Analysts at TD Securities note the market expects the Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index of U.S. to register its first improvement in six months with a 10pt gain to -2 in August.

• “The index was as high as 14 back in February but has since declined to -12, in line with the ongoing woes in the manufacturing sector.
• Separately, the Conference Board's consumer confidence index is expected to have given back some of its July gain, dropping to a still-strong 129 level in August from 135.7 before.”