Economic News 16 February 2026 - 4 April 2026

UK Mortgage Rates Stay High Despite Iran Ceasefire as Remortgage Pain Deepens
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UK Mortgage Rates Stay High Despite Iran Ceasefire as Remortgage Pain Deepens

Average UK two-year fixed mortgage rates rose to 5.90% in April from 4.83% in early March, according to Moneyfacts. Halifax reported house prices fell 0.5% in March to £299,677, with annual growth slowing to 0.8%. Lenders say the recent U.S.-Iran ceasefire has eased market pressure but is unlikely to bring quick relief for borrowers. Buy-to-let landlords also face new tax and rental regulations from April and May.
April 8, 2026
UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 04.04.2026
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UK & AU Stock Market Today: Live Updates 04.04.2026

LIVEMarkets rolling coverageStarted: April 4, 2026, 12:00 AM EDTUpdated: April 4, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT ANZ Shares Valuation: PE Ratio and Sector Comparison Analysis April 4, 2026, 11:49 PM EDT. ANZ Banking Group shares trade around $37, with a price-earnings ratio (PER) of 17x, slightly below the banking sector average of 19x. The PER compares share price to full-year earnings and helps assess if shares are over- or undervalued. Analysts compare ANZ's PER to peers like NAB and CBA to estimate fair value, multiplying earnings per share ($2.15 for FY24) by sector average PER to gauge relative pricing. However, PER
April 4, 2026
ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: Australian Stock Market Snaps Losing Streak as Oil Shock Keeps Pressure On
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ASX 200 Weekly Wrap: Australian Stock Market Snaps Losing Streak as Oil Shock Keeps Pressure On

The S&P/ASX 200 closed Friday at 8,516.30, down 0.11% for the day but up about 1% for the week, ending a three-week losing streak. Energy stocks rose while tech and financials fell, with NextDC dropping 7.9%. The Reserve Bank of Australia warned that a prolonged Middle East conflict could raise prices and hurt growth. Brent crude climbed 4.22% after the ASX closed.
March 28, 2026
UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100 Drops 2.4% to Two-Month Low After BoE Rate Hold and Oil Shock
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UK Stock Market Today: FTSE 100 Drops 2.4% to Two-Month Low After BoE Rate Hold and Oil Shock

London’s FTSE 100 fell 2.4% Thursday to its lowest in two months after the Bank of England held rates and oil prices jumped on Middle East tensions. The FTSE 250 also dropped 2.4%. UK two-year bond yields hit a 14-month high before easing. Of the FTSE 100, 97 stocks fell; BP rose 4.9% after a refinery sale, while HSBC lost 3.1% on job cut reports.
March 19, 2026
Warsaw Stock Exchange last week: WIG20 suffers worst week of 2026 as oil shock swamps rate-cut hopes
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Warsaw Stock Exchange last week: WIG20 suffers worst week of 2026 as oil shock swamps rate-cut hopes

Poland’s WIG20 index fell 5.17% this week, its steepest drop of 2026, erasing gains from a recent central bank rate cut. The decline followed a broader European selloff, with the STOXX 600 down 5.5% as Middle East tensions pushed oil prices higher. By Friday, the wider WIG lost 1.83%, and major Polish banks and utilities posted sharp losses. Orlen slipped 0.58% after QatarEnergy declared force majeure on LNG cargoes.
March 7, 2026
New York Stock Exchange Last Week: Dow Suffers Worst Week Since April as Oil Shock, Weak Jobs Rattle Stocks
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New York Stock Exchange Last Week: Dow Suffers Worst Week Since April as Oil Shock, Weak Jobs Rattle Stocks

The Dow fell 3.01% last week, its steepest drop since April 2025, as war-driven oil spikes and a surprise U.S. jobs decline rattled Wall Street. Investors pulled $21.92 billion from U.S. equity funds, the largest outflow in eight weeks. Nonfarm payrolls fell by 92,000 in February and unemployment rose to 4.4%. The Cboe Volatility Index closed at its highest since April 2022.
March 7, 2026
BHP share price slides 2.6% after ASX rout as Hormuz shock reshapes the week ahead
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BHP share price slides 2.6% after ASX rout as Hormuz shock reshapes the week ahead

BHP shares fell 2.6% to A$57.70, ending a two-day rally, as the S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.34% to 9,077.30. Miners led declines after a senior Iranian official threatened ships in the Strait of Hormuz, pushing oil and freight prices higher. Rio Tinto lost 2.4% and Fortescue dropped 4.5%. Traders are watching BHP’s March 5 ex-dividend date and the Reserve Bank’s March 17 meeting.
March 3, 2026
XRP Price Hit by $358 Million Liquidation Wave as Middle East Conflict Rattles Crypto
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XRP Price Hit by $358 Million Liquidation Wave as Middle East Conflict Rattles Crypto

About $358 million in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated in the past 24 hours, with XRP dropping from $1.40 to $1.34 before rebounding near $1.35, according to CoinGlass. Analysts cited widening U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, surging oil prices, and rate-cut bets as key drivers. XRP trading volume fell 36% to $2.72 billion. Bitcoin rose 4.6% to $68,706 as global stocks wobbled.
March 2, 2026
Sensex dives 1,236 points, Nifty ends under 25,500: what drove today’s Dalal Street selloff
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Sensex dives 1,236 points, Nifty ends under 25,500: what drove today’s Dalal Street selloff

Mumbai’s Sensex dropped 1.48% to 82,498.14 and Nifty 50 fell 1.41% to 25,454.35 on Thursday, erasing ₹5.3 lakh crore in market value. Autos, capital goods, and realty stocks led declines as all sectoral indices closed lower. Traders cited Fed rate uncertainty, higher crude prices, and geopolitical tensions. India VIX jumped above 13, signaling increased volatility.
February 19, 2026
Morgan Stanley stock price today: MS edges up as Fed minutes, inflation data loom
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Morgan Stanley stock price today: MS edges up as Fed minutes, inflation data loom

Morgan Stanley shares rose 0.3% to $171.60 Tuesday, trailing gains in other major banks as the S&P 500 financials index climbed 1.2%. The company sold its final Spring Arbor Senior Living properties for $296 million and closed a $220 million securitization backed by consumer loans. Investors priced in a 63% chance of a June Fed rate cut. The stock had dropped 4.8% last week amid AI-related market volatility.
February 17, 2026
Bank of America stock today: BAC edges higher as traders watch Fed minutes and Friday’s inflation read
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Bank of America stock today: BAC edges higher as traders watch Fed minutes and Friday’s inflation read

Bank of America shares rose 0.7% to $52.92 Tuesday, with 19.1 million shares traded as the S&P 500 financials index gained 1.2%. Fed Governor Michael Barr signaled rates will likely stay steady, while Chicago Fed’s Austan Goolsbee left room for cuts if inflation trends lower. Traders await Fed minutes Wednesday and PCE inflation data Friday for further direction.
February 17, 2026
UK stock market today: FTSE 100 closes higher as rate-cut bets build after UK jobs data
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UK stock market today: FTSE 100 closes higher as rate-cut bets build after UK jobs data

London’s FTSE 100 closed up 0.71% at 10,548.38 on Tuesday as investors bet on a March Bank of England rate cut after UK unemployment rose to 5.2% and wage growth slowed. Sterling fell 0.71% against the dollar. Copper dropped 3.92%, gold lost 2.81%. InterContinental Hotels Group announced a $950 million buyback and a 10% dividend hike despite weaker U.S. results.
February 17, 2026
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