Gold prices are being pushed higher as Middle East conflict escalates, with Argonaut raising its 12‑month target to $6,000 per ounce and State Street assigning a 35% probability to a bull case of $5,500‑$6,250. Safe‑haven demand has lifted gold ETF net inflows to $4.5 billion in February, bringing year‑to‑date assets to $10.5 billion. However, a stronger Australian dollar is expected to erode earnings for domestic producers, benefitting offshore miners more. The outlook fuels volatility across ASX gold stocks, with notable movers such as Waratah Minerals and Rincon Resources.
Jindal Stainless warned that shipments of stainless steel to West Asia may be delayed due to the escalating conflict affecting maritime routes and airspace. Although the region represents a small portion of its export business, the company highlighted potential transit...

Five years after its launch, Finance in Common (FiCS) now coordinates over 540 public development banks (PDBs) managing roughly $23 trillion, demonstrating that collective financing can support Sustainable Development Goals. The International Development Finance Club (IDFC) deepens this effort by aligning...

Eclipse Re Ltd., a Bermuda‑based special purpose insurer, issued its first private catastrophe bond of 2026 – a $100 million Series 2026‑1A note listed on the Bermuda Stock Exchange. The bond, likely covering property catastrophe reinsurance or retrocession, matures on December 31 2027, making...
JMIC data shows routine commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has virtually stopped, with only two cargo vessels recorded in the past 24 hours versus the usual 138. The pause follows a U.S.–Israel strike on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory...

India's benchmark indices deepened losses on Friday, with the BSE Sensex slipping 603 points to 79,412 and the Nifty 50 dropping 168 points to 24,597. Banking and financial‑services stocks led the decline, as the Nifty Bank fell 763 points, testing...
AI adoption is gaining traction in emerging market firms, with roughly 40% reporting use of AI for internal processes or customer‑facing products. Digital‑first companies lead the wave, achieving a 64% adoption rate, while newer startups founded after 2015 exceed 50%...
The International Monetary Fund announced it is prepared to assist nations whose balance‑of‑payments are strained by the escalating Middle East conflict. Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned that higher energy prices could lift inflation by 40 basis points and shave up...
Somalia’s banking sector has rebounded over the past decade, quadrupling assets to $1.8 billion and expanding deposits to $1.43 billion, yet it remains highly fragmented with 13 small, under‑capitalised banks. Most institutions are privately owned, Sharia‑compliant and concentrated in urban centres, leaving...
Axi, the Australian‑based retail FX and CFD broker, has appointed Andrea Rebusco as Regional Head for the UK, EU and LATAM, reinforcing its dual B2C and B2B growth strategy. Rebusco brings nine years at IG Group plus senior roles at...
CBRE’s Q4 2025 Core Multifamily Buyer Sentiment survey shows core buyer optimism improved quarter‑over‑quarter while negative sentiment stayed flat, contrasting with a dip in value‑add buyer confidence. Underwriting assumptions remained steady for the second straight quarter, and average going‑in cap rates...

The Philippines, heavily dependent on imported oil, is confronting rising fuel costs driven by Middle East tensions. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered government offices to keep air‑conditioners at a minimum of 24 °C and is exploring flexible or four‑day work weeks...
The Trump‑Xi summit scheduled for late‑2026 follows a fragile 2025 Busan truce that temporarily halted tariffs and export bans. While the pause eased immediate market stress, critical issues such as transshipment tariffs, rare‑earth and high‑end semiconductor controls remain unresolved. Chinese...
Reckitt Benckiser’s CEO Kris Licht declared India and China must‑win markets as middle‑class households there now outnumber those in Europe and the United States combined. Emerging markets now represent about 42 % of Reckitt’s core net revenue, with India and China...

South Korea's headline CPI held at 2.0% year‑on‑year in February, while core inflation rose to 2.3%. Fresh food and petroleum prices fell, but service costs increased, showing lingering price pressure. Higher global oil prices and a weakening won have sharpened...
Fastmarkets has announced a proposal to introduce two new ex‑works China graphite flake price indices – 94% carbon, -100 mesh and 94% carbon, +80 mesh. The indices will be published weekly on Thursdays at 7 pm Shanghai time, with a minimum...

