E.U.: ECB urges Europe-wide trading platform for bad bank loans The European Central Bank called on Monday for the creation of a private sector platform to trade in soured bank debt, hoping to kickstart a dysfunctional market weighing on the bank sector. Euro zone banks are sitting on around 800 billion euros worth of non-performing

Asia: Chinese bankers, property developers downbeat on 2018 credit conditions Most Chinese bankers and property developers at a recent closed-door meeting expect growth in credit to real estate firms will taper off next year, said two sources who attended the gathering, amid a government clampdown on inflated home prices. Funding channels for developers have shrunk

E.U.: ECB split over keeping bond buys open-ended: minutes European Central Bank policymakers broadly agreed last month on extending their asset purchase scheme but a decision to keep the bond buys open-ended appeared to generate fiercer debate, minutes of the meeting released on Thursday showed. Having to reconcile rapid economic growth with anemic inflation, the

U.S.: Fed Debate Over Rate-Hike Pace in Focus Amid Strong Job Market Federal Reserve officials have penciled in a gradual path for raising interest rates, but minutes of their last meeting may show increasing concern that the U.S. labor market is overheating. Scheduled for release at 2 p.m. in Washington on Wednesday, the minutes of the

E.U.: ECB Is Said Likely to Take Small Steps in QE Exit Guidance The European Central Bank is likely to make multiple small adjustments to its guidance on monetary policy next year rather than any major change in language as it ends quantitative easing, according to euro-area officials familiar with the thinking of policy makers.

U.S.: U.S. Home Starts Climb to Highest Level in a Year, Permits Rise U.S. new-home construction rebounded in October to the fastest pace in a year, partly reflecting recovery efforts in the hurricane-stricken South, government figures showed Friday. A pickup in permit applications for one- family dwellings indicates building will remain firm in coming months.

U.S.: U.S. Jobless Claims at Six-Week High Amid Holiday Volatility U.S. filings for unemployment benefits rose to a six-week high, a move that may partly owe to volatility around the Veterans Day holiday, Labor Department figures showed Thursday. Highlights of Jobless Claims (Week ended Nov. 11) Jobless claims increased by 10k to 249k (est. 235k)

U.S.: U.S. consumer prices rise marginally, core CPI firming U.S. consumer prices barely rose in October as the boost to gasoline prices from hurricane-related disruptions to Gulf Coast oil refineries were unwound, but rising rents and healthcare costs pointed to a gradual buildup of underlying inflation. The Labor Department said on Wednesday its Consumer Price

Europe: Europe needs fresh push at overhauling banking sector - IMF The International Monetary Fund urged Europe to make a fresh push at strengthening its banking sector on Tuesday, calling for weak institutions to be closed, bigger financial safety buffers and a revival of cross-border M&A. In the text of a speech to a banking