Xi Urges Immediate Opening Of Hormuz Strait For First Time, In Call With Saudi Crown Prince

The Business Outlook Survey (BOS) was conducted by in-person, video and phone interviews from February 5 to 25, 2026, before the war in the Middle East began. The Business Leaders’ Pulse is conducted online every month; the latest results are from January, February and March 2026. This quarter’s publication also incorporates results from follow-up calls with BOS participants conducted between March 18 and 27, after the start of the war in the Middle East, with firms selected based on their exposure to the economic effects of the war. These results are supplemented by targeted consultations with industry leaders in highly affected sectors. Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations—First Quarter of 2026 The Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations was conducted through an online panel from February 5 to 25, 2026, before the war in the Middle East began. Follow?up phone interviews took place from February 24 to March 2, 2026. This quarter’s publication incorporates results from a special survey, conducted between March 26 and April 2, 2026, on how the war in the Middle East is affecting consumers' views and behaviours. Overview • In the first quarter of 2026, before the war in the Middle East, consumers’ spending plans remained muted, held back by concerns about high prices and economic uncertainty. Still, consumers became less negative about their spending plans than in the previous quarter as downward pressure from trade tensions eased. BOC SURVEY SHOWS Q1 BUSINESS SERVICE INDICATOR AT -0.36, UP FROM -1.78 IN Q4 (NO CHANGE).

FED CHAIR NOMINEE WARSH SET TO COMMIT TO BE ‘STRICTLY INDEPENDENT’ ON RATES - POLITICO Fed Nominee Warsh: Price Stability and Fed Mandate without excuse - Politico.

It is a pleasure to be here today for the 75th anniversary of the Bundesverband deutscher Banken. When this association was founded, Europe was emerging from the most devastating period in its modern history – and was about to enter a golden age of peace and economic growth. Today we face more uncertainty about which direction Europe will take than at any point since then. And much of that uncertainty is coming from beyond our borders. When historians look back at this period, what will stand out is the sheer relentlessness of it. A once-in-a-generation pandemic, followed by a land war on our continent, followed by the worst energy crisis in 50 years, followed by the most sweeping tariff increases since the 1930s. ECB'S PRESIDENT LAGARDE: ECB WILL ACT AS THE SITUATION DEMANDS. ECB'S PRESIDENT LAGARDE: WAR'S STOP-START NATURE MAKES IMPACT HARD TO GAUGE. NO EASY PATH BACK TO PRE-WAR SITUATION. - FINANCIALJUICE ... ECB LAGARDE: ECONOMIC PICTURE REMAINS DEEPLY UNCERTAIN LAGARDE SAYS EURO ZONE NOT YET IN ADVERSE SCENARIO ...