• The euro climbed to a three-day high on Thursday on hedging-related demand from bond investors before a European Central Bank policy meeting next week, though political uncertainty around Catalonia crimped gains.
The single currency EUR=EBS rose 0.3 percent in early trades to $1.1822 to its highest level in three sessions.
• The constitutional crisis between Spain and Catalonia could result in the now-mythical "Article 155" being invoked by the Spanish government on Thursday in a last bid to bring the region's pro-independence government to heel.
Article 155 refers to the section within Spain's constitution where it states that any largely autonomous community must fulfill its obligations to the Spanish state, or else risk having its powers taken away.
• U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said before a visit to India next week that the Trump administration wanted to “dramatically deepen” cooperation with New Delhi, seeing it as a key partner in the face of negative Chinese influence in Asia.
In another comment likely to upset Beijing, he said Washington saw room to invite others, including Australia, to join U.S.-India-Japan security cooperation, something Beijing has opposed as an attempt by democracies to gang up on it.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China supports an open world economy and pledged further liberalization of its market to foreign investors — even as he touted the benefits of a socialist system at opening of the 19th Communist Party Congress.
In a three-and-a-half hour speech both retrospective and forward-looking, Xi discussed China's progress and signaled how China sees its national development and international role in the next five years.
Of particular interest to investors will be how the world's second-largest economy will move forward as authorities attempt to clean up the fallout from three decades of breakneck growth.
In his speech, Xi said China will push ahead with market-oriented reforms of its foreign exchange rate as well as its financial system, letting the market play a decisive role in the allocation of resources.
• British Prime Minister Theresa May will promise on Thursday to make it as easy as possible for European Union citizens living in Britain to stay after Brexit, trying to unlock stalled talks that have spurred calls for her to walk away.
• OPEC members are reportedly forming a consensus around extending their production cutting deal with other crude exporters by nine months, a move that would help to put a floor under oil prices.
That would prolong the agreement among OPEC, Russia and other oil-producing nations to keep 1.8 million barrels a day off the market through the whole of next year. The exporters reached the deal last December and have already extended the agreement once through March of 2018.
Sources told Reuters that OPEC may not agree to the extension at its next policy meeting in November. Instead, they may wait until early next year to make a final decision.
• Oil prices steadied on Thursday, holding onto most recent gains, supported by OPEC-led supply cuts, tension in the Middle East and lower U.S. production.
Brent crude was down 20 cents at $57.95 a barrel by 0745 GMT, still around 30 percent above mid-year levels. U.S. light crude was 20 cents lower at $51.84, almost 25 percent higher than its lows in June.
Reference: Reuters, CNBC
Thai
Eng