The Bank of Japan has sufficient room to accelerate its rate hike cycle as rising producer prices, strong wage growth and growing signs of cost pressures being passed on to consumers point to stronger underlying inflation, ICICI Bank Research said in a report. The report said the latest inflation data remained relatively benign, but government…
Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso has attributed the growing scarcity of N100 and N200 notes to the rapid adoption of digital payments and the declining purchasing power of lower denominations, a development that has fuelled widespread speculation that the federal government may be preparing to introduce a higher banknote such as the rumoured…
U.S. inflation increased further in May, breaking above 4.0% for the first time in three years as the Middle East conflict boosted energy prices, and keeping an interest rate increase from the Federal Reserve this year on the table. But with oil prices falling to pre-war levels on Thursday after the United States and Iran…
The Federal Reserve has tolerated inflation above its 2% target for five years as it navigated a series of shocks, but analysts at Bank of America said that patience is coming to an end. In a note on Monday, BofA changed its forecast and predicted the Fed will raise rates by a quarter point three…
The European Central Bank faces a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, economic growth across the euro area remains fragile, confidence has been shaken by the geopolitical tensions, and hopes are high that a diplomatic resolution to the Iran war could ease some of the pressure on energy markets and households. On the other…
Nigeria currently has the highest inflation rate in West Africa, according to February 2026 data from Trading Economics. At 15.06%, the country leads the region, followed by Sierra Leone at 8.05% and Gambia at 6.28%. The figures, shared by the data platform Statisense, show Nigeria as a clear outlier. Its inflation rate is nearly double…
Ghana’s central bank has cut its benchmark interest rate by 3 per cent, citing easing inflation and renewed economic optimism as the country continues its recovery from a deep economic crisis. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Bank of Ghana announced a reduction of its policy rate from 28 to 25 per cent, the…
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Tuesday said its initiative to distribute Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), diesel, and other petroleum products to marketers, petrol station operators, manufacturers, telecommunications companies, the aviation sector, and other large-scale users, with free logistics support will reduce inflation. It also said that it would create thousands of jobs, and lower the…
Stock futures ticked lower on Sunday night as the S&P 500’s recent rally has brought it within 2.4% of its all-time high reached in February, before President Donald Trump’s trade war ravaged markets. That comes ahead of a big week, which will see another round of U.S.-China trade talks and key inflation reports. U.S. stock…
Inflation in the country is likely to stabilize at an average of 4.3-4.7 per cent in the financial year 2025-26 (FY26), according to a report by PL Capital. The report highlighted that the inflationary pressures are expected to ease as food prices moderate and agricultural output stabilizes. “Inflation is likely to average around 4.3-4.7 per…
