Good morning! Today’s top news story is about the latest official wages figures, which show that pay growth has slumped to its weakest level in four years.
Total pay, including bonuses, grew by 3.8pc in the three months to August, according to the ONS, marking the lowest growth since November 2020.
Here are 5 things to kickstart your day:
1) Chancellor Reeves insists National Insurance increase won’t break manifesto pledge
2) Britain is ‘critically vulnerable’ to energy crisis, experts warn
3) Economist who called Brexit ‘self-destructive’ wins Nobel Prize
4) US publisher Dovid Efune in exclusive talks to buy The Telegraph
5) Vauxhall owner to decide on fate of UK factories ‘within weeks’
In overnight news, Asian stocks were mostly higher on Tuesday, supported by a strong Wall Street close and investor optimism about corporate earnings. The dollar held near a two-month top, aided by bets on a smaller US rate cut next month.
Oil prices fell amid easing concerns over tensions in the Middle East, with reports suggesting Israel may not target Iran’s crude infrastructure facilities.
In the US, the S&P 500 and the Dow reached record highs on Monday, driven by a surge in technology stocks. Chipmaker Nvidia was a standout performer, posting its first record close since June after rising 2.4pc.
Stay tuned for more updates throughout the day!