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Europe
BBC Business

US prices remain high as fuel costs squeeze household budgets

Image source, Getty ImagesByMichael RaceBusiness reporter, Reporting fromNew YorkPublished11 September 2026Prices in the US rose by 3.4% in the year to August, with the cost of living pushed up by higher gasoline prices, official figures show. The overall inflation rate was unchanged from July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It comes ahead of the Federal Reserve making its latest interest rate decision next week, with growing expectations they will be increased in a bid to slow the rate at which prices are rising. US household budgets have come under mounting pressure, especially at the fuel pumps, with a gallon of diesel hitting a new all-time high of more than $6 on average on Friday. The spike in fuel prices has been driven by higher global oil prices, caused by supply disruptions as a result of the US-Iran war. The price of benchmark Brent crude oil is hovering above $100 a barrel following recent escalations in the conflict. As well as directly driving up costs at the pumps, higher oil prices can also make transporting goods more expensive. Such costs can be passed down to consumers through steeper prices for food and other staples, pushing up the overall cost of living. The BLS said gasoline prices rose 3.9% last month alone, accounting for more than a third of inflation overall. Wages are also failing to keep up with the rising cost of living, with separate figures showing real average hourly earnings fell by 0.3% over the past year. There are increasing expectations that interest rates will be hiked given the current inflation picture, strong jobs market and President Donald Trump saying he does not think oil prices will come down until the war with Iran ends, which he expects to happen after November's elections. Fed chair Kevin Warsh has been tight-lipped on any future decisions, but his comments that the central bank's focus should be on slowing price rises has further fuelled expectations of a rise. According to data from CME Group, 85% of traders are now betting on rates being raised by a quarter percentage point next week. Skyler Weinand, chief investment officer at Regan Capital based in Dallas, said while inflation was in line with expectations, it was "still too hot and the Federal Reserve's hands are tied". "A rate hike next week is all but assured. Consumer prices are going in the wrong direction and remain significantly higher than the Fed's 2% target."

US prices remain high as fuel costs squeeze household budgets
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

L&T Semiconductor unveils 40 products, including first SiC platform

L&T Semiconductor Technologies Limited (LTSCT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro, today unveiled 40 products at SEMICON India 2026, under the theme “Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem”. Its technologies span secure identity, intelligent surveillance, IP cameras, and communication solutions supporting critical infrastructure and strategic requirements. The portfolio also addresses the growing need for indigenous compute and connectivity capabilities as India builds its data centre and AI infrastructure. The showcase features two significant milestones: LTSCT’s first Silicon Carbide (SiC) product platform and the tape-out of a fully designed-in-India BLDC motor controller. “For the last 50 years, semiconductors have been at the core of innovation. As the electronics revolution continues, going from $1 trillion to $2 trillion might seem to be a big jump, but the growth of the semiconductor industry is still on the same curve. Some years, you get a boom, and some years, a bust. The big difference this time around, from the previous ones is that this boom is led by architecture — how innovative your architecture is, how creative you are, how you put it together; that is defining the winners versus the others,” said Dr Sandeep Kumar, Chief Executive, L&T Semiconductor Technologies Limited, delivering a keynote at Semicon India 2026. India, he said, has the necessary building blocks, but gaps remain in areas such as system architecture. Developing this expertise requires access to global markets and a deeper understanding of customer needs. Since most major customers are based outside India, limited market exposure has contributed to this knowledge gap. LTSCT’s high-performance 1200V SiC MOSFET platform is engineered for next-generation power conversion applications. The platform is designed for use in EV fast chargers, microgrids, solid-state transformers, and traction inverters, where higher efficiency and performance are increasingly critical. Alongside this, LTSCT has taped out its highly integrated BLDC motor controller, a fully designed-in-India chip. The controller integrates advanced protection features to support extended product warranties, while its flexible architecture enables a single platform to serve multiple models, reduce bill-of-materials costs, and support India’s transition to more energy-efficient BLDC ceiling fans. In line with the Semicon 2.0 initiative, LTSCT is focused on advancing semiconductor design from innovation to scalable products and market-ready solutions through deeper ecosystem collaboration. The Compute portfolio includes an indigenous Vision Camera SoC combining advanced image processing with on-device AI acceleration, alongside a Secure Identity Platform designed for applications including e-passports, payment cards and national ID systems, with hardware-rooted security and cryptographic acceleration. In Connectivity & RF, LTSCT is showcasing four indigenously designed modules for smart metering, automotive applications and digital payments, including its LCC43 Dynamic QR and Soundbox proof of concept for NPCI’s proposed Trusted Device Layer. Meanwhile, LTSCT and Tata Electronics also announced a strategic partnership to expand indigenous manufacturing of market-leading chip products in India to serve global customers. The alliance aims to build indigenous design and manufacturing capabilities to support next-generation products across automotive, industrial, communications, security and intelligent-edge sectors.

