions and a potential December rate hike.

• Futures slightly higher after Dow's record run (Reuters)
• Tillerson says U.S., Russia can settle differences (Reuters)
• Hot-Stock Rally Tests the Patience of Value Investors (WSJ)
• ‘Good Conservative’ Grassley Ramps Up His Panel’s Trump-Russia Probe (BBG)
• Brands Strike Back: Seven Strategies to Loosen Amazon’s Grip (WSJ)
• Oil slides from nine-week highs as market looks to OPEC (Reuters)
• BlackRock, Vanguard Say Bond Market's Got This Trade All Wrong (BBG)
• Bond Bears Balk at 'Trade of Decade' (BBG)

For all the hope that this weekend's UN breakthrough, in which the Security Council voted unanimously 15-0 to impose $1 billion in sanctions on North Korea exports, that saw both China and Russia side with the US, would lead to a resolution of the North Korean crisis, it appears that the rogue regime refuses to even contemplate a negotiation or a cooling of tensions and on Monday, North Korea threatened to use nuclear weapons against the U.S. if provoked militarily and said it would “under no circumstances” negotiate on its nuclear and missile weapons programs.

Authored by Pepe Escobar via InformationClearingHouse.info,

The Empire of Whiners simply can't get enough when it comes to huff, puff and pout as the Empire of Sanctions.

With an Orwellian 99% majority that would delight the Kim dynasty in North Korea, the "representative democracy" Capitol Hill has bulldozed its latest House/Senate sanctions package, aimed mostly at Russia, but also targeting Iran and North Korea.

The United States is home to 105 unicorn companies valued at $1B+.

As of 7/25/2017, CBInsights.com reports that six private US companies are worth over $10B. The two most valuable unicorns in the US are Uber ($68B) and Airbnb ($29.3B). Palantir Technologies and WeWork, both valued at $20B, are tied for third.

Of the top four highest valued, only WeWork (which is based in NYC) is headquartered outside California.