The Federal Reserve minutes yesterday showed a subtle shift in its commitment to an extended period of ultra-loose monetary policy, hitting stocks along the way. Its July meeting minutes fell short of laying out a path for rate liftoff and also seemed to suggest yield control isn't in the offing. The previous set of minutes indicated policy makers were keen to sharpen their so-called forward guidance at upcoming meetings. Guidance would have included rough criteria for zero rates targeted around inflation, unemployment, or both. The lack of clear bars to cling to came with warnings about "considerable risks" to the economy in the medium term, damping the ebullient stock mood. (Bloomberg)

China and the United States will meet "in the coming days" to discuss the progress of the Phase 1 trade deal reached in February. Earlier this week, the White House signaled that no high-level trade talks were on the schedule. Phase 1 requires China to import $77B more than 2017 levels of certain U.S. goods within the first year, and official data suggests China is running far behind schedule on the target. (SA)

Airbnb said it had filed with regulators for an initial public offering, marking a swift reversal from earlier this year when the coronavirus pandemic had appeared to put those plans on hold.  The San Francisco-based company said it had filed a confidential draft registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. It did not provide further details about the size or timing of the planned offering. Airbnb revived its plans to go public as it saw signs of a rebound that followed a huge disruption to its business at the onset of the pandemic, which led the company to raise $2bn in emergency debt funding.

With Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor I am Josh Fenili.