L&T Semiconductor unveils 40 products, including first SiC platform
North America
CNBC Finance

Here’s where rental demand is heading and what it means for future home sales

Prices in the for-sale housing market are showing no signs of cooling off, causing more renters to stay on the buying sidelines. And as rents start to heat back up, too, more tenants are relocating to cheaper markets. Buffalo, New York; Chicago; and Houston are seeing the biggest growth in out-of-town searches on Zillow, followed by New Orleans and Dallas, according to the real estate listing site. Among markets that have already seen significant in-migration, like Salt Lake City; Raleigh, North Carolina; Hartford, Connecticut; and Nashville, Tennessee; out-of-town searches now outnumber local searches, Zillow found. "Renting is often how people try out a new community before committing. When we see a market with a growing share of rental searches coming from outside the metro, that tips us off to a developing pipeline," said Mischa Fisher, chief economist at Zillow, in a release. "A year-over-year surge in out-of-town browsing in places like Buffalo and Chicago tells us a wave of newcomers may not be far behind." The markets seeing the biggest renter interest also have lower home prices. The national median price of an existing home sold in July was $434,100, according to the National Association of Realtors. Buffalo, Chicago and Houston all have lower median prices, according to Realtor.com. Rents had been easing over the past few years due to increased supply in most markets, but they are now back on the rise. August rents turned positive month to month for the first time in four years, according to Apartment List, but they were still slightly lower than August 2025. While most out-of-town rental searches on Zillow come from neighboring states, the one exception is New York City. Renters there continue to look for listings in the Sunbelt, making up large shares of views in Raleigh and in the Florida cities of Miami, Orlando and Tampa, according to Zillow. CNBC's Property Play with Diana Olick covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, delivered weekly to your inbox. "When we see strong out-of-town interest flowing into a smaller market, it's often an affordability story. So renters in pricier places are choosing or discovering that they can get a lot more for their money somewhere new," said Fisher. "When the flow goes the other direction, into a major metro, it's frequently regional pull, people drawn to a big city's job market or opportunities from nearby." Despite huge migration to the South during and after the pandemic, these markets remain more affordable than the East and West coasts, so the flow continues. Both lifestyle and affordability are playing into the decision. In fact, 37 of the top 50 cities listed in RentCafe's "Best Cities for Renters" are in the South. The top three cities are McKinney, Texas; Huntsville, Alabama; and Austin, Texas. This ranking factors in cost of living, renter income growth and employment growth, among other things. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.

