(Bloomberg) -- Want the lowdown on what's moving European markets in your inbox every morning? Sign up here.Good morning. The week rolls on towards several big events as hopes for a U.S.-China trade deal remain, the U.K.
election zeroes in on the key issues and impeachment looms. Here’s what’s moving markets.Trade DealsThe clock ticks down another day towards the imposition of new
tariffs on Chinese goods by the U.S. this weekend, though Chinese officials continue to express hope that a good deal will be reached in time. President Donald Trump’s agriculture chief also thinks
China will be spared the new tariffs as the round-the-clock talks continue. On another trade front, however, the Trump administration and House
Democrats are moving closer to reaching a deal on the new
NAFTA agreement.Brexit and the NHSThe U.K. election campaign remains centered on the two issues that have been at the forefront throughout,
Brexit and the National Health Service. Conservative leader
Boris Johnson was put on the defensive by questions over a picture of a young boy lying atop clothes on a hospital floor, but his party remains firmly in the lead in the polls as we stare down the final days. For investors, the spotlight is on the pound, where investors are taking advantage of the low cost of betting on a rally and signals from technical indicators that have proved right in the past decade.BanksBankers at two of the world's top firms will be experiencing very different festive seasons. Morgan Stanley is cutting around 1,500 jobs as part of a year-end cull, a familiar sight among investment banks dealing with a slowdown in activity in the past year. Barclays Plc, meanwhile, is promoting people to managing director as it goes against the grain by seeking to boost the size of its investment bank. All in the shadow of a major investment bank revamp at HSBC Holdings Plc.ImpeachmentU.S. House Democrats are planning to level two articles of impeachment at President Trump on Tuesday over abuse of power and obstruction, according to people familiar. The Democrats appear to be heading toward tightly drawn articles of impeachment and once done, the Democrat-controlled House is likely to vote to impeach before the Republican-led
Senate likely votes to acquit. Expect plenty of back-and-forth between Trump and lawmakers before then.Coming Up…Similar to Monday, Asian stocks remained in a holding pattern ahead of the Federal Reserve decision on Wednesday and, once again, European stock futures are providing little hint on the direction. A few pieces of salient data will arrive, including the ZEW survey of economic sentiment, industrial production for
France and
Italy and GDP numbers for the U.K. Earnings remain relatively thin on the ground, but we will have industrial equipment rental firm Ashtead Group Plc, often a good proxy for the health of the U.S. construction industry.What We’ve Been ReadingThis is what’s caught our eye over the past 24 hours. Germany’s now Europe’s biggest electric car market. Gold’s been on a tear and that may continue in 2020. Golden Globe-nominated directors are very male this year. WeWork’s co-founder is considering selling his penthouse. The “Fangirls” defending China from Hong Kong protestors. The space junk cleanup is set to begin. Bloomberg’s Jealousy List of the stories we wish we’d done.Like Bloomberg's Five Things? Subscribe for unlimited access to trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and gain expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close.Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can't find anywhere else. Learn more.To contact the author of this story: Sam Unsted in
London at sunsted@bloomberg.netTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Celeste Perri at cperri@bloomberg.netFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.