MNI US Morning Briefing

     LONDON (MNI) - Across the Atlantic focus will be on the US tax bill. The

bill passed the House last night and was sent to the Senate, but due to some

procedural errors will have to have some small amendments and go back to the

House, US President Trump still seems confident he can sign the bill before

Christmas.

     The first release of the day in the US is the MBA Weekly Applications Index

at 1200GMT.

     Also at 1200GMT UK Prime Minister May will face another round of PMQ's

after securing the much coveted "sufficient progress" stamp from the EU last

week, but the questions comes amid reports of rifts in the cabinet over the

shape of the final Brexit deal.

     At 1300GMT ECB Governing Council member Jens Weidmann will give a speech at

the Analysis Forum, in Milan , Italy.

     BOE Governor Mark Carney and FPC members will appear in front of the

Treasury Select Committee speaking on the November Financial Stability Report at

1315GMT.

     At 1330GMT Wholesale Trade figures and Payroll Employment data are

released.

     Belgian Business Confidence will be published at 1400GMT.

     At 1500GMT NAR Existing Home Sales are released. The pace of existing home

sales is expected to accelerate further to a 5.51 million annual rate in

November after a small uptick in October. Pending home sales surged in October,

but were still down modestly from a year earlier. Supply fell by 3.2% in October

and remains sharply lower from a year earlier, an indication that the supply

shortage continues.

     Rounding off the day at 1530GMT are the weekly DoE Crude Inventory figures.

--MNI London Bureau; +44 203 865 3809; email: kieran.williams@marketnews.com