U.S. stocks rebound from a tough first half in July, shrugging off inflationary concerns to notch their best monthly performance in more than two years. HSBC reports a 15% drop in first half profit as Europe's biggest bank wrestles with rising credit losses. Demand weakness and Covid curbs hit China's manufacturing sector as factory activity shrinks in July, and EU member states prepare to tighten their belts for a long cold winter, as a voluntary 15% cut in natural gas consumption comes into effect.

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