Economic News 16 February 2026 - 19 March 2026

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.

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.

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.

The Dow Jones rose 324.35 points, or 0.67%, to 48,824.77 by late morning as Amazon and Nvidia gained and oil prices steadied. Brent crude slipped 0.3% to $81.13 a barrel amid shipping paralysis in the Strait of Hormuz. ADP reported U.S. private payrolls grew by 63,000 in February. The ISM Services PMI hit 56.1, signaling expansion.

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.

Citigroup shares rose 1.1% to $111.45 in after-hours trading Monday, outpacing other major U.S. banks. Citi and JPMorgan asked Middle East staff to work from home amid U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. About 19 million Citi shares changed hands. Traders are watching oil prices and Citi’s April 14 earnings call.

Egypt’s EGX30 index closed at 49,212.83 on Thursday, up 0.4% for the day but down 2.9% from Feb. 19. Telecom Egypt shares rose 3.4% after reporting a fourfold jump in quarterly profit. The IMF approved $2.3 billion in new funding for Egypt. Total market capitalisation reached 3.247 trillion pounds.

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.

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.

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.

Applied Digital shares traded near $35.28 premarket Tuesday after a U.S. holiday, with Nasdaq and S&P 500 futures lower. The stock has been volatile following a sharp rise earlier this month. Recent insider sales occurred near $38.50. Traders await updates on leasing, power capacity, and the May 8 earnings report.

Experian shares edged up 0.12% to 2,541p in early London trading after the company disclosed it bought 400,000 shares on Feb. 13 as part of its ongoing buyback. The stock traded between 2,522p and 2,580p. Traders are watching for UK inflation data due Feb. 18.