Bond Yields Rise as Consumers Feel the Squeeze Ahead of Fed Minutes
Global bond markets today are not soothing investors concerned over the high costs of borrowing and the consequences this is having on household accounts.
Finance & Economics
Penny’s End Pushes Cash Closer to the Checkout Exit
The U.S. Senate has passed the Common Cents Act, bringing the end of the penny closer and potentially giving a new push to the country’s shift away from cash payments.
What Today’s Yen, Emerging Markets and Fed Policy Signal for Fintech
Global financial markets are sending several signals at once: the Japanese yen remains weak despite an unusual currency intervention, investors are returning to emerging-market debt at the fastest pace in more than two decades, and expectations for U.S. interest rates remain uncertain. For banks, payment companies and fintechs, these developments matter most as they can […]
Oil, CPI and the Hidden Cost of Inflation for Payments Firms Revealed
Financial markets are heading into one of the week’s most important economic releases with oil prices adding another layer of uncertainty. The U.S. Consumer Price Index for July is due today, while producer-price data follows on August 13. Economists surveyed by Reuters expect headline CPI to rise 3.4% from a year earlier.
AI Stock Correction Could Trigger Rotation Back Into India, Says Aubrey Capital’s Martyrossian
A recent pullback in AI-related equities has reignited debate among emerging market investors over whether the sector’s rally has run its course, according to Mark Martyrossian, Director at Aubrey Capital Management.
July Jobs Report Lands Amid the Fed’s Most Divided Vote Since 2016
The US labor market just handed new Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh an unwelcome test of his authority and the timing could not be worse.
Access PaySuite: One in Three Councils Risk Leaving LGR Finance Planning Too Late
New research from Access PaySuite, part of The Access Group, has found that many councils in England are not preparing early enough for changes to how they collect payments and manage income during Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
Wall Street’s September Fed Bet Just Got a New Oil Wildcard
The Federal Reserve holds its next rate decision on September 15–16, and for the first time in months, traders are leaning toward a hike, not a cut. The Fed’s rate-setting group, the FOMC, held its benchmark rate steady on July 29 for a fifth straight meeting, at 3.50%–3.75%. But three of its twelve voting members […]
Trump Administration Refunds $100B in “Liberation Day” Tariffs, Most SMBs Locked Out
The U.S. President Donald Trump administration has refunded about $100 billion of the tariff revenue it collected under the 2025 “Liberation Day” duties, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told a federal court this week. The refunds follow a Supreme Court ruling that struck down the tariffs as illegal, and a subsequent court order requiring […]
US GDP Growth Cools to 1.5% in Q2, But Private Demand Holds Firm as Energy Costs Bite
Q2 GDP growth moderated to an annualized 1.5%. This slowdown from prior quarters arrives alongside a steadier signal: underlying private-sector demand in the United States has not softened at the same pace. Brent crude has traded above $89 a barrel through the quarter, keeping energy costs elevated even as broader inflation readings show mixed signs […]
Markets Digest the Fed’s Hawkish Hold as Fresh ISM Data Lands
The Federal Reserve’s July 29 decision to hold its benchmark rate at 3.50%–3.75% is still working its way through markets, and Monday’s ISM Manufacturing PMI report gave investors their first hard data point to test the central bank’s internal split. For payments and lending, the combination points to a stretch of elevated borrowing costs running […]
Q2 GDP 2026 & June PCE: What Today’s Data Means After the Fed Split
The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes the Q2 GDP advance estimate and the June Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index at 8:30 a.m. ET today, according to BEA’s official release schedule. The data release timing is less than 24 hours behind Wednesday’s Federal Open Market Committee decision to hold the federal funds rate at 3.50%-3.75%.
FOMC July 2026: Fed Holds Rates at 3.50%-3.75% in Warsh’s First Contested Vote
On July 29, Federal Open Market Committee has voted on the federal funds rate with a ratio of 9-3 in favor of maintaining the rate within the 3.50%-3.75% range. This was the first time Federal Open Market Committee Chair Kevin Warsh had to face dissenters since he took office. The opposition has come from three […]
FOMC July 2026: A “No Dot Plot” Decision With Outsized Stakes for Payments
The Federal Open Market Committee began its two-day meeting on July 28. The rate decision lands Wednesday, July 29, at 2:00 p.m. ET, followed by Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s press conference at 2:30 p.m.
Fintech Earnings Face Middle East Oil Volatility as Investors Shift Focus to Q2 Results
Global markets entered the week caught between geopolitical uncertainty and the start of one of the busiest periods of the corporate earnings season, creating a challenging backdrop for payments and fintech companies preparing to report quarterly results.
How Rising Oil Prices Are Increasing Cross-Border Payment Costs for Merchants and Fintechs
Escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are doing more than shaking global financial markets. They are also making cross-border payments more expensive. Here’s how. Rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions are increasing cross-border payments costs by driving foreign exchange volatility and raising hedging expenses for payment service providers. Combined with diverging Federal Reserve and […]
Finance & Economics
