The following are some of the news items mentioned in the last few days:

  • Reciprocal tariffs paused on semiconductors, electronic goods for about 90 days
  • Luxury market to be significantly impacted by Tariff war between US and rest of the world
  • If urals crude oil were to say at the current 50 dollars per barrel, Russia could lose 2.5 percent of budgeted revenue
    • Urals is a Russian export blend of crude oil. It’s a mix of: Heavier sour crude from the Urals and Volga regions. Lighter sweet crude from Western Siberia.
    • Urals typically trades at a discount to Brent or WTI due to its higher sulfur content and heavier grade. This discount widens when: Demand for cleaner fuels increases. Sanctions or geopolitical tensions affect Russian exports.
  • Gold has enjoyed the best week in five years surging to 3237 per troy ounce as of last Friday
    • UBS raised Gold’s forecast too 3500 by end of year
  • Canadian and Danish funds rethink investments in US
  • UK inflation is expected to be around 2.7 pct - going to be released this Wed
  • UK productivity has fallen in sectors that account for 2/3 of UK output
    • Labor productivity and real wages rose by a miserable single digit percentage numbers between 2007 and 2024
  • India’s middle-class debt crisis
    • Household debt has grown to about 43 per cent of GDP in June, from just over 35 per cent in March 2020, according to the latest RBI data.
    • India’s government estimates GDP growth will fall back to 6.5 per cent in the financial year that ended in March, compared with 9.2 per cent the previous year