We're in the lull before the storm of data which will hit towards the end of the week. Also, I'm happy to report that results are becoming noticeably less chaotic - so the world is becoming less opaque and more predictable.
Today, I look at three releases: the surprising strength of retail sales reported by the UK's CBI members in July; the pull-back in US consumer confidence index; and the third consecutive positive result from the US chemical activity barometer.
