TOKYO (AP) — International stock markets were are mixed today with a number of Asian markets closed for a holiday. British stocks and the pound fell after a poll showed a narrow majority supporting Scottish independence for the first time ahead of a Sept. 18 referendum. Asian shares meandered in thinned trading. Futures point to muted Wall Street trading at this morning’s opening. The dollar gained against the euro and was little changed against the yen. Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell but remains above $93 a barrel.
WASHINGTON (AP) — There are no government reports scheduled for release today. However, the Federal Reserve will report on consumer credit data for July this afternoon. Tomorrow, the Labor Department will issue its job openings and labor turnover survey for July.
UNDATED (AP) — German exports soared in July to their highest monthly value ever, helping Europe’s largest economy post a record trade surplus, another sign it is bouncing back after a surprise second-quarter contraction. Revised figures in Japan are discouraging. Japan’s economy contracted at an annualized rate of 7.1 percent in the April-June quarter after companies and households slashed spending following a tax hike.
NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft is responding to a changing landscape with an overhaul of its MSN news service. The company says it fits in with Microsoft’s overall strategy of making mobile phones and Internet-based services priorities as its traditional businesses — Windows and Office software on desktops — slow down. The revamped MSN is aiming to become a daily part of life for 400 million monthly users. And Chinese import figures pointed to lackluster domestic demand in the world’s second-biggest economy.
ATLANTA (AP) — S. Truett Cathy, the billionaire founder of the privately held Chick-fil-A restaurant chain that famously closes on Sundays, has died. He was 93. The chain also drew unwanted attention on gay marriage in recent years because of his family’s conservative views. Chick-fil-A spokesman Mark Baldwin says Cathy died at home surrounded by members of his family.
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