SQUAWK BOX, FRIDAY 23RD OCTOBER, 2020

President Trump and Democrat challenger Joe Biden spar in the final U.S. presidential debate. The topics the pair clashed on included the Covid-19 response, healthcare and the state of economy. U.S. markets close on the upside as American jobless claims fall, signalling an improving economy while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says a virus stimulus bill is nearing agreement. In Europe, up to two-thirds of French citizens are subject to regional curfews as the country records up to 40,000 new cases in a day for the first time. And there is a return to growth in the luxury sector as strong demand in Asia helps L'Oréal and Kering improve their revenues in the third quarter, but both the cosmetics group and the fashion giant warn of an uncertain outlook. In telco news, Huawei’s double-digit quarterly winning streak ends as U.S. sanctions begin to bite.