Quarter 2026

• India and Pakistan have received direct entry into the quarterfinals for both the men's and women's cricket competitions at the 2026 Asian Games. • The tournaments will follow the T20 format and be hosted at the Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi prefecture, Japan. • Shreyas Iyer will lead the Indian men's squad, while Harmanpreet Kaur will captain the Indian women's team.

• The European Central Bank (ECB) has released a survey analyzing the access to finance for enterprises within the euro area for the second quarter of 2026. • The analysis utilizes firm-level survey data collected from Q2 2024 through Q2 2026, focusing on changes occurring in three-month intervals. • Aggregate indicators are calculated as weighted averages based on country, economic activity, and firm size, where positive values signal a deterioration in financing conditions.

• The World Cup 2026 quarter-finals commence this Thursday, featuring matchups between France vs Morocco, Spain vs Belgium, Norway vs England, and Argentina vs Switzerland. • France enters the knockout stage as the tournament favorite according to the Opta Supercomputer, following three group stage wins and a dominant 3-0 victory over Sweden in the round of 32. • Despite their strong start, France's momentum is under scrutiny after a less convincing round-of-16 win against Paraguay.

• England has officially secured a position in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup. • The team advanced after successfully navigating the earlier knockout stages of the tournament. • This milestone marks a critical step toward the semi-finals, as the competition narrows to the final eight teams.

• The World Cup 2026 last-16 lineup is now complete, featuring a major upset as Erling Haaland and Norway defeated five-time champions Brazil. • Tournament favorites France also progressed after a narrow victory over Paraguay, while other key matchups include Spain vs. Portugal and Argentina vs. Egypt. • Co-hosts USA will face Belgium in Seattle, with Switzerland and Colombia rounding out the remaining knockout fixtures.

• England advanced to the World Cup 2026 quarter-finals to face Norway following a dramatic last-16 victory over Mexico. • In a separate sporting development, Tottenham Hotspur signed midfielder Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United on Monday. • The transfer is reported to be a club record for Spurs, with the deal valued at up to £100 million ($132.75 million).

• France, Norway, and England have officially secured berths in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals following their Round of 16 matches. • Key performances included a decisive penalty by Kylian Mbappe for France and a late two-goal surge from Erling Haaland to eliminate Brazil. • England advanced after a dramatic five-goal victory over the host nation, Mexico, despite playing with a disadvantage due to a red card.

• The European Central Bank released balance of payments data for the first quarter of 2026, highlighting the euro area's current account surpluses. • The region recorded its largest bilateral surpluses with the United Kingdom at €236 billion and Switzerland at €78 billion, both increasing from the previous year. • Other notable surpluses were recorded against emerging economies (€140 billion), advanced economies (€111 billion), and offshore centres (€36 billion).

• The European Central Bank (ECB) released data regarding the financial status of households and non-financial corporations in the euro area for the first quarter of 2026. • A notable increase in household pension entitlements was observed, driven largely by the Netherlands converting pension schemes from defined benefits to defined contributions. • The report provides critical metrics on gross entrepreneurial income and gross non-financial investment, including fixed capital formation and inventory changes.

• The European Central Bank (ECB) released supervisory banking statistics for significant institutions covering the first quarter of 2026. • The aggregate annualized return on equity rose to 10.02%, an increase from 9.52% in the previous quarter and 9.85% a year prior. • Performance varied significantly by region, with returns ranging from a low of 6.02% in Belgium to a high of 18.16% in Spain.

• India's campaign at the BWF Indonesia Open 2026 Super 1000 tournament concluded on Friday following a quarter-final defeat. • The Indian men's doubles pair, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun, were defeated in straight games by Malaysia's world No. 8 pair, Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin. • This loss marks the end of India's presence in the tournament, as they were the final remaining representatives in the competition.

• PV Sindhu advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 Singapore Open after a dominant straight-game victory over Japan's Riko Gunji, winning 21-9, 21-12. • In a major upset, 33-year-old HS Prannoy defeated World No. 5 Jonathan Christie of Indonesia in a three-game match lasting just over an hour. • Prannoy's win is significant as it marks his first victory over Christie in five years, breaking a losing streak that began at the 2021 Indonesia Open.

• PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and the duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have all advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2026 Singapore Badminton Open. • Sindhu is set to face world-class opponent An Se-young, while Rankireddy and Shetty secured their spot after a hard-fought 21-15, 11-21, 21-18 victory over Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan. • These wins are significant as the athletes compete in a high-stakes BWF Super 750 tournament, with Rankireddy and Shetty maintaining their status as world No. 4.

• Mativ Holdings, Inc. (MATV) announced its Q1 2026 results for the period ended March 31, 2026, from its Alpharetta, Georgia headquarters. • The company released detailed financial metrics via Business Wire, covering revenue, earnings, and operational performance amid market volatility. • Investors anticipate analysis of key indicators like profitability and growth in the context of broader industrial sector trends.

Multiple college basketball conference tournaments advanced to quarterfinals and semifinals on Friday, including Southeastern Tournament matchups like TBD vs. Florida in Nashville at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Big Ten Tournament saw TBD vs. Illinois in Chicago, while Atlantic 10 featured Dayton and VCU games in Pittsburgh. These results determine automatic NCAA bids amid surging betting interest, with the American Gaming Association noting 73.6% of wagers from legal-age adults. Selection Sunday approaches on March 15, heightening stakes for bubble teams.