Quarter · Market review

Quarter: supply disruptions and companies’ ability to pay

Over 90 days, trade restrictions and unreliable energy deliveries increased company costs. September’s rate rises made new borrowing harder, even as some technology suppliers earned more. The latest German insolvency and US consumer data encourage a distinction between growing revenue and the ability to use it to repay debt.

Period covered: 2026-07-15 – 2026-10-12Information as of 24 min read

What changed in the latest information?

On 11 October, the IEA asked members to assess additional diesel releases. The US survey and German insolvency statistics published on 9 October add to the assessment of demand and credit risk.

What remains relevant?

No additional diesel volume has been agreed. The US policy-rate range remains 3.75–4.00%, and the euro area deposit rate is 2.50%; the stock-release request does not change those decisions.

Quarter

What happened

The starting point: interest rates had already risen on 17 June

This rolling 90-day period begins on 15 July. Before it began, on 17 June, the European Central Bank’s previously announced interest rate increase took effect. The rate on banks’ overnight deposits rose from 2.00% to 2.25%. These are the initial conditions before the period under review, not a new event within it.

Also on 17 June, the Federal Reserve left the federal funds target range at 3.50–3.75%. It made no change on 29 July. Europe also chose a pause on 23 July. For a business with debt, this meant that energy costs would not be offset by automatically and rapidly falling interest rates.

The starting backdrop: the 18 June agreement had not yet restored shipping

On 18 June, the US announced the signing of a memorandum with Iran. For oil buyers, implementation mattered more: whether ships could sail safely, insurance would be available and oil would actually reach them.

More reliable deliveries would have reduced importing industries’ need to hold expensive inventories. Hauliers would have found fuel and route planning easier. But the agreement itself was not a statistical record of restored flows. July and August data later required a more cautious assessment of precisely this assumption.

July: the supply recovery was not sustained

Just before this period began, the International Energy Agency’s 10 July review described a partial recovery in June flows and ceasefire violations on 7–8 July. Its 12 August report said Persian Gulf oil exports in July, including routes bypassing the strait, averaged 15 million barrels per day. That was 2.1 million, or about 12%, below June.

This comparison describes two monthly averages, not a one-day shipping halt. It showed that June’s hopes had not been enough to deliver a lasting improvement. US military statements on 5 and 8 September about strikes on Iranian tankers were a reminder that delivery security remained unresolved. A particular price move cannot be attributed solely to these statements.

23 July: trade rules and sanctions added to the planning burden

The European Union’s 21st sanctions package against Russia expanded restrictions on energy, financial services and the shadow fleet. For companies, this matters beyond politics: payment, insurance and cargo transport options change. But an announced restriction is not a measured fall in exports of the same size.

On 23 July, the Office of the US Trade Representative announced tariff measures on imports from 60 economies, including the European Union. The action concerned insufficient bans on importing goods made with forced labour. Tariffs and exemptions depended on the product and its origin. US importers had to check whether ordered goods would become more expensive, while their overseas suppliers faced the risk that higher final prices would weaken demand.

Late July and August: technology suppliers earned revenue while customers invested

Technology suppliers’ revenue grew while their customers spent heavily on equipment and infrastructure. On 29 July, Microsoft reported capital expenditure, including finance leases, of 41 billion US dollars for the quarter ended 30 June. Cash purchases of property and equipment were 35.8 billion dollars. These amounts must not be added together: the first includes finance leases, while the second shows asset purchases paid for in cash during the quarter.

The company generated 55.4 billion dollars in operating cash flow. Subtracting cash purchases of property and equipment left 19.6 billion dollars. This explains why a rapid pace of construction is not automatically a bad signal: what matters is how much cash the business generates and how much more it needs from outside.

On 26 August, chip designer NVIDIA reported revenue of 96.221 billion dollars for the quarter ended 26 July, up 106% year on year. Operating profit grew 124%. Some customer spending had therefore already become real earnings for the supplier. For customers to earn a return on their investments, however, their new services need demand and must cover equipment, electricity and financing costs.

