Meeting of 29-30 April 2026

• A Pew Research Center survey of 13,575 people across 11 European countries reveals that favorability toward the EU has risen since the 2016 Brexit vote. • The organization now holds a median favorability rating of 62% across the surveyed nations, including France, Germany, Italy, and the U.K.

• The Euro (EUR) is trading sideways against the British Pound (GBP) on Thursday, failing to maintain a sustained move above 0.8660 despite a 0.4% rise over the previous two days. • US stock indexes climbed, with the S&P 500 reaching a record close and erasing its 2014 losses following a global growth forecast upgrade from the World Bank.

• Eurostat has released a fully revamped edition of its "Key figures on European business" report to provide a comprehensive snapshot of EU business activity. • The updated publication features a more streamlined structure and introduces new indicators to improve data accessibility and relevance.

• Global stocks retreated from record highs on Thursday following a new U.S. military strike on Iran and reports of missile attacks in Kuwait. • The escalation in Gulf tensions caused oil prices to surge by as much as 4% and led to a tumble in bond prices.

• Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand announced on Thursday, May 28, plans to expand their joint flight network between Singapore and New Zealand. • The expansion aims to address increasing travel demand between the two nations and facilitate better connectivity to key markets across Asia and Europe.

• The KOSPI index declined on the 28th, trading at 8,157.11 (down 71.59 points) following a record-breaking all-time high the previous day. • The downturn is driven by profit-taking pressure, with major semiconductor leaders Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix falling by 2.44% and 3.43%, respectively.

• ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos warned on Wednesday that the risk of a market correction is "elevated" as global stock indices continue to hit record highs. • De Guindos cited a volatile combination of outsized market valuations, fiscal challenges, and vulnerabilities within private credit as primary drivers of this instability.

• European financial ETFs are currently outperforming their U.S. counterparts, driven by contrasting risk and return profiles over a five-year period. • The rally is characterized by a divergence in expense ratios and dividend yields, suggesting different value propositions for investors in each region.

• The EU's Spring Economic Forecast predicts a slowdown in economic activity across the European Union due to rising inflation. • This downturn is attributed to an energy shock triggered by the recent outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, which drove up energy commodity prices.

• The European Central Bank's (ECB) May 2026 Financial Stability Review warns that conflict in the Middle East has caused a significant energy supply shock. • This geopolitical instability is driving up inflation risks and threatening overall economic growth across the region.

• Asia-Pacific stock markets opened lower on Thursday as investors closely monitored the progress of ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States. • Major indices saw declines across the region, including Japan's Nikkei 225 falling 0.76%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropping 0.75%, and South Korea's Kospi sliding 0.29%.