The speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi is potentially due to visit Taiwan today, amid warnings from China that this would have consequences.

Among stocks, BP Plc jumped 3.3% after it posted its highest second quarter profit since 2008 of $8.45 billion, thanks to strong refining margins and oil trading.

Meanwhile, Travis Perkins dropped 7.5% after posting disappointing first-half results.

 

Things to read today:

Chinese fighter jets fly close to Taiwan ahead of Nancy Pelosi’s visit (Financial Times)

This Is How China Could Hit Back Over Pelosi’s Taiwan Visit (Bloomberg)