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Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026

Three before you leave - What to watch for Friday including trade talks and consumer data

Three before you leave - What to watch for Friday including trade talks and consumer data

Day two of the U.S.-China trade talks now includes a key meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He.

Here are the most important things to know about Friday before you hit the door.

1. Trade deal or no deal?

Day two of the U.S.-China trade talks now includes a key meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He. Traders cheered the announcement by Trump on Thursday as past meetings between Liu and Trump this year have yielded positive progress on trade, including a delay in tariffs and agriculture buying.

Liu told Chinese state-run media agency Xinhua that China carries “great sincerity” for the talks. Multiple reports suggest the U.S. is thinking about suspending a tariff increase scheduled for next week in exchange for a currency pact, a partial deal the U.S. and China were close to agreeing on in previous talks.

For investors reading the tea leaves of every trade headline, there are some stocks as the true “tell” on whether talks are making any progress.

2. Consumer sentiment falling?
The preliminary reading for October consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan comes out on Friday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect sentiment to fall to 92 from 93.2 at the end of September.

U.S. consumers are getting increasingly anxious about the trade war with China. The last survey showeda near-record number of consumers citing trade policies as a negative factor weighing on the economy.

3.What’s Saudi Aramco worth?
Saudi Arabia’s crown jewel Saudi Aramco, the world’s most profitable oil company, is aiming to go public by late November. The company could get a final recommendation on the valuation from its investment banks on Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pushed for a valuation of as much as $2 trillion, but the Journal reported the headline number is expected to fall well below that. The offering had been delayed from its original launch date in 2018 over valuation concerns and venue for the international listing.
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