euronews (August 12)
OPEC and the IEA, “two of the most influential voices in energy markets” released “opposing readings” for 2026, but more harmonious forecasts for 2027. “The IEA now expects the world to burn less oil in 2026 than it did in 2025,” predicting global oil demand will “fall by 1.6 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2026.” In contrast, “OPEC still expects demand to grow” by 580,000 b/d. Both are, however, bullish on 2027 demand. “OPEC now expects demand to grow by 2.2 mb/d in 2027… while the IEA goes further still at 2.4 mb/d.” Interestingly, “the gloomier forecaster for this year delivers a more bullish read for the next.”
Tags: 2026, 2027, Bullish, Demand, Energy markets, Fall, Forecasts, Grow, Harmonious, IEA, Influential, Oil, OPEC
Wall Street Journal (June 10)
“A sharp fall in China’s crude oil imports during the Iran war has been instrumental in holding down oil prices and keeping the global economy humming.” China has essentially been “propping up the world economy” by reducing its oil imports by roughly three million barrels a day, “but analysts aren’t sure how long it can keep going.”
Tags: 3 MM bbl, China, Crude oil, Fall, Global economy, Imports, Instrumental, Iran war, Prices, Propping up, Reducing
Reuters (December 5)
“Assets that rise rapidly above their long-term trend are usually set for a fall…. This year, gold has risen more than 60% in dollar terms, its best performance in 46 years. Adjusted for inflation, gold has never been more expensive. Either we are witnessing another bubble or it’s a paradigm shift.” It may be the latter as speculative euphoria has focused on cryptocurrencies while “central bankers have significantly increased their gold holdings.”
Tags: $60, Assets, Bubble, Central bankers, Cryptocurrencies, Dollar, Expensive, Fall, Gold, Holdings, Inflation, Paradigm shift, Performance, Speculative, Trend
Barron’s (February 24)
Trump wants the dollar to be mighty but weak. It makes no sense.” The President “is ensnared in a logical knot. Either the dollar must remain ‘mighty’ and dominant, or it must shed this albatross and fall to a level more favorable to U.S. exports. To demand that the dollar do both is as illogical as to demand that tariffs raise import revenue while at the same time stopping imports.”
Tags: Demand, Dollar, Dominant, Ensnared, Fall, Favorable, Illogical, Import revenue, Logical knot, Mighty, Tariffs, Trump, U.S. exports, Weak
Investment Week (October 14)
“Environmental, social and governance considerations among private investors have continued to fall for the third year in a row amid a declining love for ESG.” The annual ESG Attitudes Tracker found that “the percentage of respondents… who claimed they consider ESG when investing dropped to 48%, down from 53% in 2023, 60% in 2022 and 66% in 2021.” Lackluster performance in the ESG sector appears to be “the core reason” for the waning enthusiasm.
Tags: Attitudes Tracker, Declining love, Dropped, ESG, Fall, Investors, Lackluster, Performance, Respondents, Waning enthusiasm
South China Morning Post (May 17)
“A larger fall of property investment and a slowdown of consumption continued to haunt China’s economic activities in April, despite Beijing having stepped up actions to boost consumer goods sales, upgrade equipment and solve the widely watched property slowdown.”
Tags: April, Beijing, Boost, China, Consumer goods, Consumption, Economic activities, Equipment, Fall, Haunt, Investment, Property, Sales, Slowdown
The Hill (April 22)
“Anyone doubting that China is well on its way to a Japanese-style lost economic decade has apparently missed the bursting of its massive housing and credit market bubble and the souring of U.S. and European trade relations with that country.” Make no mistake, China’s fall “would constitute a major headwind for world economic recovery.”
Tags: Bubble, Bursting, China, Credit market, Europe, Fall, Headwind, Housing, Japan, Lost decade, Trade relations, U.S., World
BBC (December 19)
“Once a poster boy for Japan’s dominance in electronics—known as Japan Inc—the company has delisted, ending a 74-year history with Tokyo’s stock exchange.” The reasons for “such a spectacular fall from grace” are numerous and the challenge for Japan Investment Corp (JIC), which led a group of investors in purchasing the remnants for $14 billion, is immense. While JIC has successfully revived other failing businesses, “Toshiba is a much bigger company and the stakes are high.”
Tags: $14 billion, Challenge, Delisted, Dominance, Electronics, Failing businesses, Fall, Japan Inc., JIC Investors, Revived, Stakes, Toshiba, TSE
Reuters (December 9)
“Wherever you think inflation is coming from, it’s not China – not yet at least…. China said its factory-gate prices showed an annual fall for a second month in a row last month – the latest in stream of numbers revealing the impact of the government’s draconian COVID curbs, now being gradually lifted.”
Tags: China, COVID curbs, Draconian, Factory-gate, Fall, Government, Impact, Inflation, Prices
New York Times (August 28)
“Each pandemic fall has brought with it employers’ hopes of a broad-scale return to the office.” Delta scrapped last year’s plans, “but this time, business leaders are adamant that they won’t change course.” Over a third of the workforce is adamant about staying remote, “It’s either the end of the era of flexibility around where work takes place — or the beginning of outright rebellion.”
Tags: Adamant, Business leaders, Delta, Employers, Fall, Flexibility, Office, Outright, Pandemic, Plans, Remote, Return, Workforce
