US preliminary durable goods orders for July declined by 2.8% month-over-month, a smaller drop than the consensus estimate of around 3.8% to 4.0% and an improvement from June's 9.4% decline. Excluding transportation, durable goods orders rose by 1.1%, exceeding the expected increase of 0.2%. Non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft also increased by 1.1%, outperforming estimates. Meanwhile, in the UK, retail sales have fallen for the 11th consecutive month, with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reporting a retail sales index of -32 in August, slightly better than July's -34 but still indicative of ongoing weakness. UK retailers have raised prices at the fastest pace since late last year. Additionally, UK services firms continue to experience declining confidence and activity, with the CBI highlighting persistent high costs and weak demand, and urging the government to provide tax stability to support growth.