Australia shipped 91,511 tonnes of chickpeas and 300,009 tonnes of lentils in January, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Chickpea exports collapsed 85% from the December peak of 594,201 tonnes, while lentil shipments slipped 5% from December’s 316,358 tonnes....
The global passenger EV market grew 18% YoY in 2025, pushing battery capacity deployment past 1 TWh for the first time. Raw‑material costs for lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt and manganese reached $15.6 billion, an 11% rise over 2024 but still half of...

The Halifax House Price Index shows the average UK home price has risen above £300,000 for the first time, reaching £300,077. Prices climbed 0.7% in January after a 0.5% dip in December, lifting annual growth to 1%. Regional gaps have...

The Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association’s Q4 2025 Mortgage Market Tracker shows a modest dip in overall industry confidence, yet advisers remain highly optimistic about their own firms, with 57 % very confident and 43 % fairly confident. Average case volume slipped to 89...
The interview with Oleg Itskhoki examines how Russia employed financial repression in 2022 to weather the largest post‑war sanctions package. By banning cash withdrawals and obligating exporters to surrender foreign‑currency earnings, Moscow halted a ruble freefall and stabilized its fiscal...
The Asian Development Bank announced a $5.4 billion financing plan for Kazakhstan, a $1.1 billion package for Tajikistan, and a $2.5 billion commitment to Azerbaijan, all aimed at strengthening the Middle Corridor trade route. The bank also launched a technical assistance program to...
Mammoth Energy Services reported $16.4 million revenue in Q2 2025 but posted a $35.7 million GAAP net loss, driven largely by a $31.7 million non‑cash impairment on its Northern White Sand mine. The quarter featured three major portfolio moves: a $108.7 million sale of infrastructure...
W.P. Carey promoted Zachary Pasanen and Tyler Swann to co‑heads of North American investments, giving them responsibility for sourcing, underwriting and structuring sale‑leaseback and build‑to‑suit transactions. Both will continue reporting to Gino Sabatini and remain focused on long‑term net‑lease deals....

The debt snowball and debt avalanche are two common repayment strategies for credit‑card debt. Snowball focuses on eliminating the smallest balances first, while avalanche targets the highest‑interest balances. The article illustrates both methods with a $20,000 three‑card example, showing that...
Fastmarkets published its March 5 2026 steel scrap No 1 busheling delivered‑mill price assessment for Chicago. The assessment is part of the Fastmarkets scrap package and follows the firm’s North America ferrous scrap methodology. The release includes a link to detailed specifications and...

Samsara Inc. reported a strong fiscal 2026 Q4, posting adjusted EPS of 18 cents and revenue of $444.3 million, both above analyst forecasts. Annual recurring revenue climbed to $1.9 billion, a 31% year‑over‑year increase, driven by high‑spending customers. The company launched Commercial...
Marcus & Millichap closed the sale of 10 Charlesview Rd., a 9,600‑square‑foot small‑bay industrial building in Hopedale, Massachusetts, for $2.05 million. The property, built in 2018, comprises six 1,600‑square‑foot units with private offices, 17‑ to 18‑foot clear heights, drive‑in doors and...
Canola futures rose to C$719.90 per tonne, the highest level since August 2025, buoyed by a 3.3% jump in soybean oil and modest soybean gains. Wheat prices edged higher, but rising fuel costs for shipping threaten demand growth. Crude oil surged...

Adaptive reuse has evolved from a niche preservation tactic to a strategic response to e‑commerce‑driven vacancy, post‑COVID office surplus, and climate imperatives. Designers now ask "What can we save?" rather than starting from a blank slate, targeting everything from suburban...
DM Martins Research downgrades the U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS) to a “stay away” rating, citing its heavy concentration in the four major U.S. airlines and a 60‑basis‑point expense ratio. The analyst forecasts airline revenue growth of less than 5 %...

Iran’s recent drone and missile barrage has struck the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman, with more than 95% of projectiles intercepted by Gulf defenses. The attacks have shaken public confidence but quickly gave way to a resilient mood as...

New Zealand faces a shifting global order as Donald Trump’s America‑first agenda threatens the rules‑based system the country has long relied on. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s call for middle powers to devise practical “workarounds” highlights the urgency for smaller...

