Canada Economics Weekly Venezuela not yet eating Canada’s oil lunch The renewed rise in oil prices is positive news for Canada’s oil sector, but the latest US import data highlight the longer-term risks from greater Venezuelan production. 17th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly South Africa and Nigeria rate meetings, Angola’s large cut South Africa’s central bank is likely to hike rates again next week, but with inflation stabilising and underlying pressures relatively soft, we think this will be the last in the cycle. Nigeria... 17th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Europe Economics Update Indirect effects of energy prices still absent The rise in energy prices this month means that, rather than falling in July as seemed likely a fortnight ago, euro-zone inflation now looks set to remain unchanged at 2.8%. But the absence so far of... 17th July 2026 · 3 mins read
Commodities Weekly Back to square one in the oil market At this stage, we still consider that the escalation in the war between the US and Iran is consistent with our baseline view that the recovery in oil flows would be bumpy and punctuated by flare-ups... 17th July 2026 · 4 mins read
ECB Watch ECB rates on hold despite higher oil prices It is highly likely that the ECB Governing Council will leave its deposit rate unchanged at 2.25% next week. Although energy prices have risen sharply in the past few weeks, they remain lower than in... 16th July 2026 · 7 mins read
Global Economics Update What are the potential implications of Houthi attacks? Given reports of Houthi threats to close the Bab el-Mandeb passage to the Red Sea and to attack Saudi oil infrastructure, we are publishing an updated version of this note originally sent on 31st... 16th July 2026 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Back to the future The renewed attacks by the US and Iran risk prolonging the Gulf economies' downturns by pushing back recoveries in oil output and in non-oil sectors. On top of this, the risk of disruptions to... 16th July 2026 · 6 mins read
Global Economics Update The implications of a renewed closure of the Strait The global economy has so far weathered the energy shock created by the war in Iran, but a sharp drawdown in oil inventories has left stocks close to critically low levels. The oil market therefore... 16th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Commodities Update Oil market investors stuck in limbo again The escalation of the US-Iran war over the last week has caused investors to rapidly adjust their views of the upside risks in the oil market. If conditions continue to deteriorate, the lesson from... 14th July 2026 · 3 mins read
Commodities Update Five key questions on the “Battle of Hormuz” The announcement of a new US naval blockade on Iranian oil – and the suggestion that the US will charge a toll on shipping through the Strait – has upended the MoU and poses risks to our view that... 14th July 2026 · 4 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly SA Treasury cuts off municipalities, Nigeria’s oil output South Africa’s municipal funding freezes this week signal the Treasury’s commitment to fiscal discipline, but risks hurting the ANC’s electoral appeal ahead of November's critical local elections. In... 10th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Emerging Europe Economics Weekly Soft CEE inflation, Russia under more strain Inflation data released this week for Czechia and Hungary surprised again to the downside, which supports our view that the Czech central bank’s tightening cycle will be short and that the easing... 10th July 2026 · 6 mins read
Commodities Weekly A recipe for oil (and fuel) price volatility While the flare up in military activity in the Middle East does not change our forecast for oil prices to trend lower next year, the latest developments support our view that energy prices will... 10th July 2026 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly MoU on the rocks, Saudi-UAE tensions, Egypt state control The US-Iran memorandum of understanding has come under further strain this week, raising the risk that the recovery in the Gulf economies gets derailed. Elsewhere, geopolitical tensions between Saudi... 9th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Capital Daily Oil and US equities no longer have much of a MoU Today’s surge in oil prices, prompted by Donald Trump’s declaration that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the US and Iran is “over”, has taken a toll on the S&P 500. Our sense, though, is... 8th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Commodities Update US-Iran strikes are a reminder of upside risks to prices The latest exchange of military strikes in the Middle East supports our view that oil prices will be volatile over the coming months, and will face bouts of upward pressure. That said, under the... 8th July 2026 · 4 mins read