Here’s where rental demand is heading and what it means for future home sales
North America
Yahoo Finance

BE Stock Soars Overnight On S&P 500 Inclusion: Analyst Sees Upside Of Over 28%

Shares of Bloom Energy Corp. (BE) soared nearly 7% higher overnight late Monday after closing up 7.35% on Friday after its inclusion in the S&P 500 index for the third quarter. Meanwhile, UBS analyst Manav Gupta raised the price target on BE stock to $325 from $300 and maintained a ‘Buy’ rating, implying upside of more than 28% from its last close. Gupta said, as per The Fly, that historically, a stock’s inclusion in the S&P 500 has resulted in a meaningful increase in passive ownership. Companies included in the index see an increase in share purchases from index funds. The prestige of inclusion alone can result in higher prices. The analyst added further that the inclusion is "a significant positive catalyst for the stock." BE stock also has the advantage of being the first energy stock to join the index since 2022. Cheniere Energy Inc. (LNG) was another energy stock that was touted to be included in the S&P 500, but ultimately did not make the cut. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around BE stock was ‘bullish’ at the time of writing, amid ‘high’ message volumes. Another user said, “$BE people are underestimating this. It’s going to 1-2k year from now. Been in since 50 around this time last year and people called me crazy saying 250 a year from then.”

BE Stock Soars Overnight On S&P 500 Inclusion: Analyst Sees Upside Of Over 28%
Europe
BBC Business

AI boom helps drive surprise UK growth in July

Image source, Getty ImagesByEmer MoreauBusiness reporterPublished11 September 2026, 07:13 BSTUpdated 1 hour agoThe UK's economy grew faster than expected in July partly helped by businesses using artificial intelligence (AI). The economy expanded by 0.4%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, whereas analysts had predicted no growth. Growth in July was helped by a strong performance from the services sector, and particularly computer programming. Experts said the figure showed the UK economy was proving resilient in the face of shocks such as the war in Iran, but they expect growth to slow in the months ahead as high energy prices affect households. According to the ONS director of economic statistics, Liz McKeown, there was evidence that businesses involved with AI and related technologies helped to boost the sector, not just in July but in May and June as well. The ONS said many of the IT businesses reporting the largest turnover "appear to be involved with AI", though it said it is difficult to quantify the exact impact of AI. McKeown also said some businesses had said that the warm weather and football world cup had affected activity in July, although she said the effects "differed across industries, benefitting some businesses while creating challenges for others". The ONS said that in the three months to July, which gives a better underlying picture, the economy grew by 0.4% compared with the previous three months. Rob Arnold, co-founder of Ascendea, an AI firm which employs nine people, believes the UK hasn't seen the real economic growth potential from the technology yet. He says his company is able to develop apps for other businesses "100 times quicker at a 50th of the cost" because of AI, but that the UK government needs to do more to invest in the sector as there are currently better opportunities in the US. He knows a few small UK-based AI firms that have either moved to the US or are thinking of doing so due to a lack of UK government support. Alongside grants and funding, he says the government also needs to invest in training companies on how to use AI as it can be dangerous if not understood properly. "It's like playing with a weapon," he says.

AI boom helps drive surprise UK growth in July
Asia-Pacific
The Straits Times

S&P 500 ends higher as strong inflation data cements rate hike bets

Traders working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Sept 9 in New York City. NEW YORK – Wall Street ended higher on Sept 11 as oil prices retreated and strong consumer price data reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next week to fight inflation. Dell, maker of artificial intelligence servers, soared 12 per cent to a record high. Hewlett Packard Enterprise jumped 12 per cent and HP gained 8.4 per cent after Oracle’s quarterly results topped estimates. Oracle dipped 1.8 per cent. US consumer prices accelerated in August as the cost of petrol rebounded after two straight monthly declines, adding pressure on the Fed to tighten monetary policy to fight inflation. Interest rate futures now reflect a nearly 90 per cent probability that the central bank will raise rates at its policy meeting on Sept 16, according to the CME FedWatch tool. This is up from a 72 per cent likelihood on Sept 10. “That’s pretty much as close to a slam dunk as you’re going to get,” said Thomas Martin, senior ⁠portfolio manager at Globalt Investments in Atlanta. “The Fed will do the right thing and raise rates, and that is good at the margin for keeping inflation in check.” The Nasdaq gained 0.96 per cent to 26,333.04 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.98 per cent to 52,573.29 points. Nine of the 11 S&P 500 sector indexes rose, led by communication services, up 1.35 per cent, followed by a 1.13 per cent gain in consumer discretionary. Volume on US exchanges was relatively light, with 14 billion shares traded, compared with an average of 14.9 billion shares over the previous 20 sessions. The Sept 11 rally follows recent nervousness on Wall Street related to inflation and rising long-term Treasury yields, as well as concerns about massive spending to build AI data centres. The S&P 500 is down about 2 per cent from its record-high close on Aug 13, and it remains up 12 per cent in 2026. The S&P 500’s recent decline, coupled with a strong earnings outlook, has the benchmark trading at 19 times expected earnings. This is its cheapest since April 2025, when US President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcements threw global markets into a tailspin.

