Goldman Sachs says that neither the 15 October and 31 October deadlines constitute to a hard stop in Brexit talks
The firm says that the perceived probability of a no-deal outcome will persist through the course of October, and that there could be potential for "drama" at the European Council meeting that is to take place today.
But they expect a "thin" zero-tariff trade agreement to likely be struck by early November, adding that the real hard stop for talks will be on 31 December.
Well, I certainly don't doubt that talks will end this week and there will surely be room for more negotiations over the next few weeks - even if things are more quiet for now.
That said, I'm still not sure how much closer both sides will be to an agreement despite kicking the can down the road again. At the end of it all, it wouldn't surprise me the least bit if both sides point towards some technicality to extend talks beyond 31 December.
All it takes is some top-level message that they are "finally" moving closer to a deal or that there is a "landing zone" for an agreement on key factors.
However, with everything Brexit, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed so we could very well be still talking about these same old issues next year.
