Navios Lines up $134m Capesize Duo
Navios Maritime Partners announced two long‑term bareboat‑in contracts for Japanese‑built capesize vessels, with purchase options valued at roughly $134.3 million and an effective 6% interest rate. The ships, fitted with scrubbers, are slated to join the fleet in late 2028 and early 2029 and are fixed at a $25,000‑per‑day floor rate with profit sharing tied to the C5TC 182 index. The deals expand Navios' dry‑bulk earnings base, contributing to $3.8 billion of contracted revenue through 2037. Simultaneously, the company is selling two VLCCs for $136.5 million as it reshapes its tanker portfolio.
Five Things to Know to Start Your Day
Nigeria's federal government ordered ministries to defer 70% of the 2025 capital budget to 2026, limiting new projects to prioritize existing ones amid weak revenues. The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission raided former Kaduna governor Nasir El‑Rufai’s Abuja home as he remains...
Strong Manufacturing Growth Lifts Flash PMI to Three-Month High of 59.3 in Feb
India’s flash Composite PMI rose to 59.3 in February, its strongest level in three months, driven by a surge in manufacturing activity. Total new orders grew at the fastest pace since November, pushing output to a four‑month high, while services...
Africa Needs Patient Capital for the Long Term
Africa’s growth potential is hampered by a $350 billion SME financing gap and annual infrastructure needs of $130‑170 billion, far exceeding current investment. While the continent’s population tops 1.5 billion and GDP surpasses $3 trillion, capital flows remain fragmented and short‑term. The article argues...
KPMG UK Shares Insights on Cooling Wages and Stabilizing Jobs Market Potentially Leading to March Rate Cut
KPMG UK analysts say the latest labour market data show wage growth slowing to 4.2% and unemployment edging up to 5.2%, signalling a cooling jobs market. The firm forecasts pay growth will dip to around 3% by year‑end and expects...
Google Bigger than India GDP? Sanjeev Bikhchandani Exposes the Flaw in that Viral Claim
A viral post claimed Google’s $4 trillion market capitalisation exceeds India’s GDP, prompting entrepreneur Sanjeev Bikhchandani to debunk the analogy. He explained that market cap is a stock measure reflecting investor expectations, while GDP is a flow metric tracking annual economic...
Could Medical Care Help Cure China’s Services Trade Deficit?
China’s medical tourism is gaining traction as foreign patients praise rapid, affordable care in megacities like Shanghai and Beijing. While the absolute number of inbound patients remains modest, industry insiders see a growing pipeline driven by visa‑free entry, expanding international...
Why Global Capital Is Looking at India Differently This Year
India’s economy is gaining traction through robust digital public infrastructure and maturing regulatory frameworks, positioning it as a distinct asset class for global investors. The latest Union Budget underscores this shift by offering a 20‑year tax holiday and a flat...
US Market | Credit Concerns Mount: Blue Owl Shake-Up Weighs on US Financial Stocks
Blue Owl Capital announced the sale of $1.4 billion of assets across three credit funds and permanently halted redemptions in one fund to return capital and reduce leverage. The announcement triggered a broad sell‑off in listed alternative‑asset managers such as Apollo,...
RSBT ETF: It's A Directional Bet, Not A Diversification Vehicle
The Return Stacked Bonds & Managed Futures ETF (RSBT) posted a 12.25% year‑over‑year price gain after a tough 2022‑23 inflation cycle. The fund allocates capital between the AGG bond ETF and a suite of trend‑following managed‑futures strategies, positioning it as...
Rupee Declines 27 Paise to 90.95 Against US Dollar in Early Trade
The Indian rupee slipped to 90.95 per U.S. dollar in early Friday trade, down 27 paise from its previous close. The decline was driven by a firmer dollar, higher Brent crude at $71.77 a barrel, and escalating U.S.-Iran tensions. Domestic...
Pakistani PM Holds Talks with Rubio After Washington Summit
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Feb 19, focusing on cooperation in critical minerals, energy, counter‑terrorism and potential American investment. The discussion also highlighted Pakistan’s backing of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan...
