Bloomberg Surveillance

Thailand’s imports surged at the fastest pace on record in September as higher energy costs and an investment boom in artificial intelligence and advanced electronics drove demand for fuel and capital goods.

Australia’s central bank has warned the nation’s A$4.8 trillion ($3.4 trillion) pension industry is facing a fresh set of challenges as millions of people enter retirement over the next decade and funds face cash outflows as people draw down their savings.

UK businesses are hopeful Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey will cut levies from their electricity bills in his budget after being told that help with energy costs is the government’s top priority for firms, according to industry leaders familiar with the plans.

Two years later, some of his supporters are disappointed — and that’s bad news for Republicans.

Early on Oct. 14, just hours before the release of a much-anticipated report on US inflation, TD Securities’ Gennadiy Goldberg recommended that clients bet against a Federal Reserve interest-rate hike later in the month. The logic was that inflation would likely be benign enough to justify a hold. Equally important, a slew of Fed officials had spent days pushing back against expectations for an imminent move.

Demonstrations remained mostly peaceful over the weekend after officials boosted police numbers. (Source: Bloomberg)

The Reserve Bank of Australia is “not quite yet” done fighting inflation, said Assistant Governor Sarah Hunter, signaling another rate hike is likely when policymakers meet early next month.

The European Central Bank’s presidency race looks increasingly likely to hinge on which candidate can best take on the bond vigilantes.

Israel’s election campaign has been consumed by Iran, national security and the impact of three years of war, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, rarely straying from the theme.

The Federal Reserve and its peers in the euro zone and Japan will probably keep interest rates steady in the coming week, opting to bide their time before potential further hikes.

Build data centers at home and risk attack. Build them elsewhere and lose competitive advantage.

Business activity in the euro area expanded at a slower pace this month, restrained by a contraction in France, where protests have devolved into rioting and looting.

France dodged a downgrade at Moody’s Ratings, respite for a country beset by surging bond yields, political gridlock and street protests.

The White House is exempting some Canadian products from tariffs and adding duties to others, an effort to boost Susan Collins’ campaign to keep her US Senate seat.

How Italy sticks with fiscal discipline as an election approaches is a key test for Scope Ratings, which kept its positive outlook on the country.

US consumer sentiment edged down to a five-month low in October as high prices and rising interest rates depressed morale.

US business activity grew at a slightly slower pace in October but remained close to a multi-year high as robust demand pushed new orders, employment and prices higher.

Kalshi Inc. is opening up a new frontier in its rivalry with traditional financial exchanges by pitching the world’s largest banks and hedge funds on a futures market tied to US inflation.

Canadian retail spending is on track to continue growing in September, although at a slower pace than in August.