🎯Today's Global Economy Pulse
Updated 3h agoWhat's happening: US and India near interim trade pact ahead of April signing
India and the United States are moving toward an interim trade agreement expected to be signed in April, with negotiators meeting in Washington from Feb 23 to finalize the legal text, aiming to lower selected tariffs, boost energy trade and broaden economic cooperation.
Also developing:
- •Brazil imposes anti‑dumping duties on Chinese steel
- •Apollo expands private‑credit platform as Japan’s corporate finance market outpaces London
- •Southeast Asia split between export‑driven growth and contraction in 2025
- •Africa faces $350 billion SME financing gap and $130‑170 billion annual infrastructure needs
Video•Feb 20, 2026
Japan's PM Takaichi Vows to Break with 'Fiscal Austerity' To Spark Economic Revival
Japan's prime minister has pledged to break away from excessive austerity and boost investment, while seeking to reassure markets over her big-spending plans. Sanae Takaichi was addressing parliament, where she also showed she remains firm in her opposition to China's alleged aggression in the region. CNA’s Senior Correspondent Michiyo Ishida has more.
By CNA (Channel NewsAsia)
Social•Feb 20, 2026
UK Retail Sales Record Fastest Growth in 20 Months
UK retail sales begin the year with the fastest growth in 20 months https://t.co/GPGNaZk4Oa via @irinaanghel12 https://t.co/kAm5UcAWvQ
By Zöe Schneeweiss
Video•Feb 20, 2026
Sky News Gains Rare Access to Bank of England's Gold Vaults
Sky News has been granted rare and exclusive access to the Bank of England's gold vault in London. It's the second largest gold reserves in the world, with around 400,000 bars now worth close to £600 billion. The vast majority...
By Sky News
Video•Feb 20, 2026
The COB: Friday Fizzle
The S&P/ASX 200 gave back some gains after climbing to record highs earlier this week. On Friday, the index shed 0.05% to 9,081.40 points. But over the course of the week, the index rose 1.8%. In the US, investors...
By ausbiz
Video•Feb 20, 2026
Stocks Slide as Oil Jumps on Rising US-Iran Tensions | The Close 2/19/2026
The Close highlighted a sharp equity sell‑off on Feb 19, 2026 as Brent crude surged to its highest level since July amid escalating U.S.–Iran tensions. The S&P 500 slipped about 0.6% and the Nasdaq 100 fell roughly 0.7%, while the VIX nudged back...
By Bloomberg Television
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
Inflation’s Back In America. Not That It Ever Left
The Federal Reserve’s January FOMC minutes confirm that inflation remains entrenched in the United States, contrary to earlier optimism. Core consumer‑price index rose 0.3% month‑over‑month, keeping annual inflation above the Fed’s 2% target. The minutes show policymakers acknowledging persistent price...
By Heisenberg Report
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
Government Dysfunction Torpedoes US Economic Growth
The U.S. economy grew at a 1.4% annualized rate in the fourth quarter of 2025, roughly half of analysts' expectations. This marks a sharp deceleration from the 4.4% surge recorded in the preceding quarter and is the slowest expansion since...
By Heisenberg Report
News•Feb 20, 2026
Jim Cramer's Top 10 Things to Watch in the Stock Market Friday
Jim Cramer highlighted ten market catalysts for Friday, Feb 20, ranging from macro data to individual stocks. Weak Q4 GDP growth at 1.4% pushed futures lower, while Texas Roadhouse rallied over 3% on a strong Q1 outlook. GE Aerospace received a...
By CNBC – US Top News & Analysis
News•Feb 20, 2026
European Central Bank Analysis Highlights Stabilizing Euro Area Property Investment Amid Mixed Drivers
The European Central Bank’s latest focus piece finds euro‑area property investment has likely bottomed out in late 2024, with a brief, modest rebound in early 2025 that quickly faded. After a sharp decline that began in 2022, housing investment remains about 7 %...
By Crowdfund Insider
Blog•Feb 20, 2026
Gold and Silver Recovering
The episode reviews a recent rally in gold and silver prices, noting modest gains in Europe and unusually low trading volumes on the U.S. Comex market due to a holiday. It highlights the scant speculative interest and low open interest...
By McleodFinance (Alasdair Macleod)
News•Feb 20, 2026
WDI May Benefit From Shifting Interest Rate Policy
Western Asset Diversified Income Fund (WDI) trades at a 3.04% discount to NAV and offers a 12.41% yield, positioning it as a high‑yield income vehicle. The fund’s portfolio is heavily weighted toward high‑yield corporate bonds and a sizable floating‑rate component,...
