Cryptogen

Early results in the local elections showed Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK racking up sweeping gains over Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour. The results reaffirm a splintering of British politics that's seen the insurgent Reform and Green parties make up ground on the right and left. Bloomberg's Alex Morgan reports from London.

French Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier discusses the trade relationship between the European Union and the US as President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on cars and trucks from the EU to 25%. EU officials have said all options will be on the table if Trump follows through with the threat as the two sides work to implement the agreement. "There was an agreement last July, and so now we have to implement it," Forissier tells Bloomberg Television.

Federal Reserve officials are expected to leave interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, holding the benchmark rate in a range of 3.5% to 3.75% for a third consecutive meeting. Investors will be looking for clues about how long the Fed is willing to maintain its patient posture, as well as what Chair Jerome Powell says about his future at the central bank. Bloomberg's Jill Disis reports.

President Donald Trump praised the "cherished" bond between the US and UK as he hosted King Charles III at the White House on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump said he is considering having the US purchase Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc., saying it could be a potentially good investment for the federal government. "We'd be getting it virtually debt free. They have some good aircraft and good assets," the president told reporters Thursday. Bloomberg's Benedikt Kammel reports.

Ifo President Clemens Fuest says Germany could be "at the beginning of a stagflationary shock" after the institute's expectations index dropped to 83.3 in April from a revised 85.9 the previous month the lowest level since August 2023. He speaks on Bloomberg Television.

The fight for talent in the hedge-fund industry has reached new extremes, with hedge funders using maneuvers like "gazumping" to grab more money for themselves, resulting in a vicious price spiral. Just how much gazumping is going on is unclear, but recruiters say some traders now are securing pay packages of $50 million or more. Clients end up footing the bill for these practices through opaque "passthrough" fees. Bloomberg's Tom Metcalf reports.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he plans to convene Germany's national security council, adding that the council is empowered to take immediate action to ensure the nation's energy security if needed. Meanwhile, Germany's sovereign wealth fund, known as Kenfo, is abandoning long-held restrictions on investing in weapons manufacturers. Bloomberg's Oliver Crook reports.

Oil rose a second day after Saudi Arabia said its production capacity has been reduced due to attacks on energy infrastructure, but futures remain on track for their biggest weekly loss since June. According to Saudi Arabia's press agency, the nation's production capacity has been cut by around 600,000 barrels a day. Bloomberg's Anthony di Paola breaks down the situation.

Bloomberg's Benedikt Kammel discusses the impact of the two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran on airlines and the implications for jet fuel prices and air fares.