Squawk Box Europe Express

Noted. The White House releases the transcript of the phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky, which reveal the U.S. president asked for help in investigating Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son over links to a Ukrainian energy company. We are live with the latest from Kiev as attention turns to the complaint from the whistleblower - expected to be made public today. U.S. stocks jump after Trump hints that a trade deal with Beijing could come sooner than expected while Washington signs a trade deal with Tokyo focused on agriculture, autos and digital. In the U.K., Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to parliament since the suspension and is met by angry lawmakers demanding his resignation. And the ECB sees a high profile exit, as Sabine Lautenschlager quits from the central bank’s board over its latest easy money measures.  

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Impeachment inquiry… U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi launches an official probe into President Trump over alleged abuse of power during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy, saying “no one is above the rule of law.” The news sends the S&P 500 lower, with the index logging its worst day in a month, and garners a furious reaction from Trump who calls the move “witch hunt garbage”. He also promises to release a transcript of the conversation in which he is accused of seeking dirt on political rival, former U.S. vice-president Joe Biden. In the U.K., opposition leaders call on Boris Johnson to resign after the Supreme Court rules his suspension of parliament is unlawful, prompting the British Prime Minister to cut short his visit to New York. And in corporate news, office rental firm WeWork CEO Adam Neumann resigns in the face of shareholder pressure following his failed attempt to take the company public.

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A long goodbye… Outgoing ECB President Mario Draghi says the bank is ready to cut rates again ahead of his final meeting next month. His successor, Christine Lagarde, tells CNBC she is concerned that on-going trade tensions between the US and China will hang over economic growth like a ‘big, dark cloud’. We are live in Westminster ahead of the U.K. Supreme Court ruling over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament. And in corporate news, brewing giant AB Inbev raises $5bn for its Asian business in what is set to be the second-largest IPO of the year.

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End of an era… UK travel company Thomas Cook collapses, sparking the biggest peacetime repatriation of British citizens in history. We have the latest from the chair of the Civil Aviation Authority. Oil prices surge as the U.S. sends additional troops to the Gulf further heightening tensions with Iran. We hear exclusively from Saudi foreign minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, who calls Tehran’s threats ‘ridiculous and laughable’. Asian stocks fall following shortened U.S.-China trade talks despite the Ministry of Commerce calling the negotiations constructive. And the Bank for International Settlements voices fears about negative interest rates. UBS chairman Axel Weber tells CNBC they are beginning to affect the investor environment.

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The world’s top money managers and policymakers talk to CNBC at the exclusive Delivering Alpha conference. Vice-President Mike Pence tells CNBC that he hopes for a U.S.-China trade deal to come into fruition, but the days of U.S. economic surrender are over, as deputy-level talks resume in Washington. Hedge fund giants and asset management bosses like Leon Cooperman, Luke Ellis and Mary Callahan Erdoes warn that negative rates are hurting savers, defying the normal rules of economics and calling it the “most absurd thing” central banks have ever done. And in Germany, the government is in intense negotiations to agree on an extensive green investment program potentially worth €40bn.  

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Blurred vision…Federal Reserve President Jerome Powell cuts rates by 25bps for only the second time in a decade. However, the central bank takes a more hawkish stance than markets expected and fails to give clear direction on future policy, revealing increasing divisions on the board. President Trump once again slams the Fed for its opacity and ‘lack of guts’. Over in Japan, the BoJ keeps rates steady but suggests it may provide new stimulus measures next month. Saudi Arabian authorities display debris they say was found at the scene of last weekend’s attacks on Aramco, while on a visit to the kingdom, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls the incidents tantamount to an act of war.

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“Like a phoenix from the ashes” - Saudi energy minister Abdulaziz bin Salman seeks to calm oil markets, saying the kingdom's supply will be fully back online by the end of the month. We are live in Jeddah as crude oil extends its losses on the back of the Saudi government's assurances following the Aramco attacks. U.S. stocks rise ahead of a widely anticipated 25 basis-point cut in interest rates from the FOMC. A CNBC survey shows that more than 90 per cent of market participants expect further easing in December. But hopes of a trade deal between Washington and Beijing have been dealt a blow after President Trump suggested it may have to wait until after next year’s U.S. election. CNBC hears exclusively from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who says a multi-lateral approach with Beijing would have been preferable. And we report from Israel, where there is no clear winner in the nation’s second election in five months.

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The Saudi strikes lead to an oil shock for the global economy. Crude prices trim gains after Brent has its best day on record following the attacks on Saudi Aramco's facilities. President Trump says Iran looks to be the likely culprit but plays down the prospect of armed conflict, saying he is in no rush to respond. He also hinted that the move in energy assets is reason enough for the Federal Reserve to cut rates. The geopolitical risk weighs on Asian stocks, but there is a ray of hope for U.S.-China trade talks as Washington and Beijing confirm that deputy-level negotiations are set to resume later this week. In Europe, however, Brexit talks remain in deadlock following U.K. Prime Minister’s visit to Luxembourg while the Supreme Court in London is set to hear whether his proroguing of parliament is indeed lawful.

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Strike on Saudi Arabia… Crude prices surge after attacks shut down two of Saudi Arabia’s largest energy facilities, slashing the kingdom’s output by half. Washington blames Iran for the incident but Tehran has denied any involvement. President Trump tweets the U.S. is ‘locked and loaded’ depending on the verification of the culprit, while also authorising the release of American petroleum reserves. We are live in Riyadh for the latest. Chinese industrial output growth slows to a 17-year low in August amid further signs that the trade war with Washington is hurting China’s economy. We are also live in Luxembourg ahead of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s meeting with outgoing European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

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Draghi delivers…global stocks move into the green with the Dow hitting a record high after outgoing ECB President Mario Draghi offers the euro zone a sweeping stimulus package featuring a rate cut and a new bond-buying programme. EU commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis responds to Draghi’s call for fiscal action, telling CNBC it will be discussed by European finance ministers in Helsinki. Investors will now turn their attention to the Federal Reserve’s rate decision next week. Asian stocks receive a boost as President Trump delays tariffs on Chinese goods and hints at a possible interim trade agreement with Beijing. In Abu Dhabi, OPEC ministers demand that members accelerate agreed oil production cuts while Russian energy minister Alexander Novak tells CNBC exclusively that President Trump’s market-moving tweets ultimately have zero-impact on his forecasting considerations.

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