By Seeking Alpha – ETFs & Funds
News•Feb 20, 2026
Brazil Imposes Anti-Dumping Duties on Chinese Steel
Brazil’s foreign trade committee approved five‑year anti‑dumping duties on a wide range of Chinese steel products after a 2024 investigation revealed pricing below market levels. The duties range from US$323 to US$670 per ton for cold‑rolled coil and US$285 to...
By Just Auto
News•Feb 20, 2026
Philippine Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Spending Growth Seen Slowing in 2026—Study
The Worldpanel by Numerator report projects Philippine FMCG spending to grow only 3‑4% in 2026, a sharp deceleration from last year’s 5.2% rise. The slowdown reflects weaker GDP growth, now seen at 5.3% versus an earlier 6% estimate, and higher...
By Manila Bulletin – Business
News•Feb 20, 2026
US-India Trade Marathon Eyes April Finish Line
India and the United States are moving toward an interim trade agreement that is expected to be signed in April, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced. Negotiators will convene in Washington from Feb 23 to finalize the legal text, converting a...
By The Economic Times (India) – Economy
News•Feb 20, 2026
Economic Factors and Themes to Be Mindful Of
Investors face heightened global volatility in 2026 as leading central banks diverge—while the Fed and BoE continue rate cuts, the ECB sits near neutral and the BoJ tightens. Geopolitical flashpoints around the United States add safe‑haven demand, further weakening the...
By Vietnam Investment Review (VIR)
News•Feb 20, 2026
Danang Positioned as Crucial Economic Hub for Central Vietnam
Danang’s 2045 master plan re‑imagines the city as a megacity and international financial centre, integrating coastal, mountainous and border zones. The Danang International Financial Centre (IFC) began operations in early 2026, focusing on digital finance, asset tokenisation and green‑finance solutions....
By Vietnam Investment Review (VIR)
News•Feb 20, 2026
Central Bank of Ireland Calls for Stronger Economic Initiatives and Strategic Investments in 2026
Ireland’s central bank warned that the country must deepen economic resilience as it enters 2026, despite current strength. Governor Gabriel Makhlouf and Deputy Governor Vasileios Madouros outlined five domestic priorities, including targeted infrastructure, stronger indigenous businesses, fiscal buffers, household market...
By Crowdfund Insider
News•Feb 20, 2026
Japanese Market 'More Dynamic' Than London, Says Apollo CEO
Apollo Global Management’s CEO Marc Rowan told Nikkei that Japan’s corporate finance market is becoming more dynamic than London’s, prompting Apollo to expand its private‑credit platform in the country. He highlighted the need for long‑dated funding to support infrastructure, energy...
By Nikkei Asia – Economy
News•Feb 20, 2026
Southeast Asia Braces for 'Increasing Divergence' After Mixed 2025 Growth
2025 saw Southeast Asia split between export‑driven growth and contraction. Vietnam and Singapore recorded strong export gains despite U.S. tariff volatility, while the Philippines and Thailand were battered by severe weather events and political instability, dragging their economies down. The...
By Nikkei Asia – Economy
Video•Feb 19, 2026
Thursday's Final Takeaways: Trade Deficit Narrows & Tech Rotation Continues
Beyond today's stock movers, Marley Kayden and Sam Vadas turn to the broader market perspective by discussing the narrowing trade deficit and the continuing rotation out of tech. ======== Schwab Network ======== Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe...
By Schwab Network
Video•Feb 19, 2026
US Runs Annual Trade Deficit Up to $901 Billion, One of Biggest Since 1960
U.S. trade data released this week showed the annual deficit expanding to $901 billion, the widest gap since the early 1960s. After a brief narrowing in the first half of last year, imports surged in the second half, pushing the balance...
By Bloomberg Television
Video•Feb 19, 2026
Figma's AI Outlook, Blue Owl Stokes Credit Concerns | Bloomberg Businessweek Daily 2/19/2026
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily highlighted two contrasting stories on Thursday, February 19: Figma’s AI‑driven growth trajectory and Blue Owl Capital’s liquidity curtailment in a private‑credit fund. The market backdrop featured modest equity declines, a VIX edging toward 21, and oil prices...
