Inflation

• I mercati asiatici hanno aperto in ribasso ma hanno recuperato in gran parte il 13 maggio; le azioni MSCI Asia-Pacific escluso il Giappone hanno rimbalzato con un guadagno dello 0,3% dopo un calo iniziale dell'1%, con l'ottimismo per l'AI che ha compensato l'inflazione statunitense e il rallentamento dei colloqui tra USA e Iran. • Il Nikkei 225 del Giappone è salito dello 0,8% arrivando a circa 62.774, il Kospi della Corea del Sud è balzato del 2,6% raggiungendo il record di 7.708-7.844 dopo un calo del 3,2% dovuto al fallimento dell'accordo salariale del sindacato di Samsung Electronics, mentre l'S&P/ASX 200 dell'Australia è sceso dello 0,3% a 8.645. • Il Brent è sceso dell'1,4% a 106,32 dollari e il greggio USA a 101,60 dollari in mezzo alle tensioni in Medio Oriente; il rendimento dei Treasury USA a 10 anni è sceso al 4,459% e il dollaro è rimasto stabile a 98,369 rispetto alle altre valute.

• I prezzi sono aumentati del 3,8% nell'ultimo anno, secondo i dati del Bureau of Labor Statistics, il balzo più alto dal 2023 • Iscriviti alla newsletter email Breaking News US • L'inflazione negli Stati Uniti è balzata al 3,8% in aprile poiché la guerra in Medio Oriente ha continuato a spingere i prezzi dell'energia e i costi quotidiani per gli americani.

• JPMorgan analysis shows markets repricing oil-driven inflation risks, with global equities adjusting to potential rate hike scenarios amid recent oil price surges. • Central banks are providing clearer signals on monetary policy, suggesting rate hikes may not materialize as aggressively as feared despite elevated energy costs. • The divergence highlights inflation fears running ahead of underlying economic reality, potentially creating buying opportunities if data moderates.

• India's manufacturing PMI increased to 54.7 in April from 53.9 in March, indicating continued expansion in the sector despite external headwinds. • The uptick reflects strong demand and production growth, though inflationary pressures have intensified due to ongoing Middle East geopolitical tensions affecting commodity prices. • A PMI above 50 signals economic expansion, and the improvement suggests Indian manufacturers are maintaining resilience in production activity and order books.

BEV sales jumped nearly 60% in April, taking total electric car registrations to more than 2m, says SMMTBusiness live – latest updatesA recent jump in electric car sales in the UK is likely to be “tempered” by worries over rising inflation and energy prices caused by the Iran war, a leading industry body has warned.New car sales in the UK rose by 24% year on year to 149,247 in April, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Continue reading...

• The Federal Reserve maintained interest rates at 3.50%-3.75% last week, citing continued economic expansion but persistent inflation linked to energy prices. • Inflation remains elevated with PCE price index up slightly in March to 3.5% year-over-year. • Decision supports market optimism, contributing to S&P 500 nearing its January record high despite Middle East risks.

Profits ahead of expectations but almost half of £283m impairment charge follows forecast reassessmentBusiness live – latest updatesNatWest said the economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East could cost it £140m amid slowing growth and rising inflation even as it reported profits ahead of expectations.Overall, the FTSE 100 lender booked a £283m impairment charge and said that almost half of that was because of a reassessment of its economic forecast to “reflect increased geopolitical risk and weaker equity markets”. Continue reading...

ECB interest rate decision looms as growth across bloc stumbles and price rises gather pace, up from 2.6% in March and 1.9% in FebruaryBusiness live – latest updatesAir France-KLM cuts forecasts amid $2.4bn fuel bill riseInflation across the eurozone has soared to 3% this month as the Iran war drove up energy prices, and growth stumbles.Consumer prices rose by 3% a year across the single currency bloc in April, new data from statistics body eurostat showed on Thursday morning, up from 2.6% in the year to March, and 1.9% in February. Continue reading...