August and September: growth continued, but costs did not disappear

Both the US and euro-area economies grew in the second quarter. The third estimate of US gross domestic product, published on 30 September, showed annualised growth of 2.2%, or 0.6% quarter on quarter. The second US estimate released on 26 August had been lower. Euro-area growth was revised to 0.6% quarter on quarter on 7 September. On the same quarterly comparison basis, growth in the two regions matched.

The initial US estimate for August, released on 4 September, showed 162,000 additional jobs, but the gain was revised to 133,000 on 2 October. On 9 September, second-quarter revenue growth in selected US service industries was revised to 3.0% from the previous quarter. This revenue measure has not been adjusted for prices. Rising sales and a greater real volume of services delivered are therefore not the same thing.

9–11 September: a higher energy-price forecast was followed by an ECB rate increase

On 9 September, the US Energy Information Administration raised its second-half average Brent price forecast to about 90 dollars per barrel. Model inputs were finalised on 3 September. This is a conditional average for a future period, not the oil price in a particular September session and not an already measured effect of later military action.

On 10 September, the European Central Bank announced another interest rate increase of 0.25 percentage points. The deposit facility rate rose from 2.25% to 2.50% on 16 September. On 11 September, the US Consumer Price Index showed annual inflation of 3.4% in August, the same as in July. The seasonally adjusted monthly change accelerated from 0.1% to 0.4%. These data were known before the Federal Reserve meeting of 15–16 September, which subsequently raised the target range.

? How should we read GDP and price indices?

Gross domestic product measures the value of final goods and services produced in an economy. Real growth removes the effect of prices. US quarterly growth is often reported at an annualised rate, as if the same change continued for four quarters. The Consumer Price Index measures a basket of prices weighted by consumption. Its annual and monthly changes have different comparison bases. The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index also includes spending made on consumers’ behalf, uses different weights and accounts for changes in the composition of consumption; these two price indices should not be treated as interchangeable.

Mid-September: June’s hopes were not enough to restore supply

The International Energy Agency’s 11 September forecast projected a larger fall in oil supply than in demand this year. This is a forecast, not the final annual result.

Lower demand does not automatically mean cheaper oil. If the volume reaching buyers falls faster, fuel bills can remain high even as the economy slows. This can help an energy producer only if it can deliver its output. For a haulier or an energy-buying factory, the same situation raises costs.

16–24 September: US bond yields rose again after a brief decline

On 16 September the Federal Reserve raised its target range to 3.75–4.00%. An earlier European decision lifting the deposit rate to 2.50% took effect on the same day. The US ten-year yield fell to 4.96% on 21–22 September, but reached 5.18% on 24 September. The fall in US bond yields was therefore short-lived.

The preliminary S&P Global US PMI Composite Output Index, covering manufacturing and services activity, reached 58.4 in the release of 23 September, compared with 56.0 in August. Seasonally adjusted initial unemployment benefit claims of 197,000 for the week ending 19 September, released on 24 September, at that time added to the evidence that the economy was not weakening sharply. On 1 October, that week’s claims were revised to 198,000; the newer week ending 26 September recorded 197,000. Claims are not a count of jobs created or a final measure of an entire quarter’s growth.

? Purchasing Managers’ Index: what does the threshold mean?

The company survey compares activity with the previous month. Above 50 generally indicates expansion and below 50 contraction. A reading of 58.4 does not mean growth of 58.4%; the preliminary measure may be revised.

September’s decisions extended beyond the US and euro area. On 18 September the Bank of Japan set an overnight interest-rate target of 1.25%, effective from 24 September. On 17 September the Bank of England left Bank Rate at 3.75%. These different paths matter for Japanese bonds and yen-funded investments, as well as British companies’ borrowing costs.

