(The opinions expressed here are those of the authors. )

By Anna Szymanski

LONDON, Sept 19 (Reuters) -

Check out what

ROI Editor-in-Charge Anna Szymanski

and the rest of the ROI team are excited to read, watch and

listen to over the weekend.

Hello Morning Bid readers!

U.S stocks hit record highs on Thursday, buoyed by the Federal

Reserve's first interest rate cut in 2025, a drop in U.S.

jobless claims, and the announcement that Nvidia will invest $5

billion in the struggling U.S. chipmaker Intel.

On Friday morning, the big news in Asia was not so much that the

Bank of Japan kept short-term interest rates unchanged at 0.5%,

which was widely expected, but that two members voted for a hike

and also that the central bank announced that it would begin

selling its vast holdings of exchange-traded funds and

real-estate investment trusts.

Much of the financial world's focus this week has been on

central banks, most notably the U.S Federal Reserve. Some argue

that the Fed's 25 basis point cut and dovish steer may cause it

to unintentionally stumble into stimulative territory, simply

because it is so challenging to determine where the so-called

neutral rate is. Others argue that the Fed's problems may be of

its own making given its questionable record on inflation

control.

One of the biggest takeaways from Chair Jerome Powell's remarks

was the lack of clarity surrounding the U.S. labor and inflation

outlooks. This confusion is epitomized by inconsistencies

between the Fed's statements and changes to its economic

predictions, argues ROI Markets Columnist Jamie McGeever. He

also discusses why Fed easing could be a mixed blessing for the

rest of the world.

Over in the United Kingdom, the Band of England held rates

steady on Thursday but said it was slowing the pace of its

quantitative tightening program. ROI Editor-at-Large Mike Dolan

asks why the BoE doesn't just scrap direct gilt sales entirely.

In the commodities markets, China's surplus crude surged in

August as robust imports and domestic production offset an

increase in refinery processing.

Data about China's crude stockpiling remains opaque, one of a

growing number of blind spots in the oil market. ROI Energy

Columnist Ron Bousso argues that this is making it harder to

determine the true supply-demand balance in the world's most

important commodity market.

On the renewables side, ROI Energy Transition Columnist Gavin

Maguire discusses the widening lead Texas and California are

building over the rest of the country on the clean energy front.

He also explains why wind speeds around the UK in the coming

months could have potentially far-reaching consequences for

Europe's gas and power sectors

And over in the metals world, ROI columnist Andy Home explains

why the aluminium market, defined by historical excess, may be

facing an imminent shortfall.

As we head into the weekend, check out the ROI team's

recommendations for what you should read, listen to, and watch

to stay informed and ready for the week ahead.

I'd love to hear from you, so please reach out to me at

Airlines are racing to cut carbon emissions with biofuels,

but between U.S. green jet fuel and illegal deforestation in

the Amazon, raising urgent questions about the integrity of

sustainability certifications and the unintended consequences of

climate policy.

* RON BOUSSO, ROI Energy Columnist: a free report on the

decline rates of oil and gas fields. While it's very technical

is some parts, it also illustrates very clearly how much

investment is needed to simply keep oil and gas production

steady, let alone to see it grow.

* ANNA SZYMANSKI, ROI Editor-in-Charge: China's auto

industry is facing a crisis of oversupply that threatens

profitability for automakers and dealers alike. warns that this

situation could trigger a painful shakeout with far-reaching

implications.

In the latest episode of , the hosts are back from the

APPEC break with some market insights taken from the various

discussions around the events. The team dives into Russian oil

production and how current events could impact market structure

going forward.

MIKE DOLAN, ROI Financial Markets Editor-at-Large: This

audio summary of the ' quarterly review this week goes through

the most important issues facing world financial markets,

stressing that becasue markets have rebounded sharply from the

trade uncertainties of the early part of the year, financial

conditions are, if anything, loosening excessively.

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Opinions expressed are those of the authors. They do not reflect

the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is

committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

(By Anna Szymanski.)