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Egypt’s central bank keeps its policy rate corridor at 19%-20% after its August meeting. Official data shows that the annual urban inflation increased to 14.9% in July from 14.3% in June. The CBE’s calculation of core inflation also rose from 14.3% to 14.7% over the same period. In July, both headline and core inflation figures remained unchanged month-over-month. The Central Bank of Egypt indicated that unfavorable base effects contributed to the higher yearly figures. The urban consumer price index is compiled by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. This most recent decision in August continues the trend of holding rates after meetings in April, May, and July. The last rate adjustment occurred on February 12, when the CBE lowered key rates by 100 basis points, bringing the overnight deposit and lending rates to 19% and 20%, respectively. The main operation and discount rates also decreased to 19.5%. Since that reduction, the Monetary Policy Committee has maintained the entire rate structure unchanged at every subsequent meeting. Yearly inflation rises as monthly prices stay steady The central bank highlighted that real economic activity continued to slow during the second quarter, according to its latest estimates. This slowdown followed a 5% growth in real gross domestic product during the first quarter of 2026. The CBE projects an average real GDP growth rate of about 5% for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The bank

Japan’s July trade reached record values as imports outpaced exports. This marks the second consecutive month that Japan’s imports have set a new record in terms of value. The surge in crude oil imports played a significant role as Japan faced escalating energy prices. Crude volumes imported increased by 5.5% compared to July 2025, ending a three-month decline on a year-on-year basis. During the same period, the value of crude shipments soared by 87.8%. Given Japan’s heavy reliance on imported energy, fluctuations in oil prices and exchange rates continue to be key influences on its trade statistics. Exports also achieved an all-time high for a single month, extending their streak of year-on-year growth to 11 months. The 23.2% rise was an acceleration from June’s 19.3% increase. Demand for semiconductor-related items remained robust, bolstered by investments linked to artificial intelligence and data centers. A weaker yen increased the yen value of overseas sales and rendered Japanese goods more competitive for some foreign buyers. The export growth in July surpassed the pace observed during the previous month. Semiconductor Demand Boosts Japan’s Export Performance Trade with Japan’s two biggest individual export destinations surged in July. Exports to the United States climbed 22.0% year-over-year, reaching roughly 2.09 trillion yen. Meanwhile, shipments to China increased by 25.8% to around 2.01 trillion yen. These gains were supported by heightened global investment in

U.S. equities finished with modest increases on Wednesday amid a sharp decline in long-term Treasury yields. The S&P 500 gained 16.22 points, or 0.21%, closing at 7,707.98, breaking a three-day losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 119.65 points, or 0.22%, to close at 53,463.05. The Nasdaq Composite rose by 41.38 points, or 0.16%, ending at 26,331.09. Bond prices increased following the U.S. Treasury Department’s announcement of larger liquidity support buybacks for longer-dated government debt. From September 9, the maximum purchase amount will rise from $2 billion to a minimum of $4 billion per operation. The adjusted purchase volume will be maintained through November 4. Bond yields tend to move inversely to prices, so increased demand for government bonds pushed yields lower. This retreat alleviated some of the pressure seen during the recent selloff in longer-term government securities.

On Friday, global markets for precious metals experienced downward movement as spot gold prices declined, setting the stage for a weekly decrease. Data from financial markets indicated that spot gold fell 0.5 percent to trade at $4,326.75 per ounce, while United States gold futures for December delivery decreased nearly 1.0 percent to $4,382.50 per ounce. These market corrections followed a brief surge on Thursday, when bullion prices reached their highest levels in more than two months before closing 1.3 percent lower due to sudden profit-taking.

Global electric vehicle sales increased by 9% year on year in July 2026, reaching 1.85 million units. Among the major EV markets, Europe experienced the most significant growth in July. Sales of electric vehicles increased by 33% from the previous year to approximately 450,000 units. During the first seven months of 2026, sales in the region grew by 28%. France saw an 81% annual rise in July, reaching a 37% EV penetration rate. Germany’s sales grew by 46%, while the United Kingdom reported a 43% increase.

In July 2026, South Korea’s automobile exports experienced a 7.0% year-on-year increase, totaling US$6.24 billion. This figure set a new record for exports in the month of July, surpassing the previous high of US$5.90 billion established in 2023, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. For comparison, exports in July 2025 amounted to US$5.83 billion. Domestic vehicle sales also saw a modest rise of 0.5%, reaching 139,000 units, while production increased significantly by 11.3% to 352,000 vehicles.

On Wednesday, diesel prices stayed high as limited refined-product availability continued to exert upward pressure on fuel markets across the United States and Europe. U.S. ultra-low sulfur diesel futures surged 7.4% on Monday, closing at $4.19 a gallon, marking the largest single-day increase since July 13. Early Wednesday trading pushed the contract close to $4.28 a gallon, while in Europe, diesel refining margins stayed at historically elevated levels after rising nearly 10% on Monday.

Gold extended its upward trend for a third consecutive session on Tuesday, building on last week’s sharp rebound. Spot gold increased by 1% to $4,432.74 an ounce by 0217 GMT, reaching its highest level since June 5 and surpassing the seven-week peak established last week. U.S. gold futures rose 1.7% to $4,492.60. This move followed gains on Friday and Monday, as global bullion markets responded to U.S. economic data and interest-rate expectations.

Denmark inflation slowed to 1.7% in July from 1.9% in June, while core inflation held at 2.3% and services outpaced goods in July’s CPI data. The post Denmark inflation slips to 1.7% with core rate steady appeared first on Arabian Observer: Observe more. Understand Arabia..

According to recent analysis from Triodos Bank, Europe’s record-breaking summer heat and ongoing drought conditions could result in a nearly 1% reduction in EU economic output by 2026. The predicted loss approximates €180 billion and approaches the European Commission’s current growth forecast for the region. In May, the Commission projected that EU gross domestic product would increase by 1.1% this year. The comparison highlights the scale of weather-related economic damage estimated in the bank’s study.