Global Market | Japan’s Tightening Cycle Could Redraw the Map of Global Market Liquidity
The Bank of Japan has ended its ultra‑easy stance, pushing policy rates to the highest level in decades and pricing in another hike. Higher domestic yields are likely to trigger repatriation of Japanese savings, cutting the flow of low‑cost funding...
Infra Sector Outlook Cautious as Weak Q3 Performance Leads to 4% YoY Contraction: Nuvama Research
India's infrastructure sector posted a 4% year‑on‑year revenue contraction in Q3 FY26, driven by eroding order books, payment delays, prolonged monsoons and construction bans. Average EBITDA margin slipped 40 basis points to 10.1%, while adjusted PAT margin fell to 5.2%....
White House Maritime Action Plan Shows OMSA Leadership on Regulatory Reform
The White House released America’s Maritime Action Plan, a sweeping strategy to strengthen the U.S. maritime sector through regulatory reform, infrastructure investment, and workforce development. A central pillar targets the elimination of redundant, obsolete, or overly burdensome regulations, echoing Offshore...
Goldman: Gold to Grind Higher to $5,400/Oz by End-2026 on Strong Demand
Goldman Sachs projects gold prices to climb to $5,400 per ounce by the end of 2026, driven primarily by renewed central‑bank buying and modest private‑investor inflows linked to Federal Reserve rate cuts. The forecast assumes a conservative base case with...
NZD, AUD Fall as RBNZ Says Inflation Returning to Target, No Preset Path
The New Zealand and Australian dollars slipped in Asian trade after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand signaled that inflation is already back within its 2% target band and is expected to stay there for the next year. Governor Adrian Breman emphasized that...
Iran Tells UN Chief It Will Respond 'Decisively' If Subjected to Military Aggression
Iran warned the United Nations that any military aggression against it would be met with decisive force, stating that bases, facilities and assets of the perceived hostile force would be considered legitimate targets. The warning was delivered in a letter...
Inside Hermès’ Strategy for Profitable Growth in a Slower China
Hermès reported record revenue of over €16 billion in 2025, a 9 % increase at constant exchange rates, and recurring operating income of €6.6 billion, lifting margins to 41 % of sales. Growth was driven by its leather‑goods division, which expanded 13.1 % and remains...
USD Gains on Strong US Data Unlikely to Last; Policy Uncertainty, Political Risks to Cap
MUFG’s Derek Halpenny says the U.S. dollar’s recent rally, sparked by stronger‑than‑expected durable‑goods, housing and industrial production data and hawkish Fed minutes, is unlikely to be sustained. While the minutes hinted at a cautious stance on further rate cuts, Halpenny...
Shares of Local Oil Explorers Surge on Supply Disruption Fears
Shares of Indian upstream explorers jumped as Brent crude breached $71 per barrel amid renewed US‑Iran tensions and temporary Strait of Hormuz closures. Oil India rose 5.2% and ONGC gained 3.6%, while downstream marketers HPCL and BPCL slipped nearly 5%...
IMF Warns Venezuela’s Economy and Humanitarian Situation Is ‘Quite Fragile’
The IMF warned that Venezuela’s economy and humanitarian situation remain “quite fragile,” citing triple‑digit inflation, a sharply depreciating currency and public debt at roughly 180 percent of GDP. The country has seen massive emigration, with about 8 million people leaving since 2014,...
Japan Inflation Slows to 1.5% in January, Core Measures Ease. What Will the BoJ Think?
Japan’s consumer price index slowed sharply in January, with headline inflation dropping to 1.5% year‑over‑year, the lowest level since March 2022 and below expectations. Core inflation excluding fresh food eased to 2.0% YoY, while the core‑core measure fell to 2.6%,...
Civil War-Torn Sudan Sits On Unexplored Mineral Riches Worth Billions
Sudan, despite a civil war that began in 2023, is courting foreign investors to develop its largely untapped mineral portfolio that includes gold, copper, uranium and rare‑earth elements. Gold production set a new record of 70 tonnes in 2025, generating...
