Friday: highlight of the week is....>

US DATA PREVIEW: Friday: highlight of the week is Q3 GDP (adv) (3.3%).

- RBS NatWest economists "anticipate that growth increased at a 3.2% annualized

rate in the third quarter following a 4.2% rise in the second quarter. Given

that our point estimate for Q3 growth is strong, the year-over-year growth

should tick up to 3.0% (strongest pace since Q2 2015)." RBS adds the US economy

continues to "expand solidly. While trade tensions have escalated, we don't yet

see significant negative effects in the economic data. To the contrary, we would

not rule out the possibility that the threat of tariffs in early 2019 leads to

some pull-forward of activity into 2018, though the net effect of such action

are unclear."

- Barclays Capital economists have raised their "outlook for Q3 GDP growth to

3.5%, from 3.0% previously, on account of strength in inventories."