Public Markets 3h Briefing

Last updated: August 10, 2026, 2:40 AM ET

Equities

UK stocks are set to fall at the open, with the FTSE 100 bloomberg.com declining in early trade as the pound steadied. A broad rally in emerging-market assets pushed emerging-market stocks bloomberg.com and currencies higher after Friday’s unexpectedly weak US jobs report eased expectations for Federal Reserve rate hikes. In Asia, Indonesian stocks bloomberg.com advanced toward bull-market territory, buoyed by signs of a resilient economy and receding market concerns. The recent rally in tobacco shares has been supported by a cultural shift, as smoking ft.com returns to fashion after two decades of decline, driven by “cigfluencer” trends on social media.

Currencies & Commodities

The pound held steady after a volatile week, while London ft.com is plotting a digital gold pivot to protect its bullion trading dominance, with the FCA seeking to encourage the digitisation of financial markets. In the energy sector, Adnoc Gas wsj.com committed to invest more than $8 billion in expansion, a move freed by the UAE’s exit from OPEC cartel restrictions. Commodity supply chains are being reshaped by geopolitical shifts: the US backed an Australian rare earth miner, Sunrise Energy ft.com, with a $400mn loan to develop a scandium project, aiming to cut out China.