Middle East conflict weighs further on slowing trade outlook
you are currently viewing::Middle East conflict weighs further on slowing trade outlookMarch 19, 2026-World trade is set to slow in 2026 following stronger than expected growth in 2025 on the back of surging trade in AI-enabling products. WTO economists warn that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could further reduce trade growth if energy prices remain elevated, noting that it would also put pressure on food supplies and services trade due to travel and transport disruptions. Prospects could still improve if the conflict ends quickly and the boom in AI spending continues. The latest Global Trade Outlook and Statistics" released on 19 March provides a baseline growth scenario excluding energy price shocks, forecasting that global merchandise trade growth would slow to 1.9% in 2026 from 4.6% in 2025 as trade is expected to normalize following a surge in AI-related products and the frontloading of imports to avoid new tariffs. World merchandise trade volume is then projected to grow by 2.6% in 2027. Commercial services trade growth will ease to 4.8% in 2026 after this year's 5.3% rise, then accelerate again to 5.1% in 2027. Together, goods and services trade will grow 2.7% in 2026 compared with 4.7% in 2025. Global GDP growth is projected to moderate slightly from 2.9% in 2025 to 2.8% in both 2026 and 2027. Source: World Trade Organization (WTO) |
July 7, 2026-Key market opportunities include growing demand for income-generating assets, rising institutional and retail participation, expansion of sustainable debt instruments, and adoption of advanced portfolio analytics. Asia-Pacific is poised for rapid growth, and innovative strategies such as active bond management are gaining traction.
July 6, 2026--Year-on-year inflation in the OECD as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 4.6% in May 2026, up from 4.4% in April.
Year-on-year inflation in the OECD as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 4.6% in May 2026, up from 4.4% in April. Headline inflation increased in 16 OECD countries, declined in 8, and was stable or broadly stable in 14. It remained above 5% in Colombia, Greece, Iceland and Lithuania, and exceeded 30% in Törkiye.
July 6, 2026-ETFGI reports that the global ETF industry has reached a new milestone, with a record 1,397 new products listed worldwide through the end of May 2026. After accounting for 208 closures, the industry recorded a net increase of 1,189 products.
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June 25, 2026---Flow Traders Ltd. (Euronext: FLOW) publishes the 2Q 2026 pre-close call script to be used with analysts post the market close on 25 June 2026.
Welcome to the Flow Traders 2Q 2026 pre-close call, which is being conducted post the European market close on 25 June. During this call we will highlight relevant publicly available data and industry trends in our markets and relate these data points to their impact on our business for the quarter.
June 24, 2026--21shares, a global leader in cryptocurrency exchange-traded products (ETPs), today published its comprehensive mid-year cryptocurrency research report: State of Crypto 2026: Mid-Year Update. The comprehensive report revisits ten core industry forecasts made in December, providing an impartial, data-driven audit of what has held up, what has faced delays, and how the market architecture has evolved.
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Human expertise leads for investment ideas, with 62% citing financial professionals and institutions as the main source.
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