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oil rig platform

In the World 18th May 2026

Oil reserves fall by 4 Mbpd in April, fastest rate ever, but OPEC forecasts demand to grow by just 1.17 Mbpd

Reported by Bankinter OPEC has reduced its estimate for global demand growth in 2026, but increased it for 2027. It estimates that demand will rise by 1.17 Mbd compared to the previously forecast 1.38 Mbd. For next year, it estimates 1.54 Mbd, which is 200,000 bpd higher than the previous estimate. In Q2 2026, it estimates that demand will reach 104.5 Mbd vs the previous 105.07 Mbd. Analysis team’s view:…

reino unido

In the World 18th May 2026

UK GDP surprises with 1.1% rise in Q1 2026, but current political uncertainty means risk of recession later this year

Reported by Consejeros Editorial Team The new political crisis surrounding the embattled British Prime Minister, Starmer, has turned the spotlight on the UK. Just today, the country’s Q1 2026 GDP figures were released, delivering a positive surprise with the economy growing by 1.1% year-on-year, compared to the 0.8% expected by the consensus of analysts and the 1.0% recorded in Q4 2025. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, growth met expectations of 0.6%,…

XiJinpingLovesTrump

In the World 14th May 2026

Focus of Trump-Xi Jinping meeting in Beijing lies between concrete positive agreements and fears that differences between world’s two major powers will intensify

Report by Renta 4 European markets open higher (Eurostoxx futures up 0.6%, S&P futures up 0.4%, Nasdaq futures up 0.4%), with Brent futures up 0.5% and all eyes on the long-awaited Trump-Xi Jinping meeting in Beijing, which begins today and will run until tomorrow. Regarding this meeting (postponed from its originally scheduled date at the end of March due to the outbreak of war in Iran), the focus of interest…

dollars

In the World 14th May 2026

US inflation rises to 3.8% in April due to energy crisis

Report by Link Securities The Department of Labour announced on Tuesday that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.6% in the United States in April compared with March, a figure in line with the consensus forecast by FactSet analysts. In April, energy prices rose by 3.8%, due to the war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Furthermore, in April housing prices rose by 0.6%, whilst…

spacex 1200x675 1

In the World, Markets 13th May 2026

SpaceX: the deal of the century designed for insiders

SpaceX is preparing to go public with a valuation of $1.75 trillion without ever having published its audited accounts. Elon Musk’s company controls over 80% of US orbital launches and has more than 10 million Starlink subscribers, yet it is set to trade at 110 times its annual sales. Analysed by Franco Macchiavelli SpaceX is preparing for its IPO with a valuation of $1.75 trillion, a figure higher than Spain’s…

bolsa madrid

In the World, Markets 12th May 2026

European stock markets fall amid renewed uncertainty in Iran: Ibex drops 1.56%

Reported by Jaime Sicilia Martínez The main European indices have recorded declines following the failure of the latest proposals from Iran and the United States, and Trump’s threat of a possible end to the ceasefire. Investors’ defensive stance has favoured gains in Energy, Consumer Staples and Healthcare, whilst the major cyclical sectors have been the hardest hit. The technology sector has been dragged down by the US market, and the…

bolsa espana reloj

In the World, Markets 12th May 2026

Mixed trading in Europe: Ibex 35 falls 0.2% to close at 17,852 points

Mixed session on European stock markets The Ibex 35 fell 0.2% on Monday, with declines in the banking sector and gains in utilities. The French CAC 40, meanwhile, fell by 0.7%, weighed down by the luxury sector, and the EuroStoxx 50 closed down 0.3%. Aro Romero Mateu European indices started the session on a negative note and remained so until the close. The Ibex 35 fell by 0.2%, with declines…

donald trump

In the World, Markets 12th May 2026

With no US-Iran agreement in sight, Trump temporarily suspends federal fuel tax until prices stabilise

Report by Renta 4 European markets opened lower (Eurostoxx futures down 0.7%, S&P futures down 0.2%, Nasdaq futures down 0.5%) whilst Brent futures rose again, albeit moderately, by 0.7%. As for the conflict, there is still no agreement and the two sides continue to exchange threats, with Trump warning that the ceasefire with Iran is in a very fragile state, and the Iranian government stating that it is prepared for…

norges bank

In the World 11th May 2026

Central banks: Norgesbank takes market by surprise, raises rates by 25 b.p. to 4.25%; Riksbank sticks to expectations and keeps them at 1.75%

By Intermoney Monetary policy made several major headlines on Thursday. However much the Middle East conflict might have affected the future direction of the major central banks, until Thursday we had not seen any of them make a move (except for the Reserve Bank of Australia, but it had already started before the conflict). But that changed when the Norgesbank raised its key rate by 25 basis points to 4.25%,…

Kristalina IMF

In the World, World economy 6th May 2026

IMF Managing Director warns of adverse scenario of 2.5% global growth and inflation above 5%

Norbolsa | The IMF director warns that with the conflict dragging on and oil prices heading towards $120, we are moving away from the baseline scenario—which envisaged a moderate impact on growth—towards the adverse scenario, which envisaged global growth of 2.5% and inflation above 5%. At the same forum, the chairman of Chevron warned that product supply shortages will begin to be felt, with Asian demand adjusting to lower supply.