UK price growth is expected to cool temporarily, with reporting anomalies likely to distort the headline consumer price index.

An economists’ poll predicts annual headline inflation slowed three-tenths to 3.0% in April, interrupting the recent uptrend. On the month, CPI is expected to rise 0.9%, after a 0.7% prior increase.

The less volatile core rate is forecast to cool to 2.6% from 3.1% in March.

Economists said the slowdown is largely driven by services disinflation, reflecting administered price base effects and the timing of the Easter holidays.

“Though temporarily comforting, the brunt of the energy price shock will then be felt in Q3, with potential for second-round effects in the latter half of the year,” TD Securities cautioned. (LiveSquawk – Continue Reading)

NATO is discussing the possibility of helping ships pass through the blocked Strait of Hormuz if the waterway isn’t reopened by early July, according to a senior official in the military alliance.

The idea has support from several members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, but doesn’t yet have the necessary unanimous support, said a diplomat from a NATO country. Both officials spoke on the condition of anonymity. Leaders from NATO countries will meet in Ankara July 7-8. (Bloomberg – Continue Reading)

The Trump administration ramped up its outreach to Greenland in the wake of President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as U.S. officials seek to strengthen America’s Arctic position and counter Beijing’s ambitions in the region.

"Special Envoy Landry is in Greenland to attend the Future Greenland Conference as part of an effort to further strengthen U.S.–Greenlandic ties and engage with local leaders," White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital. "The Special Envoy had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Greenland, with both sides affirming the importance of the high-level working group."

"The United States is optimistic that we are on a good trajectory to address U.S. national security interests in Greenland," added Wales. "The Special Envoy will spend the coming days meeting with local business leaders and building ties with Greenlanders." (Fox News – Continue Reading)

Baseline: S&P Global Ratings Credit Research & Insights expects the European trailing-12-month speculative-grade corporate default rate to reach 3.75% by March 2027. This is up from the 3.3% default rate as of March 2026, and one-tenth percentage point higher than the long-term average of 3.2% (see chart 1). The potential impact from higher energy prices resulting from the war in the Middle East is front-and-center, with interest rates now expected to rise. But lingering trade uncertainties also weigh on Europe’s economies, consumer confidence, and spending.

Pessimistic scenario: We forecast that the default rate could rise to 5%. In this scenario, the disruption to energy and shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz is more prolonged, with credit stress broadening. This stress would be driven less by the initial shock and more by duration, shortages of critical goods, second-round inflation effects, and tighter financing conditions. In this scenario, Brent oil could average about $200 per barrel (bbl) for a few months. (S&P – Continue Reading)