25–28 September: uneven demand and trade relief not yet in force

US August durable-goods orders, reported on 25 September, reached $338.6 billion and were virtually unchanged from revised July. Orders for non-defence capital goods excluding aircraft nevertheless rose 1.6%, while shipments increased 0.6%. These are monthly changes adjusted for seasonality, but not for prices. On the same day, the University of Michigan’s final September consumer sentiment index stood at 48.1, compared with 51.7 in August. Business-equipment demand and households’ assessments were therefore sending different signals.

On 27 September, the White House published US and Chinese lists covering about $30 billion of imports in each direction, proposed for lower tariffs. The US list of imports from China includes plastic tableware and bedding; China’s list of imports from the US includes beef and dairy products. This publication did not bring tariff reductions into force. On 28 September, China reported that August profit at larger industrial enterprises was 4.2% higher than a year earlier; July’s growth was 11.2%. These are year-on-year comparisons; they do not show whether profit rose or fell from July to August. Companies’ profits would depend not only on lower tariffs, but also on selling more goods at profitable prices.

30 September: spending remained resilient while energy prices rose

Figures released by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis on 30 September showed real consumer spending rising 0.6% month on month in August, while real disposable income was unchanged. The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, or PCE, was 3.4% higher year on year; excluding food and energy, the increase was 3.0%. July’s annual readings were identical in the same revised data series.

Germany’s preliminary national September inflation rate rose from 2.9% to 3.3%, with energy inflation increasing from 10.5% to 14.9%, while the rate excluding food and energy remained at 2.4%. France’s measure under the common European methodology rose from 2.6% to 3.4%. On the same day, China’s manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index rose from 49.8 to 50.1, but its new-orders index fell from 50.6 to 50.5 and the raw-material purchase-price index increased from 56.6 to 60.8. The different indices showed growing activity alongside uneven cost increases.

US Energy Information Administration figures released on 30 September put commercial crude stocks at 427.3 million barrels in the week ending 25 September, 2.6% above a year earlier. Petrol inventories were nevertheless 7.4% lower, and distillates, including diesel and heating products, 14.9% lower. A rise in crude stocks therefore did not by itself resolve the question of finished-fuel supply.

30 September: memory-chip maker Micron reported higher revenue

US memory-chip maker Micron reported on 30 September that revenue for its fiscal quarter ended 3 September was $54.229 billion, compared with $11.315 billion a year earlier. This year’s quarter contained 14 weeks against 13 in the previous year, so the periods are not identical in length. The result added to the record of rising technology-supplier revenue. However, the value of the company’s shares depends on more than revenue already earned: it also matters how much future growth investors already expect.

1 October: orders held up while new borrowing cost more

The Institute for Supply Management’s September manufacturing survey, released on 1 October, put its Purchasing Managers’ Index at 54.5. Activity was still expanding, but the prices-paid index increased from 71.1 to 77.9. For a manufacturer, this means an opportunity to sell more without necessarily earning more if higher material costs cannot be passed on to customers.

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On the same day, the European Central Bank reported that the euro-area new mortgage rate indicator rose to 3.60% in August, consumer credit rates to 7.92%, while the corporate borrowing cost indicator was almost unchanged at 3.77%. These are averages for new agreements, not changes in payments on existing Lithuanian loans. August statistics do not yet show the effects of the subsequent September rate increase.

Eurostat reported on 1 October that Lithuanian house transaction prices were 14.3% higher year on year in the second quarter, against 4.0% in the euro area. This April–June comparison describes prices, not rental income or net investment returns. A home buyer needs to consider both the purchase price and future mortgage payment, but later euro-area lending rates cannot be presented as the cause of earlier Lithuanian price growth.

2–4 October: US jobs growth slowed while energy risks persisted

On 2 October, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nonfarm payrolls rose by 29,000 in September, following a revised increase of 133,000 in August. The combined July and August result was revised down by 60,000. The weakness was not confined to the latest month: the earlier path of jobs growth was also lower than previously reported.

