Washington granted Iran a 60-day oil export waiver on June 22, pushing Brent crude below $78 as Strait of Hormuz traffic climbed back toward pre-war levels.
Category: Economy
Euro bond issuance hits record $1.1 trillion as dollar’s global role ebbs
Euro-denominated bond issuance hit a record $1.1 trillion in 2025, up 30%, and the euro now leads the dollar in green bonds, the ECB’s June 2026 report shows.
Bank of England holds at 3.75% as two MPC members push for a hike
The Bank of England’s MPC voted 7–2 to hold rates at 3.75% on 18 June, with two dissenters backing an immediate hike to 4% as UK inflation stays at 2.8%, nearly a full point above target.
A second US court kills Trump’s 10% tariff, leaving trade policy in legal limbo
A US trade court ruled Trump’s 10% global import surcharge unlawful in May, the second major judicial blow to the administration’s tariff strategy in 2026, with the levy now set to expire in July.
UK unemployment climbs to 4.9% as payrolled jobs fall by 138,000
ONS data from June 18 shows UK unemployment at 4.9% for the latest quarter, with payrolled employment down 138,000 and real wages barely growing.
Warsh holds rates but nine officials signal a 2026 hike, sending stocks lower
The Fed kept the funds rate at 3.50–3.75% on June 17 in Warsh’s first FOMC meeting as chair, but a hawkish dot plot rattled markets and pushed the S&P 500 down 1.2%.
UK economy slips 0.1% in April as Iran war hits services and energy output
UK monthly GDP fell 0.1% in April, the first contraction since August 2025, as energy output dropped and businesses cited the Middle East conflict as a drag on turnover.
Bank of Japan lifts rates to 1%, highest since the mid-1990s
The Bank of Japan raised its benchmark rate to 1% in a 7-1 vote on Monday, the highest since September 1995, as Iran war energy costs push Japan’s inflation above target.
The Iran deal’s oil shock reversal tests central banks on both sides of the Pacific
With the US-Iran ceasefire removing the energy shock that has driven global inflation since February, the Bank of Japan and the US Federal Reserve face their pivotal June decisions in a changed landscape.
UK May retail sales post sharpest annual rise in 13 months despite travel slump
UK retail sales grew 3.7% year-on-year in May 2026, the fastest rate since April 2025, as heatwave spending on outdoor goods masked a 12.9% drop in airline bookings.