Trump’s Energy Dominance Clashes with Soaring Bills at Home
U.S. LNG exports are set to climb from 15 Bcf/d last year to 18.1 Bcf/d by 2027, driving record natural‑gas production. The surge in feed‑gas demand and AI‑powered data‑center growth is tightening domestic supply, pushing residential and wholesale electricity prices higher. While...
Tongaat Hulett Collapse Looms
Tongaat Hulett, South Africa's leading sugar producer, is heading for provisional liquidation after its business rescue plan collapsed. The Vision Group's acquisition of lender claims and a debt‑to‑equity swap failed, leaving the rescue unimplementable. Cosatu warns the collapse will trigger...
SB Energy Tapped for Proposed 9.2‑GW Ohio Gas Power Plant in First Tranche of $550B U.S.–Japan Deal: What We Know
The Trump administration announced that SoftBank’s U.S. affiliate SB Energy will develop a proposed 9.2‑GW, $33 billion natural‑gas power complex near Portsmouth, Ohio. The project is the flagship of a $36 billion first tranche of a $550 billion U.S.–Japan strategic investment framework that...
UK Heavy Goods Vehicle Sales Dipped in 2025; ZEVs at 1.4% Share
UK heavy goods vehicle registrations fell 10% in 2025, with 40,504 new trucks added, marking a contraction across every quarter. The decline was most pronounced in box vans (-28.1%) and curtain‑sided trucks (-26.2%), while tractor units slipped 4.4% but rebounded...
Why This International Dividend ETF Is Outperforming in 2026
The Franklin International Dividend Booster ETF (XIDV) posted an 8.95% year‑to‑date return, slightly outpacing the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) at 8.75%. XIDV follows VettaFi’s rules‑based dividend‑optimization index, targeting yields two to three times its parent benchmark without using...
LGBTQ Tourism Shifts Away From the United States as New Global Winners Emerge
The global LGBTQ travel market, now worth hundreds of billions and projected to exceed $500 billion by 2032, is rapidly rebalancing away from the United States. New data from the Spartacus Gay Travel Index shows the U.S. slipping to 48th place,...
Federal Reserve Board Announces It Will Hold a Hybrid Public Outreach Meeting on Thursday, March 26, as Part of Its...
The Federal Reserve Board announced a hybrid public outreach meeting for Thursday, March 26, 2026, as part of its ten‑year review mandated by the Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act (EGRPRA). The session will allow stakeholders to comment on a...
House E15 Council Eyes More US Biofuel Quota Waivers
The House Republican‑led E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council has revised its biofuel exemption plan, raising the annual cap from 450 million to 550 million Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits. The proposal also authorizes year‑round sales of 15% ethanol gasoline (E15) and expands...
Developed Economies May Take Gold in Milan but Emerging Markets Are Winning Advisors
Emerging‑market equities have outpaced U.S. and European stocks in 2026, with the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF up more than 11% year‑to‑date and 37% over the past twelve months. Wealth‑management firms are responding by raising EM exposure to roughly 10‑12%...
Canada Not a ‘Dumping Ground or Transshipment Hub;’ Section 232 Tariffs Unjustified: CSPA
The Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) argues that the U.S. Section 232 steel tariffs are unjustified, noting Canada is not a dumping ground or transshipment hub. Since the tariffs took effect, Canada has lost roughly 2 million metric tons of steel...
Stocks Slide as Traders Assess Walmart Earnings, Potential Iran Conflict: Live Updates
U.S. stock futures were largely flat on Wednesday night after the major indexes posted gains, with the Dow down 0.09%, the S&P 500 down 0.09% and the Nasdaq down 0.1%. Investors focused on Walmart’s upcoming fourth‑quarter earnings, a widely watched...
Sixth Straight Week of Decline: Container Rates Fall as Pre-Lunar New Year Surge Fails to Materialize
Global container shipping rates slipped another 1% to $1,919 per 40‑foot container, marking a sixth consecutive weekly decline. The expected pre‑Lunar New Year cargo surge failed to materialise, leaving both carriers and shippers with excess capacity. Transpacific lanes saw spot...
America Faces a ‘Debt Crisis’ a Lot Like the 1980s when a ‘Private Pact’ Brokered by Ronald Reagan Did the...
