Central bankers worldwide are weighing the probability of higher inflation. Consumers around the world say they are already feeling the pinch.

About 40% of respondents said their living costs have increased since the onset of the pandemic, according to a YouGov survey of 18,983 people conducted in 17 countries. That proportion was closer to half in the U.K. and U.S., compared to just a fifth of Danes and Swedes.

Fed tapering or delta variant fears are old news now. As markets return from the summer lull in search of new catalysts, an old standard is starting to dominate risk sentiment: stagflation. Bloomberg’s News Trend function shows that uses of the word this month shot up to the highest since at least September 2011. The term reflects a range of concerns fueling investor angst from the growth outlook seen in global PMIs to cost concerns that have kept U.S. five-year inflation swaps elevated.

The Swiss government lowered its outlook for economic growth this year, citing headwinds such as the global logistics logjam and the slow resumption of intercontinental travel. 

Gross domestic product is forecast to expand 3.4% this year, down from a previous forecast of 3.8%, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said on Thursday. The inflation rate is set to remain low, averaging just 0.5% in 2021. 

Global automakers are slashing production forecasts, which will cost the world hundreds of thousands of cars in the coming months. Yet any worries about this outcome belie the underlying problems of an industry marred by slowing sales and brimming output before the pandemic. In reality, the latest cuts will only help a much-needed (even if painful) rebalancing of the sector.

The cutbacks have come hard and fast: The world’s largest automaker, Toyota Motor Corp., this month

Economists are predicting Nigeria’s central bank will announce measures to stem the steady decline of the naira in the unauthorized market, even as it keeps the policy rate unchanged for a sixth straight meeting. 

Production of key crops including sugar and coffee could drop by as much as 59% in the long-term due to climate change, according to a report by the Stockholm Environment Institute, while wheat output may increase.

The U.S., China, and Brazil are “significant sources of climate risk for global commodity markets,” the report says, arguing that changes will disrupt long-established trade flows all over the world and risk social upheaval.

Saudi Telecom Co.’s internet-services unit set the final offer price for its initial public offering at the top end of a range, in another sign of pent up demand for share sales in the kingdom.

Arabian Internet and Communications Services Co., also known as solutions by stc, set final offer price at 151 riyals ($40.3) a share, according to a statement Thursday. At that price, the sale will be valued at $966 million.

Europe’s energy ambitions are clear: to shift to a low-carbon future by remaking its power generating and distribution systems. But the present situation is an expensive mess. A global supply crunch for natural gas, bottlenecks for renewable energy and wind speeds in the North Sea among the

Oil steadied above $72 a barrel after U.S. crude stockpiles tumbled again and investors tracked a broad rally in energy commodities.

West Texas Intermediate was little changed after hitting the highest intraday level since early August on Wednesday. U.S. crude inventories dropped by more than 6 million barrels last week to a two-year low, according to government figures. That exceeded projections, and follows disruption to

Shipowners and financiers should avoid sinking money into new container vessels despite a global crunch because record orders have driven up prices, according to industry insiders.

Industry players looking to buy new vessels at current prices will likely find themselves “overextended,” according to

Iran’s new president is flying to Tajikistan for his first foreign trip where he’s expecting to gain membership of a growing Eurasian club led by China and Russia, whose economic muscle has helped Tehran blunt American sanctions. 

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, or SCO, was founded two decades ago in St. Petersburg and currently has eight members representing half the world’s population and a quarter of its economic output. 

New-car registrations fell 18% in August and 24% in July from year-ago levels, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said Thursday. Sales are now up just 13% for the year, less than half the percentage increase posted at the year’s halfway point.

China is staring down another winter of power shortages that threaten to upend its economic recovery as a global energy supply crunch sends the price of fuels skyrocketing.

The world’s second biggest economy is at risk of not having enough coal and natural gas -- used to heat households and power factories -- despite efforts over the past year to stockpile fuel as rivals in North Asia and Europe compete for a finite supply. Demand for heating will jump when temperatures turn colder over the next few months, which could trigger power rationing similar to those seen last winter and over the summer.

Good morning. Europe’s energy crunch deepens, a major media M&A deal is brewing, the U.K. Cabinet is reshuffled and new studies make the case for booster shots. Here’s what’s moving markets.

Europe’s energy crunch has forced a major fertilizer maker to shut down two U.K. plants, the first sign that a record rally in gas and power prices is threatening to slow the region’s economic recovery.

Intensifying concern over the impact of a China Evergrande Group default is rippling through the nation’s financial markets. 

Developers led declines on the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, with Sunac China Holdings Ltd. sinking 11% and Country Garden Holdings Co. -- the nation’s largest developer by sales -- losing 8%. This week alone the two stocks have fallen more than 20%. In Shanghai, bank stocks are suffering their fastest selloff in seven weeks. China’s junk dollar bonds fell as much as 3 cents on the dollar on Thursday, according to credit traders. Yields at an 18-month high will make it more difficult for issuers to refinance their debt.