Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi economy stabilising, albeit still depressed There are tentative signs that the worst of the hit to Saudi Arabia’s economy from the Iran war may have passed, but we still expect the Kingdom to record a sharp contraction in GDP this year. 9th June 2026 · 3 mins read
Global Economics Update Services still bearing the brunt of Iran war fallout The latest batch of PMIs suggests that industry has been buoyed by precautionary stockbuilding and the AI boom, while consumer-facing services have taken a hit in many economies. At the global level... 3rd June 2026 · 4 mins read
Europe Economics Update How big is the fiscal cost of the Iran conflict? Since the outbreak of the Iran war we have increased our forecast for the aggregate euro-zone fiscal deficit this year from around 3% to 3.5% of GDP. Increased borrowing is not a major worry for... 29th May 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly Iran war and AI boom lift industrial profits Growth in China’s industrial profits accelerated in April, with firms benefitting from higher output prices while mitigating the impact of higher input costs by tapping inventories. The sectors that... 29th May 2026 · 5 mins read
Commodities Weekly The art of (looking beyond) the deal Oil prices have fallen throughout the week in anticipation of the US-Iran deal to extend the ceasefire by 60 days, but while re-opening the Strait is a necessary step towards normality in the global... 29th May 2026 · 4 mins read
Commodities Update China could delay the tipping point for oil prices The mismatch between oil supplied and consumed in China suggests that inventories are being drawn down there, which has eased the upward pressure on global oil prices. Against the backdrop of the US... 29th May 2026 · 4 mins read
Capital Daily The fate of one of the war’s best hedges China’s government bonds – unlike those almost everywhere else – have largely shrugged off the conflict. We think their medium-run prospects are bright even if a US-Iran deal renders obsolete their... 29th May 2026 · 4 mins read
Commodities Rapid Response The end of the beginning of the energy crisis? 28th May 2026 · 2 mins read
Global Inflation Watch Limited second-round risks reduce need for rate hikes Fears that the Iran conflict will trigger a sustained resurgence in inflation and a renewed global tightening cycle appear somewhat overdone. Admittedly, inflation in advanced economies looks set to... 27th May 2026 · 18 mins read
Commodities Update Oil market traders caught in limbo Oil market options data suggest that investors expect oil prices to ease lower over the next three months, but given uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz they have unusually low conviction. 26th May 2026 · 3 mins read
Capital Daily Three things that might limit any re-opening relief rally The chances of a large, broad-based relief rally if a the Strait of Hormuz is re-opened have probably diminished over time, although some markets have more upside than others. One that might benefit... 25th May 2026 · 6 mins read
Commodities Update The road back to energy normality is getting longer The longer the disruption to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz continues, the more complex any eventual pick-up in energy flows will be. Oil prices could clearly fall back sharply as/if/when... 21st May 2026 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Inflation pressures, pipelines and railways US President Trump declared this week that he had refrained from restarting strikes on Iran at the behest of the Gulf states in order to give more time for negotiations. But reports that Supreme... 21st May 2026 · 6 mins read
Bonds Update The JGB selloff is nearing a crucial point While FX intervention dominated the headlines a couple of weeks ago, Japan’s bond markets have come under increasing pressure. This Update argues that most of the past rise in yields has been benign... 21st May 2026 · 5 mins read
Europe Economics Update Inflationary effects of Iran war are set to broaden Higher energy costs have pushed up fuel prices in the euro-zone while the impact on other components of the consumer price basket has so far been very small. But the inflationary effects of the Iran... 20th May 2026 · 3 mins read
Commodities Update Seasonal dynamics to support natural gas prices in H2 The fact that Asian buyers of LNG from the Middle East have so far curtailed demand has helped to limit the upward pressure on natural gas prices. But even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens soon, a... 19th May 2026 · 4 mins read