The September unemployment rate was 4.2%. Slower jobs growth can limit growth in household income and discretionary spending. These figures do not by themselves establish an economy-wide downturn, however.

? Unemployment rate: what is the denominator?

It is the share of the labour force who are not employed, are actively looking for work and are available to work, rather than a share of the whole population. Unemployment and payroll figures come from different surveys, so their monthly movements need not match.

Also on 2 October, Eurostat’s flash estimate showed euro area annual consumer inflation rising from 3.2% to 3.8% in September. These are prices paid by consumers, not the producer selling prices discussed below. On 4 October, seven countries in the OPEC+ group of oil producers retained September production targets for November; these are agreed volumes, not confirmed actual oil supply.

5–6 October releases: higher costs and uneven demand

On 5 October, the Nasdaq Composite share-price index rose 1.05% from its 2 October close, measured in US dollars. The US 10-year Treasury yield meanwhile increased from 5.28% to 5.31%. These are different market measures: rising share prices do not establish that companies can borrow more cheaply.

On 5 October, the US Institute for Supply Management’s September Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (ISM Services PMI) fell from 55.4 to 54.9, while its prices index increased from 72.6 to 74.0. Activity expanded more slowly but cost pressures became more widespread.

? Services and prices indices: what do they measure?

The services survey index gives equal weight to activity, new orders, employment and delivery times. A reading above 50 indicates prevailing expansion compared with the previous month. The separate prices index measures the breadth of price increases: 74 points does not mean 74% inflation.

On 6 October, Destatis reported that German manufacturing orders fell 10.6% in August from July, but only 0.1% excluding large contracts. The category covering ships, aircraft, trains and military vehicles had received unusually large orders in July. Even so, June–August orders excluding large contracts were 2.6% below the preceding three months, leaving regular demand weak.

? Manufacturing orders: how do they differ from revenue?

These are new orders adjusted for prices, seasonal effects and the calendar; August figures are preliminary. An order is not yet a finished product or collected revenue. The overall series and the population excluding large contracts are not additive components of the decline.

On 5 October, Eurostat reported that euro area industrial producer prices rose 1.9% in August from the previous month, with energy up 5.6% and industry excluding energy up 0.2%.

? Producer prices: what do they not show?

The Industrial Producer Price Index measures domestic selling prices, not a company’s entire input-cost basket or consumer inflation. August is compared with July; the energy group’s 5.6% rise is not its percentage-point contribution to the overall index.

Also on 5 October, ECB Executive Board member Philip Lane explained that costlier energy leaves households less money for other goods, while higher long-term interest rates constrain consumption and investment. This was his assessment, not a new interest-rate decision.

6 October retail data: the recovery remains small

On 6 October, Eurostat reported that euro area retail volumes rose 0.1% in August after declining 0.6% in July. Non-food volumes increased 0.5%, while fuel fell 1.9%. This was a small overall recovery with different product groups moving in different directions.

? Retail volume: how does it differ from revenue?

The volume measure removes price changes, and the monthly comparison is seasonally and calendar adjusted. It therefore describes changes in quantities sold, not retailers’ revenue or profit.

7 October: September Fed minutes and long-term borrowing

The US central bank’s 15–16 September minutes, released on 7 October, recalled that most participants had then envisaged another rate rise. The 0.25-percentage-point rise decided on 16 September took effect the next day, taking the range to 3.75–4.00%. These were earlier meeting discussions, not a new October decision.

On 7 October, the US Treasury sold a further $39 billion of 10-year bonds at a high yield of 5.30%, with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.77. This is an auction of a specific issue, not a bond fund’s overall return.

German exports fell, but sales to different destinations diverged

The rise in Germany’s August production reported on 7 October was mainly driven by construction; trade figures released on 8 October showed that exports had not recovered in the same way that month. According to the statistical office Destatis, August goods exports fell 0.8% from July to €137.6 billion. Imports rose 0.9% to €118.1 billion. The goods trade surplus narrowed from July’s €21.6 billion to €19.5 billion.

