EMEA Morning Briefing : Stocks to Open Higher to -2-

In Israel, Being Fully Vaccinated Now Means Three Shots

TEL AVIV-Israel is upping the vaccine ante, pressing citizens to get Covid-19 booster shots and saying those who don't will face restrictions on traveling, dining out and other activities.

Holders of Israel's vaccine passports must get a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine within six months of their second dose, or lose the so-called green pass that allows them more freedom.

Europe Hits Covid-19 Milestone With 70% of Adults Vaccinated

The European Union said it has hit its target of fully vaccinating 70% of adults against Covid-19 by the end of summer-albeit with wide variations between different countries-showing how the bloc's vaccination campaign has gathered momentum after a slow start earlier in the year.

But the World Health Organization has warned the pace of vaccinations in the continent now appears to be faltering, and that data show big differences in vaccine coverage between different countries, leaving parts of Europe at risk of fresh outbreaks and new restrictions to step the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant of the virus.

U.K. Retail Prices Fell in August But Higher Prices on Horizon

U.K. retail prices fell on year in August though there are indications that rising costs are starting to filter through into product prices, according to the latest report by Nielsen IQ and the British Retail Consortium released Wednesday.

Prices at U.K. stores dropped 0.8% on year between Aug. 2 and Aug. 6, the report found. The rate of deflation on a yearly basis has slowed somewhat when compared with July, when prices declined 1.2% on year.

Private-Equity Firm CVC Capital Partners Returning to Australia

SYDNEY-U.K. private-equity firm CVC Capital Partners will return to Australia after a nine-year absence, rebuilding its presence in what it called one of the most active private-equity markets in Asia-Pacific.

CVC, which has US$115 billion in assets under management and 24 offices globally, said it would open a Sydney office under Brett Sutton. Mr. Sutton, who founded Affinity Partners' Australian operations in 2004, has joined CVC as chair of Australia to oversee the expansion.

Walmart to Offer Grocery Deliveries in Parts of New York City

Walmart Inc. plans to make grocery delivery available to shoppers in parts of New York City, a market that the world's biggest retailer has struggled to crack over the years.

Starting late Tuesday, Walmart groceries will be available for delivery in parts of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx through Instacart Inc., a company that charges a fee to send gig workers to purchase items at stores and deliver them.

Southwest Pilots Sue Airline, Claiming Lack of Bargaining in Covid-19 Response

Southwest Airlines Co.'s pilots have sued the airline, alleging that the carrier has been making unilateral changes to working conditions, including no longer paying them during quarantines following Covid-19 exposure.

In a complaint filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association alleged that the airline acted unilaterally rather than bargaining with the union when the pandemic began to affect travel demand in the spring of 2020. The company has said it doesn't agree that it needed to negotiate with the union over measures it implemented in response to the pandemic.

Canadian National Voting Trust for Kansas City Southern Deal Denied by Regulator

Canadian National Railway Co.'s $30 billion bid to buy Kansas City Southern ran into a major obstacle Tuesday, with regulators ruling the Canadian railroad won't be permitted to complete a deal using a temporary voting trust that was a crucial part of the offer.

The Surface Transportation Board, a five-member panel that must bless mergers of freight railroads, said Tuesday in a filing posted to its website that Canadian National hadn't demonstrated that its use of a voting trust would be consistent with the public interest.

Koch VC Arm Leads $85 Million Round in Self-Driving Truck Startup

Koch Industries Inc., through its venture division, led an $85 million financing of an autonomous truck startup that focuses on operating along fixed routes. The Series B round demonstrates the future role such technology could play as corporations look to automate various steps in what has become a clogged supply chain.

The startup, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Gatik Inc., already has signed agreements with companies like Walmart Inc. to run its trucks on set routes between distribution centers and retail locations. Gatik has more than 20 trucks operating commercially, almost all of them with a driver in the cab.

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Expected Major Events for Wednesday

00:01/IRL: Aug Ireland Manufacturing PMI

06:00/NOR: Jun Labour force survey SA, incl unemployment

06:00/GER: Jul Retail Trade

06:00/NOR: 2Q Balance of Payments

06:00/UK: Aug Nationwide House Price Index

07:00/TUR: 2Q GDP

07:00/HUN: 2Q GDP

07:00/NED: Aug Netherlands Manufacturing PMI

07:00/POL: Aug Poland Manufacturing PMI

07:00/TUR: Aug Turkey Manufacturing PMI

07:15/SPN: Aug Spain Manufacturing PMI

07:30/CZE: Aug Czech Republic Manufacturing PMI

07:30/SWI: Aug procure.ch Purchasing Managers' Index

07:45/ITA: Aug Italy Manufacturing PMI

07:50/FRA: Aug France Manufacturing PMI

07:55/GER: Aug Germany Manufacturing PMI

08:00/GER: Aug Brandenburg CPI

08:00/ITA: Jul Unemployment

08:00/EU: Aug Eurozone Manufacturing PMI

08:00/GRE: Aug Greece Manufacturing PMI

08:30/UK: Aug CIPS / Markit Manufacturing PMI

09:00/CYP: Jun Retail trade

09:00/CYP: 2Q GDP

09:00/EU: Jul Unemployment

09:00/CRO: Jul Industrial Production Volume Index

09:00/DEN: Aug Danish PMI

10:00/IRL: Aug Monthly Unemployment

16:59/AUT: Aug Unemployment figures

All times in GMT. Powered by Kantar Media and Dow Jones.

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This article is a text version of a Wall Street Journal newsletter published earlier today.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

09-01-21 0013ET