By Bloomberg Television
Video•Feb 19, 2026
Stocks Slide as Oil Spikes on US–Iran Tension | Closing Bell
The closing bell showed U.S. equities slipping as oil prices spiked on renewed U.S.–Iran tensions. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq each fell roughly 0.3%, while the Russell 2000 managed a modest gain, underscoring the market’s mixed reaction to geopolitical risk. Energy‑related concerns lifted...
By Bloomberg Television
Video•Feb 19, 2026
Shoring up on Supply Chain Terms
The video dissects three buzz‑words—reshoring, nearshoring and friendshoring—used to describe how companies are rethinking global production. While reshoring suggests bringing manufacturing back to the United States, the speaker argues the term is misleading because many low‑cost assembly lines, especially in...
By ASCM – Association for Supply Chain Management
Video•Feb 19, 2026
How Hedgeye’s Global Process Is Beating Consensus
Most U.S. investors are still heavily concentrated in the same exposures: the classic 60/40 portfolio, U.S. large-cap growth, and The Hoodie's latest crypto disaster. But while those portfolios have been getting hit, our country-level allocations have been smoking the consensus exposures...
By Hedgeye
Deals•Feb 17, 2026
XED Files Red Herring Prospectus for GIFT City’s First IPO
XED, a Mumbai‑based global executive education firm, has filed its Red Herring Prospectus with the Registrar of Companies, marking the first IPO in GIFT City’s International Financial Services Centre. The dollar‑denominated offering is slated to open for subscription in the...
The Hindu BusinessLine – Markets
Deals•Feb 17, 2026
Macquarie Asset Management to Acquire Qube Holdings in A$11.7B Deal
Macquarie Asset Management announced it will acquire Qube Holdings, Australia's largest integrated ports and logistics provider, in a cash transaction valuing Qube at approximately A$11.7 billion (US$8.3 billion). The deal, disclosed on February 17, 2026, represents a 28% premium to Qube's November...
The Maritime Executive
Deals•Feb 16, 2026
Jollibee Foods to Acquire South Korean Hot Pot Chain All Day Fresh
Philippine restaurant giant Jollibee Foods announced on Monday that it will acquire South Korean hot‑pot chain All Day Fresh, its latest overseas expansion ahead of a planned U.S. IPO of its international operations in 2027. The financial terms of the...
Nikkei Asia — Economy/Markets
Deals•Feb 16, 2026
Hapag‑Lloyd to Acquire Zim Integrated Shipping Services for $4 Bn
German carrier Hapag‑Lloyd announced a $4 bn agreement to acquire 100 % of New York‑listed Israeli carrier Zim Integrated Shipping Services, pending shareholder and regulatory approval. The combined fleet will exceed 400 vessels with a capacity of over 3 m TEU, and the deal includes...
Seatrade Maritime
Deals•Feb 14, 2026
Japan to Issue $10bn Yen Loans to Vietnam for Rail Lines and Gas Plant
Japan announced a new $10 billion yen‑denominated loan package for Vietnam to fund the construction of rail lines and a gas power plant. The sovereign loan aims to bolster Vietnam’s infrastructure development and deepen bilateral ties. The agreement was disclosed on...
Nikkei Asia – Economy
Deals•Feb 12, 2026
Cobre Limited to Acquire 51% Stake in Chile's Sierra Atacama Copper Project
Australian listed miner Cobre Limited announced it will acquire a 51% stake in the Sierra Atacama copper project in Chile, previously linked to Chilean businessman Martín Borda via Minera Salar Blanco. The deal gives Cobre Limited majority ownership of the...
Diario Financiero (Chile) — RSS
Deals•Feb 11, 2026
India's Bharat Container Shipping Line (BCSL) Formed via MoU, Backed by $1B Manufacturing Aid and $1.6B Port Funding
A consortium of six Indian entities signed an MoU to launch Bharat Container Shipping Line (BCSL), each taking equity stakes ranging from 5% to 30%. The new carrier will order 15 container ships and aims to operate 51 vessels within...
Seatrade Maritime
Deals•Feb 11, 2026
Burkina Faso Raises 66bn FCFA via UMOA-Titres-Backed Bond Auction
On 11 February 2026, Burkina Faso raised 65.999bn FCFA through a simultaneous auction of Treasury bills and bonds of 364 days, 3, 5 and 7 years, in partnership with UMOA-Titres. The auction attracted 148.099bn FCFA in bids, achieving a coverage...
AllAfrica – Economy