The clearest new difference is between destination markets. Exports to the United States fell 6.3%, while shipments to the euro area rose 0.8%, China 4.7% and the United Kingdom 16.7%. Exporters did not experience a uniform decline. Moreover, sales to the US remained 22.6% above August 2025: the monthly fall did not erase the earlier year-on-year increase.

These figures do not yet explain which goods or causes produced the differences. The decline in exports to the US therefore cannot simply be attributed to tariffs: a more detailed goods breakdown and companies’ own sales may still change the assessment.

? Export change: what is being compared?

August and July goods values in euros are calendar and seasonally adjusted. They measure nominal value, not physical quantities alone. Destination changes are not additive contributions to the total; the annual comparison uses a different denominator.

Europe’s risk assessment linked technology borrowing and profit expectations

On 8 October, the European Systemic Risk Board published the assessment from its 1 October meeting: EU financial-stability risks had increased during the preceding quarter. The Board highlighted technology companies borrowing to expand artificial intelligence and the risk that future profit expectations may be too optimistic. This is a warning about a possible scenario, not a report of those companies already defaulting.

The risk extends beyond technology shares. More expensive government debt servicing reduces fiscal room, while funds investing with borrowed money can amplify bond-market swings. Conversely, the Board noted European banks’ strong capital, liquidity and profitability. Technology-financing concentration is smaller in the EU than in the US, so the two regions should not be treated as carrying identical risks.

8 October context: no promise of a rate pause

US central-bank Governor Christopher Waller on 8 October left open another rate rise if data develop as he expects. The European Central Bank’s September meeting account released that day also announced no new decision. September’s discussion had not yet shown a broad spread of energy inflation to wages and other prices; that remained an important condition for further rises.

In the US Treasury’s $22 billion reopening auction of 30-year bonds on 8 October, the high yield was 5.618%, compared with 5.308% in the same issue’s 10 September auction. This monthly comparison of new government borrowing differs from the indicative Friday yield discussed later; it is not a bond fund return.

The IEA asks members to consider further diesel releases, but no new volume is agreed

On 11 October, the International Energy Agency (IEA) asked member countries to assess whether additional diesel stock releases were needed. If governments chose to proceed, they should specify volumes and timing and clearly distinguish additional releases from earlier commitments. This is a new request, not an agreed additional number of barrels.

On 7 October, IEA members had already supported faster completion of the outstanding March stock-release programme, prioritising diesel. Countries that have fulfilled their earlier commitments are now also being asked to consider further action. The agency also highlighted renewed attacks on Saudi Arabia’s civilian and energy infrastructure.

The important distinction for investors is that crude oil is not yet fuel suitable for a truck. It needs refining and delivery to where diesel is scarce. An improvement in supply therefore depends not just on total stocks, but on which product is released and when it arrives. The IEA Oil Market Report on 14 October will help assess refining and supply conditions; the Governing Board meeting on 15 October will review countries’ actions.

? Emergency oil stocks: does a pledge already mean supply?

Public emergency stocks are oil and oil products held by governments to respond to supply disruptions. A pledged release, a quantity sold and fuel delivered to a buyer are different stages; additional action must be distinguished from the remainder of an earlier commitment.

US consumers rated current conditions more poorly, while their outlook improved

On 9 October, the University of Michigan published its preliminary October survey of US consumers. The sentiment index fell from September’s 48.1 to 46.3 points.

The assessment of current economic conditions deteriorated most sharply: its index fell from 50.9 to 44.7 points. The university highlighted high prices and borrowing costs that made consumers less comfortable with major purchases. However, the expectations index rose from 46.3 to 47.3 points, so the survey does not show a uniform deterioration across all expectations.

