Managers in Europe’s largest economy are expected to voice more optimism about their lot following last month’s surprise fall in business confidence as the federal government unleashes billions of euros on the economy.

An economists’ poll said the headline business climate index for Germany due Monday from the country’s Ifo economics institute is forecast to rise to 88.0 points from last month’s reading of 87.7.

The expectations measure of the index for the coming six months is projected to climb to 90.0 points from 89.7, with October’s current assessment reading set to improve to 87.0 versus 86.7 in the previous month. (LiveSquawk – Continue Reading)

The government shutdown has likely scuttled the release of October inflation data, the White House said.

"Due to the Democrat Shutdown, surveyors cannot deploy to the field — depriving us of critical data," the White House's Rapid Response 47 account posted on X on Friday. "The economic consequences could be devastating." (WSJ – Continue Reading)

Statistics Canada says it will delay publishing international trade data because of the government shutdown in the United States.

The agency says it relies on data from the U.S. Census Bureau to track Canadian export volumes, but hasn’t received any of that information since the U.S. government shutdown over a funding impasse in Congress at the start of October.

As a result, StatCan says it won’t be able to publish Canadian export and import data for the month of September as planned on Nov. 4.

The agency says it won’t be able to report monthly international trade results until the government shutdown ends, but the statistics bureau might have to consider other options if the disruption persists for an extended period of time. (Bloomberg – Continue Reading)

An alarming misconception about the crude oil market has been circulating on social media this week and warrants immediate clarification.

CME WTI crude oil futures are currently in contango throughout 2026 — meaning that futures prices are trading above spot or nearby prices. Some commentators have mistakenly described this as a bullish market signal. In reality, contango typically indicates that the market is well supplied, with the price spread reflecting storage, insurance, and other carrying costs associated with holding barrels into 2026.

Because many commodity markets frequently exhibit contango, its presence alone does not justify a bullish or bearish view. A deeper examination of supply-demand dynamics is required to support either case. (LiveSquawk – Continue Reading)