Public Markets 3h Briefing
×Last updated: August 11, 2026, 2:41 AM ET
Equities
FTSE 100 futures bloomberg.com held steady as attention turned to the oil rally, while the Stoxx 600 ft.com has risen 12% this year on Europe’s investment revival. TSMC wsj.com could see central processing units become a new growth driver as agentic AI takes off, according to Bernstein analysts. Nvidia ft.com is assembling a $500bn funding package for AI infrastructure with Wall Street groups.
Commodities
Aluminum bloomberg.com advanced to a seven-week high as fading prospects for a Hormuz deal fueled supply concerns. Copper bloomberg.com shipments from Indonesia are delayed after a boiler leak halted the Gresik smelter that processes ore from the Grasberg mine. German truckers ft.com are taking the load as drought hits Rhine shipping, with states lifting the Sunday lorry ban amid warnings of a GDP hit.
Currencies
The yuan bloomberg.com may resume its march against the dollar next month as seasonal factors and strong exports lift the Chinese currency, analysts say.
Deals & Corporate
A potential $400bn tie-up between AstraZeneca ft.com and Bristol Myers Squibb unravelled after an FT report; a merger would have marked a return to pharma megadeals. Hanwha Aerospace ft.com has made a $1.2bn bid for Austal’s US unit, which sells ships to the navy and coastguard, in a South Korean defence push. Nick Blair ft.com, son of former UK PM Tony Blair, is seeking funding for defence tech start-up Pyra. UK lawmakers warned that banks’ refusal ft.com to take on crypto firms risks stunting the industry’s growth.
Economy & Policy
EU border checks ft.com have doubled waiting times at major airports, with peak times hitting two hours in Frankfurt and Amsterdam. A carbon tax ft.com will hit EU budget airlines where it hurts, while long-haul carriers may benefit. The Bank of England ft.com needs more parliamentary attention, as further scrutiny would strengthen independence. Spain’s migrant crisis ft.com exposes serious challenges for young Moroccans as the country’s failure to translate growth into better living standards drives migration attempts. The AI threat ft.com to India’s IT jobs machine is growing, as disruption looms for the country’s tech‑services bet. A 30-person start-up ft.com in London, Cosine, has UK government backing to build a “sovereign AI” model.
Politics & Geopolitics
Trump nytimes.com secretly used a military jet to leave Turkey amid threats, hiding in an airport catering container after a NATO summit. Farage nytimes.com faced a protester with a trash can on his head, illustrating modern election tactics. Jimmy Kimmel nytimes.com wondered if Trump got a wig, with guest host Anthony Anderson joking about weaves. The FirstFT ft.com also covers Spain’s migrant amnesty and a Turkish law on Kurdish militants, while a former M&A reporter ft.com confesses to malice and aspirations at the billion‑dollar rumour mill.
Travel & Tourism
Hotel prices ft.com in Europe are surging ahead of a historic eclipse, with tourists rushing to Iceland and Spain. Meanwhile, Italians nytimes.com set up a curling rink near the Colosseum despite a heat wave, hoping to capitalize on the Winter Olympics phenomenon.
Energy & Environment
Activists ft.com are battling solar panel cowboy installers as complaints about faults and fakes surge alongside renewable‑energy adoption.
Notable Deaths
Jake Whisenant nytimes.com, who raced up Yosemite’s El Capitan at record speed in under three hours in 2024, died in a climbing accident, authorities said.