Meanwhile, the median of consumers’ expected inflation over the coming year rose from 4.6 to 4.7%. Weaker sentiment and higher price expectations can coexist: people who approach purchases more cautiously do not necessarily expect goods to become cheaper soon.

? Consumer surveys and inflation expectations: what do they show?

The survey measures consumers’ views, not a change in spending that has already taken place. The median is the middle response: half expect inflation no higher and half no lower; it is not a central-bank forecast or actual price growth. October’s results are still preliminary.

US consumer survey indices for September and preliminary October: sentiment 48.1 and 46.3, current economic conditions 50.9 and 44.7, expectations 46.3 and 47.3 points.
The decline in overall consumer sentiment was accompanied by a much weaker assessment of current conditions, while expectations improved. All measures are in index points; preliminary October results were published on 9 October.

US bond yields rebounded on Friday from Thursday’s levels

On 9 October, the annual yield on 10-year US Treasury securities rose from the previous trading day’s 5.22 to 5.24%. The decline on 8 October therefore did not continue on Friday. This is the latest officially published observation available before Monday morning.

The two-year yield rose from 4.75 to 4.80%, while the 30-year yield remained at 5.60%. However, the weekly comparison points in the other direction: since 2 October, yields at these maturities fell by 3, 4 and 3 basis points respectively. One day’s rebound did not erase the small weekly decline.

? Bond yield: how does it differ from return?

This is an indicative annual constant-maturity yield derived from US Treasury quotations, not a fund return already earned or the central bank’s policy rate. One basis point equals 0.01 percentage point. The table alone does not prove that the consumer survey caused Friday’s move.

Annual US Treasury yields on 8–9 October: 2-year 4.75 and 4.80%, 10-year 5.22 and 5.24%, 30-year 5.60 and 5.60%.
On 9 October, shorter-maturity US Treasury yields rose from 8 October, while the 30-year yield was unchanged. The figures show annual yields, not changes in bond prices.

German insolvency cases rise, but creditors' total claims fall

On 9 October, Germany’s statistical office Destatis reported that in July 2026 courts registered 2,373 corporate insolvency cases. That was 8.0% more than in July 2025.

Risk is unevenly distributed. In January–July, transport and warehousing recorded 85.5 insolvency cases per 10,000 companies, compared with 42.8 across Germany’s economy. That is almost twice the frequency. The comparison highlights weakness in the sector, but does not tell us whether a particular logistics company can repay its bonds.

German corporate insolvency frequency in January–July 2026: transport and warehousing, hospitality, construction and the whole economy.
Insolvency frequency is much higher in transport and warehousing than overall, so one economy-wide average hides sector differences. Data: Destatis; Financial Freedom representation.

The number of cases is not the whole credit-risk story. Creditors’ claims in January–July cases amounted to about EUR21.9 billion, compared with EUR31.8 billion a year earlier. Destatis explains that more economically significant companies had filed for insolvency in the earlier period. More frequent cases therefore do not necessarily mean a larger aggregate sum of creditors’ claims.

? Corporate insolvency frequency: what does it measure?

Frequency is the number of court-registered cases per 10,000 companies in the relevant sector; it is not the probability that an individual bond will default. A filing enters the statistics after the court’s first decision, often about three months after submission. Creditors’ claims are not realised losses, and businesses closing for other reasons are not counted here.

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Quarter

What matters now

Fuel users need delivered diesel, not just another pledge

Transport-company shares and industrial corporate bonds are exposed to fuel bills and to how much of those costs companies can pass on to customers. If additional diesel actually reaches buyers, fuel users’ costs could fall. Slow delivery or another supply disruption, however, would keep pressure on profits and the cash available to repay debt.

Oil-producer shares face a different risk: more fuel reaching the market may ease conditions for their customers, while restored supply may weigh on crude selling prices. Refiners’ profits also depend on the gap between fuel selling prices and the cost of their feedstock. One blanket view of the energy sector would therefore be too broad. Specified additional volumes and delivery schedules would help distinguish genuine cost relief from merely improved expectations.

