Boom in India’s credit card spending

India’s credit card spending soared to a record in September 2025, marking a 23% year-on-year rise and a 13% sequential increase.

Russian stocks rally on reports of Trump-backed Ukraine peace plan

Russian equities rallied strongly at the start of trading on November 21 after details of the US 28-point peace plan were released the previous evening. Investor sentiment got a fillip as a possible deal is on the cards.

Foreign M&A bolsters confidence in Vietnam’s industrial and energy sectors

Foreign investors are stepping up their involvement in Vietnman’s industrial and energy sectors, signalling renewed confidence in the country’s manufacturing base and its long-term growth prospects.

Tokyo unveils $136bn stimulus

Japan has approved an economic stimulus package of roughly JPY21.3 trillion ($136bn) in an effort to counter rising living costs and reinforce domestic demand, marking the first major policy initiative under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Moldova’s industry strengthens through 2025 driven by labour-intensive sectors

Moldova’s industrial output rose 6.2% y/y in 3Q25, the third consecutive quarter of strengthening activity.

IMF warns Montenegro’s economy is weakening after years of strong post-pandemic growth

Growth, which averaged around 9% annually between 2021 and 2023, moderated to 3.2% in 2024 and in the first half of 2025.

Home prices in Hungary set for nearly 29% growth in 2025, central bank says

Hungary's home prices jumped sharply this year, with nationwide growth nearing 24% and Budapest close to 30%, and the government's new home loan scheme will push up prices further.

Turkey world’s 10th most criminalised country, says ranking

Biennial Global Organized Crime Index assesses 193 countries.

Fitch upgrades Turkey’s Ziraat, Vakifbank and TSKB to three notches below investment grade

Says authorities have improved ability to support banking sector in FX in line with sovereign's better reserves position.

European Commission cuts Romania’s growth outlook in half as fiscal tightening weighs on economy

Downward revision reflects Romania’s fiscal slippage in 2024-25 and the subsequent shift to a more contractionary fiscal stance.

S&P upgrades South Africa as Fitch affirms rating and debt peak forecast rises to 77.9%

Korean export slowdown to weigh on economic recovery

South Korea’s economic rebound is set to be held back by faltering overseas demand, according to new analysis by Fitch Ratings, which warns that weaker exports will act as a brake on growth prospects.

Philippine growth slows sharply, but economists anticipate domestic demand to bounce back

The Philippine economy lost momentum in the third quarter, recording a markedly weaker performance than analysts had anticipated.

Romania’s central bank holds base rate at 6.5%, signals deepening demand gap

BNR expects the annual inflation rate to decline modestly over the next three quarters but remain on a fluctuating path above previous forecasts.

Yen-pegged stablecoin issuer anticipates major holdings in Japan’s government-bond market

JPYC emphasises that its stablecoin is fully convertible to the yen and backed by domestic savings deposits and Japanese government bonds.

Moldova’s inflation edges up to 7.0% y/y in October on higher food and utility prices

Core inflation also picked up in October, indicating broader price pressures beyond seasonal fluctuations.

Slovak industry returns to mild growth of 0.7% y/y in September

September development came as a surprise to local market analysts, but no substantial revival is expected.

Turkey hikes end-2025 official inflation forecast range to 31-33%

Current policy set is to provide finance industry with high real returns without any supportive fiscal and structural measures. Officials will stick with it.

Moldova keeps key rate at 6% and cuts reserve requirements to encourage lending

Decision follows a series of rate hikes earlier this year, before the BNM cut the rate in August-September as inflation subdued.

Romania’s retail sales fall 2.3% q/q in Q3 as austerity hits household spending

With inflation eroding purchasing power and private sector jobs under threat from slower economic activity, consumer confidence has weakened.