The United States now carries a public debt exceeding $38 trillion—about 101% of GDP—and projections show it could reach 120% within a decade. Rising interest obligations threaten to crowd out vital programs, notably Social Security, which the Congressional Budget Office warns...
Temnycky in Forbes on Europe’s Move to Phase Out Russian LNG in 2026
Mark Temnycky, a non‑resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, wrote in Forbes that the European Union will fully phase out Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) by the end of 2026. The move is framed as a step toward greater energy...
India-EU FTA to Open New Avenues for Trade, Investment: PM Modi, Greek Counterpart
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis affirmed that the recently concluded India‑EU Free Trade Agreement will unlock fresh trade and investment opportunities between India and the European Union. The leaders discussed expanding cooperation under the India‑Middle East‑Europe...
US, China and Russia Dominate Europe’s Ecommerce Top 10
ECDB’s Global E‑commerce Compass 2026 reveals that U.S., Chinese and Russian platforms dominate Europe’s ecommerce landscape. Amazon leads with a 2025 GMV just under $232 billion, almost equal to the combined GMV of the next nine players. Russian marketplaces Ozon and...
Maersk to Upsize India-USEC Capacity to Tap Post-Trade Deal Cargo Growth
Maersk announced a significant upsizing of its West India‑US East Coast (MECL) service to add incremental westbound container capacity. The move follows the United States’ reduction of tariffs on Indian‑made goods from 50% to 25%, with a further cut to...
‘The Days of the Single Black Swan Are Gone’
At the JSE SA Trade Connect conference, market leaders warned that volatility is no longer a rare "black swan" but a persistent flock of shocks. Alicia Greenwood highlighted the exchange’s push to fuse disparate data sources, enabling faster interpretation and...
Meloni's Ethiopia Visit Firms up Italy's Africa Plans
Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni visited Ethiopia to cement Italy’s renewed Africa strategy, highlighting the operational rollout of the Mattei Plan. The plan aims to turn Italy into an energy hub by building pipelines that export gas and hydrogen from...
Inside the Trump Trade Strategy with USTR’s Jamieson Greer
In a February 2026 Atlantic Council podcast, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer revisited the Trump administration’s aggressive trade agenda, focusing on the looming United States‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement (USMCA) review. Greer confirmed that a full U.S. withdrawal from the pact remains "on...
Philippine Central Bank Cuts Rates in Latest Bid to Support Growth
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) lowered its overnight repurchase rate by 25 basis points to 4.25%, marking the ninth cut since August 2024. Inflation remains modest at 2%, comfortably within the 2‑4% target band, while the peso rallied to...
Congo Offers Rebel-Held Rubaya Tantalum Mine to US in Minerals Deal
The Democratic Republic of Congo has placed the rebel‑held Rubaya coltan mine on a shortlist of strategic assets offered to the United States under a new minerals‑cooperation framework. Rubaya, which supplies roughly 15% of the world’s coltan, requires between $50 million...
Comesa Probes Meta for Locking Rival Chatbots Out of WhatsApp
The COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission (CCCC) has opened an investigation into Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd for allegedly abusing its dominant position by amending WhatsApp Business Solution Terms in October 2025 to block rival AI chatbot providers. The probe follows...
UK Manufacturing Still Beset by Low Orders and Price Pressure, Says CBI
The CBI’s industrial trends survey shows British manufacturers recorded order books well below their long‑term average in February. Despite the weak order flow, most firms plan to raise prices over the next three months. The survey also indicates that output...
Subprime Demand Drives US Loan Growth to New Heights
Subprime borrowers propelled U.S. unsecured loan balances to a record $276 bn, a 10% increase year‑over‑year, with 26.4 million consumers holding such loans. Credit‑card issuers expanded lending to lower‑income customers, pushing total balances 4% higher to $1.15 trillion, but responded by trimming initial...
Investors Unfazed by Uncertainties Around Tariffs in Med Tech
Investors remain steady in the med‑tech sector despite lingering tariff uncertainties, signaling confidence in long‑term growth. At the same time, research updates highlight the SCAN circuit as a core driver of Parkinson’s disease, TL1A overexpression in hidradenitis suppurativa, and an...