America's service industries expanded in September

European stock markets lost up to 0.5% with Spain underperforming (-2%) as sources indicated that Catalonia will declare independence on Monday. US stock markets opened with minor losses.

The pace of hiring in the US private sector slowed to its weakest pace in 13 months last month, as Hurricane Irma and Harvey disrupted businesses across a large swath of the south-eastern US. Non-farm private employers added 135,000 jobs from August to September, according to a report from payroll processor ADP.

America's service industries expanded in September at the fastest clip in 12 years (from 55.3 to 59.8), signalling vibrancy across the bulk of the economy following two major hurricanes, a survey from the ISM showed.

Catalonia will move on Monday to declare independence from Spain, a regional government source said, as the EU nation nears a rupture that threatens the foundations of its young democracy and has unnerved financial markets.

Firms in the UK's important services sector reported better than expected growth in September (53.6 from 53.2) in the closely-watched PMI survey, but warned of potential difficulties ahead as new business growth fell to its lowest level in more than a year. The final EMU services PMI was upwardly revised from 55.6 to 55.8.

President Donald Trump's tax plan would let US companies take bigger, faster deductions on capital investments, a step some experts said would deplete Washington's policy arsenal by using up a tax break normally reserved for fighting recessions.

President Vladimir Putin said Russia may agree to extend a deal with OPEC to curb oil supplies beyond March to the end of 2018, though he'll wait to make a decision until nearer the end of the existing pact.

The ECB's supervisors want lenders to be fully covered against losses from new loans that have gone sour, in a move that could hurt credit creation in weaker economies in the region.

The National Bank of Poland kept its policy rate unchanged at 1.5%. NBP governor Glapinski holds a press conference later today.

A month before a snap parliamentary election, Iceland's central bank cut its key interest for the fifth time in little more than a year, from 4.5% to 4.25%, in a move to offset the impact of lower inflation. The Reserve Bank of India kept its policy rates unchanged at 6%.