Money & Markets
For anyone hoping to buy a home in the United States this spring, there is some genuine good news. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 6.3% as of April 16, down from a recent high of 6.57% at the end of March and down for two
Stocks
Something unusual happened in US markets over the past few trading days. Stocks did not just recover from their war-related lows. They went past them entirely. The S&P 500 closed above 7,100 points for the first time in history on Friday April 18, capping its third
Fiscal Policy
China's National Development and Reform Commission confirmed in January 2026 that the government would front load 295 billion yuan ($42 billion) into strategic national initiatives, combined with a further $9 billion in direct consumer subsidies, a total package of roughly $51 billion deployed early in the year. The
Fiscal Policy
Ghana is preparing to exit a $3 billion IMF bailout programme by August 2026, and it is doing so from a position that would have seemed unimaginable during the country's 2022 debt crisis. At that time, inflation was above 54%, the cedi had lost most of its value,
Fiscal Policy
Germany's decision to borrow over €180 billion in 2026, with €83 billion earmarked for defence alone, is not just a German story. It is reshaping the fiscal and industrial logic of the entire European Union. The move has created a precedent that other EU countries are watching closely.
Monetary Policy
At the April 9 Spring Meetings curtain raiser in Washington, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva delivered the clearest guidance to central banks that the fund has issued in years. Her message was precise: stay on hold for now, but have a clear trigger ready for action. There is value in
Economic Pulse
At the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings opening in Washington this week, World Bank President Ajay Banga delivered a stark message. The global economy's ability to absorb shocks has deteriorated. Anti recession safeguards, including fiscal buffers, central bank room to cut rates, and multilateral lending capacity, are
Economic Pulse
China's leaders began 2026 with an unusual resolution. The Politburo, led by President Xi Jinping, declared that domestic demand must become the main driver of growth, replacing the country's traditional reliance on exports. Beijing committed $51 billion in front loaded spending and unveiled a consumer subsidy
Economic Pulse
While media attention has concentrated on the Middle East crisis and its consequences for large economies, East Africa has been quietly generating some of the strongest growth numbers on the continent and in some cases in the world. Uganda's economy expanded 8.5% year on year in the
Economic Pulse
On April 12, more than 27.3 million Peruvians went to the polls in one of the most fragmented and consequential elections in the country's recent history. With 35 candidates on the ballot and a record number of undecided voters heading into election day, no one expects a
Money & Markets
Two of West Africa's biggest economies are posting numbers that would have seemed impossible three years ago, and the contrast with the chaos of 2022 to 2023 could not be sharper. Nigeria saw net capital inflows surge nearly 90% to $23.22 billion in 2025, driven largely by
Money & Markets
Germany's parliament passed its 2026 budget with more than €180 billion ($208 billion) in new debt, a level surpassed only during the pandemic in 2021. The borrowing is made possible by two structural changes: a special €500 billion infrastructure fund and a new exemption allowing unlimited defence spending