For consumer businesses, the question is whether caution is already reducing sales

The University of Michigan’s 9 October survey sends a different signal to sellers of major purchases and consumer-equity funds than to companies supplying everyday necessities. A car or household appliance is easier to postpone, while people may keep buying essential goods by switching to cheaper alternatives. These are possible patterns of demand, not company sales results already reported.

Consumer lenders also need to consider borrowers’ ability to repay. If price pressures eased, demand for major purchases could recover; if household incomes failed to keep pace with costs, risks to sales and credit losses would increase. Results from US bank JPMorganChase on 13 October will help assess borrowers’ finances, while US September retail-sales data on 15 October will show actual sales.

A higher yield for a new buyer is not the same as a gain on an existing bond

On 9 October, existing fixed-rate US Treasury bond prices could have come under pressure at maturities where yields rose. At the same time, a buyer of a new 2- or 10-year bond could have obtained a higher yield than on Thursday. For debt-funded property companies, refinancing costs matter; an existing fixed-rate loan payment does not change with daily market quotations.

If US September consumer-price data on 14 October showed weaker inflation pressure, longer-maturity bond prices could find support. More persistent price growth would strengthen the risk of expensive financing for both bonds and debt-sensitive equities. The US central bank’s policy-rate range set in September remains 3.75–4.00%; its next decision is scheduled for 28 October.

A company's ability to repay matters more than the insolvency headline

For holders of higher-risk European corporate bonds, the issue is not just the interest rate but whether the issuer will have enough cash to pay interest and principal. Bank and supplier shareholders, meanwhile, face customers’ late payments and potential credit losses. Sector statistics help identify where company finances deserve closer scrutiny, but do not replace an assessment of cash, debt maturities and customer concentration.

The smaller aggregate sum of claims is a counterweight, so more registered cases do not automatically imply equal pressure on every creditor. An opportunity could arise where a bond’s price already reflects its specific risk and the company has sufficient cash to meet its obligations. Germany’s final September inflation release on 13 October will update the cost assessment; it will not establish whether an individual borrower is solvent. That requires its results and actual payments.

For 12 October, a holiday closure is recommended for the US bond market, while US stock exchanges have no scheduled holiday. Japanese share trading is closed; some derivatives continue trading. Friday’s bond level should therefore not be treated as a measured Monday response to weekend news.

Quarter

What comes next

On 13 October, Germany will release final September inflation; US bank JPMorganChase will release quarterly results at about 14:00 Lithuanian time and discuss them at 15:30. Do price pressures and borrowers’ finances fit consumers’ poorer assessment of current conditions?

On 14 October, the IEA will publish its Oil Market Report, while the US Bureau of Labor Statistics will release September’s Consumer Price Index at 15:30 Lithuanian time. Do tight fuel supply and actual price growth reinforce the risk of expensive borrowing?

On 15 October, the IEA Governing Board will review stock-release actions. US September retail sales will be released that day at 15:30, followed at 19:00 by the US Energy Information Administration’s stocks for the week ending 9 October. Will additional diesel plans become specified volumes and dates, and is consumer caution already visible in sales?

The final Michigan October survey is due on 23 October at 17:00. The US central bank’s next decision is expected on 28 October at 20:00; the ECB’s follows on 29 October. Will new price and demand data justify changing interest rates or keeping them unchanged?

Important. This is general market analysis, not a personal recommendation to buy or sell. Historical data and company results do not guarantee future returns. Forecasts and conditional scenarios may not materialise.

How is the history preserved and updated?

All five periods in this edition share one information date. Week means the latest 7 days, quarter means 90 days, and year means the trailing 12 months. The next dated edition will have a separate URL. This text keeps its date and assessment; later events are not silently inserted into an older edition. Longer periods assess new evidence alongside earlier developments without repeating every headline.

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