Investors are reassessing risk in the $2 trillion private‑credit market as AI‑related corporate loans face heightened scrutiny, while debt secured by real‑estate assets remains comparatively stable. BridgeInvest and other lenders emphasize the tangible collateral of data‑center and multifamily loans, which cushions...
The abrdn Global Dynamic Dividend Fund (AGD) delivers an attractive 11.9% yield and broad global equity exposure, yet it trades at a premium to its net asset value. Its distribution policy leans heavily on net realized gains, limiting organic NAV...

The U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran has rapidly expanded beyond the Middle East, affecting more than a dozen nations. Azerbaijan reported Iranian drones over its Nakhichevan exclave, while Tehran denied involvement and blamed Israel. A U.S. submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship...
GCC banks have shown resilience as the region endures fresh hostilities between Israel, the United States and Iran. Central Bank of the UAE reported banking assets above AED 5.42 trillion with a 17 % capital adequacy ratio and 146.6 % liquidity coverage ratio, both...

Retailers and service providers are expanding senior discount programs, with major names like Kohl’s, Walgreens, Marriott, and Amtrak offering percentage‑off deals for customers aged 55 and older. The discounts range from 10% to 20% and often apply on specific days...
Agency mortgage market showed tepid activity in February, with rate‑refinance volumes remaining sluggish. GSE credit‑risk‑transfer (CRT) issuance fell to its lowest level since 2013, while overall loan originations modestly increased across most product lines. Delinquency rates at large servicers rose...
The US dollar still dominates Africa’s trade, finance and debt, but China’s renminbi is gaining traction. African policymakers have launched the Pan‑African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to enable local‑currency cross‑border payments, yet adoption remains modest. Since 2024, renminbi usage...

Gap Inc. posted fourth‑quarter revenue of $4.2 billion, falling short of Bloomberg’s consensus. Old Navy and Athleta missed comparable‑sales targets, while Gap and Banana Republic exceeded theirs. Despite the revenue miss, the retailer logged its eighth consecutive quarter of comparable‑sales growth,...

A new Neighbors Bank analysis finds property taxes and homeowners insurance now consume an average of 21% of U.S. mortgage payments, with some markets seeing the costs exceed one‑third of the monthly bill. The study, based on 450 metros and...
February 2026 saw over 50 new ETF launches, highlighted by three niche funds. VanEck introduced the Communication Services TruSector ETF (TRUC) with a 14‑basis‑point fee, actively selecting leading media and telecom firms. ALPS launched the SMR, Nuclear & Technology ETF...
Fastmarkets has proposed shifting its Brazilian domestic steel price assessments from a monthly to a bi‑weekly schedule, publishing on the second and fourth Fridays each month. The change responds to recent anti‑dumping actions, higher import tariffs, and market participants’ demand...
Elastic N.V. (ESTC) posted $1.48 billion revenue in FY25, up 17% year‑over‑year, with cloud sales climbing 26% and subscriptions comprising roughly 94% of the mix. The company’s Elastic Stack, an open‑source platform with over 5.5 billion downloads, is now positioned as core...
Brilliant Earth reported record Q4 net sales, propelled by a 34% year‑over‑year jump in fine‑jewelry bookings that now represent 23% of its mix. The company’s premium brand and data‑driven pricing engine helped preserve mid‑50s% gross margins despite gold up 67%...

U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran sparked a sharp 19% weekly rise in oil prices, yet the broader market response remained muted. The Strait of Hormuz, carrying roughly 20% of global oil shipments, stayed open, limiting supply disruptions. Investors priced...
Ciena (CIEN) posted a better‑than‑expected earnings report and lifted its fiscal‑year guidance, yet the stock slipped 1.7% on the day. The company cited strong demand for cabling and networking gear in AI‑driven data centers, with revenue climbing roughly 12% year‑over‑year....

At the opening of China’s National People’s Congress, PLA officers listened intently to the government work report, signalling renewed loyalty to the Party. The display comes as Xi Jinping presides over the session with a calm demeanor, despite a sweeping...

Rent growth outpaced median home‑price appreciation in 55% of U.S. counties between 2025 and 2026, narrowing the rent‑vs‑buy affordability gap. Despite higher rents, rental yields fell in 54.8% of counties as record‑high home prices raised acquisition costs. Midwest markets such...