Take Five: U.S. inflation, China trade and the ECB

A critical view into inflation comes with Thursday’s May U.S. consumer price index.
Supermarket groups Carrefour and Tesco to end purchasing alliance

French supermarket group Carrefour (CARR.PA) and its British peer Tesco (TSCO.L) said on Monday they would not extend a purchasing alliance heralded originally as a potential way to trim costs.
Asia shares turn cautious ahead of U.S. inflation

Asian shares turned lower on Monday as relief over the benign U.S. jobs report was chilled by caution ahead of key inflation data later this week, while a coronavirus outbreak in Taiwan took a toll on chip manufacturers.
Oil eases on Iran concern after hitting two-year high above $72

Oil eased after hitting a two-year high above $72 a barrel on Monday, pressured by the prospect of higher Iranian exports though recovering demand and OPEC+ supply curbs provided underlying support.
S&P upgrades outlook on Australia’s AAA rating to stable from negative

S&P Global Ratings upgraded its outlook on Australia’s coveted “AAA” sovereign rating to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’ on Monday citing the country’s “swift economic recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic driven recession.
Air Canada executives to return bonuses after government aid outcry

Top executives at Air Canada (AC.TO) will return their bonuses and share awards, the carrier said on Sunday, in response to “public disappointment” over executive compensation at the airline, which received government aid in April.
Asia breathes sigh of relief as U.S. jobs fail to shock

Asian shares firmed on Monday while the dollar wavered after the anxiously awaited May U.S. payrolls report showed the recovery on track but not so hot that it might bring forward a policy tapering from the Federal Reserve.
China blocks several cryptocurrency-related social media accounts amid crackdown

A slew of crypto-related accounts in China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform were blocked over the weekend, as Beijing stepped up a crackdown on bitcoin trading and mining.
UK’s lowest-paid workers face highest jobless risk: research

Britain’s lowest-paid workers, already hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, will be most at risk from expected rises in unemployment and job insecurity later this year, researchers said on Monday.
Australia’s NAB reveals anti-money laundering probe, shares fall

National Australia Bank (NAB.AX) said on Monday it is under investigation for suspected serious and ongoing breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism laws, sparking concerns about potential fines and higher compliance costs.