Global Economy
As poor nations’ default wave peaks, cash shortage could take its place
The punishing post-Covid wave of sovereign defaults has finally crested, with the likes of Ghana, Sri Lanka and Zambia concluding years of painful debt reworks.
India's garment exports surge 17.3% in September amid Bangladesh crisis: report
The growth comes despite global challenges such as inflation and supply chain disruptions, which have impacted other major garment-exporting nations, the report states
IMF, World Bank meetings clouded by wars, slow economic growth, US election
The International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings are scheduled to draw more than 10,000 people from finance ministries, central banks and civil society groups to discuss efforts to boost patchy global growth, deal with debt distress and finance the green energy transition
Oil prices steady after 7% weekly drop
Brent crude futures rose 8 cents, or 0.11 percent, to $73.14 a barrel by 0120 GMT
China's central bank cuts two key rates to boost economy
The cuts come just days after the country posted its slowest quarterly growth in a year and a half, underlining the deep economic woes the country faces.
As poor nations' default wave peaks, cash shortage could take its place
The issue, and what to do about it when western countries are increasingly loath to send money overseas, is a key topic at the IMF World Bank autumn meetings taking place in Washington, D.C. this week.
China’s growth reprieve will be short-lived
China may be on track to hit its “around 5 percent” economic GDP target for this year, but repeating the feat will get harder for policymakers. Third quarter growth logged in at 4.6 percent year-on-year, and that pace will need sustaining if the People’s Republic is to achieve medium-level developed economy status by 2035. Unless planners move their own goalposts, they’ll have to contort themselves a lot more.
Analysis / Inflation is not dead, it’s just resting
Inflation in the United States picked up in the late 1960s in the wake of the Vietnam War and spending on President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” set of social programs
Jittery rouble steadies
The Russian rouble strengthened to 93 against the dollar on Thursday, in a volatile week filled with speculation over how the authorities might stabilise the currency after a 350-basis-point rate hike appeared to have only a limited effect.
Accelerating US economy sideswipes markets
Far from the recession forecasts of earlier this year, US economic growth may actually be accelerating in the second half of 2023 - upending bond and stock markets scrambling to reprice long-term inflation and interest rate assumptions.
Saudi Arabia’s oil exports fall
Saudi Arabia’s crude oil exports fell for a third straight month in June to their lowest since September 2021, data from the Joint Organizations Data Initiative (JODI) showed on Wednesday, with big Asian buyers favouring cheaper Russian oil.
China's state banks seen selling dollars for yuan in London and New York hours
China's major state-owned banks were seen busy selling US dollars to buy yuan in both onshore and offshore spot foreign exchange markets this week, people with direct knowledge of the matter said, in an attempt to slow the yuan's depreciation.
Oil prices wobble on worries over China economy, US rate path
Oil prices were choppy on Thursday after falling over the past three sessions, with the undertone grim on worries that slowing growth in China and possible further US interest rate hikes will weaken fuel demand in the world's two biggest economies.
Dutch economy enters recession
The Dutch economy has entered a recession as it shrank 0.3 percent on a quarterly basis in the second quarter, a first estimate published by Statistics Netherlands on Wednesday showed.
UK annual inflation drops to 15-month low
Britain’s annual inflation rate dropped sharply in July to a 15-month low, official data revealed Wednesday, off the back of lower energy prices and in line with economists’ expectations.
Vietnam targets US electric car market
Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast has made its debut on the Nasdaq, and its shares soared to push its stock market valuation past Ford and General Motors on its opening day of trading.
Sri Lanka lifts import ban on buses, trucks
Crisis-hit Sri Lanka partially lifted a ban on vehicle imports on Tuesday by allowing buses and trucks back into the island after more than three years.