Monday 27 October 2025
The Mighty Headlines
Economics: US and China reach framework for trade deal
Business and markets: US stocks close at record highs ahead of key week
Foreign Affairs: Afghanistan and Pakistan clash at border again
Security and intelligence: Russia tests new nuclear-powered missile
Domestic politics: Powell elected as new Labour Party Deputy Leader
The Mighty Stats
FTSE = 9,645.62 (up 0.7%)
S&P 500 = 6,791.69 (up 0.79%)
Nasdaq = 23,204.87 (up 1.15%)
CAC40 = 8,225.63 (down 0.0018%)
£1 = $1.33 / €1.14
Lab / Con / Reform = 20 / 18 / 30 per cent
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The Mighty Detail
Economics: The US and China have agreed on the framework for a trade deal. It comes ahead of a meeting between President Trump and President Xi on Thursday.
China has said that its export restrictions on rare earths – which are critical to modern technology – will be delayed for a year.
The US Government, meanwhile, has suggested that a deal has been reached on the Chinese-owned TikTok but without giving further details.
Business and markets: The Dow Jones, S&P500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs on Friday. It follows cooler than expected US inflation (0.3 per cent in September) and the expectation that the US Federal Reserve will again cut interest rates on Wednesday.
This will also be a consequential week for markets because five of the so-called “Magnificent 7” (Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, Apple and Google) all report their earnings on Wednesday. Their shares dominate the stock indexes.
Foreign Affairs: Afghan and Pakistani forces clashed again yesterday at the border. It comes a day after a meeting in Turkey between the two sides to discuss security issues. The most recent ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been in place since the 18th October.
Security and intelligence: Russia announced yesterday that it had successfully tested a new nuclear-powered missile. The “9M730 Burevestnik” missile reportedly travelled 8,700 miles and was in the air for around 15 hours. Russia said the missile had almost unlimited range and President Putin said Russia would now move to deploy the weapon.
Domestic politics: Lucy Powell, was elected by Labour Party members as the Party’s new Deputy Leader on Saturday. Powell has been MP for Manchester Central since 2012 and was previously Leader of the House of Commons. She sacked from that post by the Prime Minister last month.
The Mighty Calendar
What’s happening today?
New Zealand public holiday (Labour Day)
UK Joint Committee on National Security Strategy holds session on China spy case with Cabinet Secretary, Director of Public Prosecutions, and Deputy National Security Adviser
Work and Pensions Questions in UK Parliament
Lookahead to tomorrow
US President Trump meets Japan’s Prime Minister Takaichi
Chancellor Reeves speaks in Saudi Arabia at investment summit
Foreign Office Questions in UK Parliament
Japan CPI inflation data (year-on-year) – expected to increase to 2.1%
Company results from: HSBC, Visa, UnitedHealth, PayPal
The Mighty Finale
🌤️Weather today
Wind and rain in southwest England. Largely dry elsewhere. High of 13C and low of 8C in London. Light rain in Belfast in the afternoon. Sunshine in Edinburgh.
✏️Life coaching quote of the day
“Your life is a result of the choices you have made. If you don’t like your life, start making better choices.” – Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker
Mighty takeaway: The decision to change your situation is yours. Everything, in the end, is your choice. Have the courage to change.
That’s it for this Monday morning. Thanks for reading and we hope that you have a good start to the week.
Cheerio!
The Mighty Memo team
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