Sector

• Bank of America named Saipem as one of its top two European oil sector stock picks. • Saipem lowered its 2026 core earnings forecast to €1.75 billion due to additional costs from the Middle East crisis. • The bank's positive outlook is based on Saipem completing its "Saipem 7" merger by the end of the year to improve its position in oil services.

• Singapore has captured the vast majority of robotics equity funding in Southeast Asia, which totals $1.1 billion across 51 funded companies. • Singapore accounts for 91.7 percent of the region's total funding, with $986 million raised across 58 rounds for 37 funded companies. • This concentration of capital means Singapore's top firms, such as Sharpa with $670 million, hold a massive financial advantage over competitors in Malaysia and Vietnam.

Facilities likely to employ 10,400 workers, compared with 40,000 in industry estimates, thinktank saysDatacentres in the UK will create just a quarter of the jobs predicted by the tech sector, while consuming vast amounts of energy, according to new research.Environmental thinktank Verdant predicts that all the datacentres currently planned are likely to directly employ 10,400 workers – compared with the more than 40,000 cited in projections by the industry lobby group TechUK. Continue reading...

Beijing wants banks and insurers to bolster investment in stock market as it helps to replenish cash reservesChina will inject $54bn (£40bn) into its financial sector as Beijing attempts to shore up banks and insurers in the face of faltering economic growth.A host of financial institutions said they were due to receive billions of yuan in capital from state institutions including the ministry of finance and even the company that runs the country’s tobacco monopoly. Continue reading...

• U.S. employers added 162,000 nonfarm payrolls in August 2026, far exceeding the forecast of 53,000. • The AI-exposed information sector shed 23,000 jobs, which is nearly triple its average monthly loss over the past year. • This strong overall job growth increases the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates during its September 15-16 meeting.

• The Bangladesh government has launched a five-year strategic plan to clean up the banking sector, focusing on recovering bad loans, tightening supervision, and restoring depositor confidence. • The Bangladesh Bank will spearhead regulatory and supervisory reforms, while the Financial Institutions Division will coordinate policy and legal changes for state-owned financial institutions. • Success will be measured using specific indicators, including asset quality, capital adequacy, liquidity, transparency, and governance standards.

Two studies will be used to shape government policy amid claims about a former franchisee who took his own life Ministers have commissioned a pair of in-depth reports into how franchising businesses are policed in the UK, as the government considers introducing new laws after high-profile allegations about conduct in the sector.The action follows a Guardian investigation last December, which revealed claims that Adrian Howe, a former Vodafone employee who had agreed to start a franchise in 2018, had taken his own life after pressure from the FTSE 100 telecoms group. Continue reading...