S&P 500 ends higher as strong inflation data cements rate hike bets
Europe
BBC Business

'Tirana teeth': Albania hopes to be the new Turkey for dental work

Anthony Hook is sitting in a dentist's chair, grinning toothily into a handheld mirror. He has been asked to pose for photos showing off his new smile – and he is only too happy to oblige. The 58-year-old window cleaner from Bolton, in Greater Manchester, is the proud owner of a sparkling new set of "Tirana teeth". That is not a brand name – at least, not yet. But it would be a fitting slogan as Albania moves decisively into the medical tourism business. Tirana, its capital city, is the focus of operations. And once you spot the first tooth, you start seeing them everywhere. They seem to be all over the city centre. Rest assured, these are not the physical remains from a night out that ended in a punch up. Rather, they are the kind of larger than life-size illuminated molar that – in these parts at least – advertise that a dental clinic is not too far away. In Tirana's metropolitan area alone, there are almost four hundred dental clinics – and most of them are in the city centre. That's more than enough for a population of around 600,000 people. So, it is not surprising that dozens of dentists are now targeting customers from further afield. They have set up websites and signage in English and Italian, as well as Albanian. Dental implants in Albania are typically around €600 ($700; £516) per tooth, similar in price to what is charged in Turkey, which has long been the main overseas destination for people in western Europe who are seeking much cheaper dental work than they can get at home. The same treatment in the UK, France or German can easily cost four times as much. For Hook the appeal was irresistible. He made his first visit to Tirana to watch England's footballers play Albania last year – but then found himself intrigued by all the signs for dentists. That nudged him into doing something about his missing teeth. He thought he's give Albania rather than Turkey, because he was concerned by media coverage of dental or hair transplant work in Turkey that had gone wrong. In fact, even the UK Foreign Office warns that it is "aware of seven British nationals having died in Turkey in 2025 following medical procedures"., external It adds that "some British nationals have also experienced complications [after surgery in Turkey], and needed further treatment or surgery following their procedure."

'Tirana teeth': Albania hopes to be the new Turkey for dental work
Asia
The Economic Times

RBI’s Rs 50,000 crore OMO sale gets bids worth Rs 66,590 crore

The Reserve Bank of India's open market operation sale received robust investor interest. This operation aimed to absorb surplus liquidity from the banking system. The central bank accepted bonds at yields higher than prevailing market rates. This move precedes a significant weekly bond auction scheduled for Friday. Further liquidity absorption measures are planned for the coming week. Has the US Fed and AI created a costlier world? And has the queue got longer for India? Four rules made HDFC Bank a compounder. All four have stopped. Can the new CEO rewrite them? Hormuz is a state, not a strait. There are 10 other possible chokepoints for the global economy, including India

RBI’s Rs 50,000 crore OMO sale gets bids worth Rs 66,590 crore
Europe
BBC Business

Canada braces for prolonged trade war as counter-tariffs on US take effect

Canada's retaliatory tariffs on a range of US goods came into effect on Tuesday, with no sign of a trade deal on the horizon. The counter-tariffs will apply to nearly C$28bn ($20bn; £15bn) worth of American products, from steel to furniture to cotton T-shirts, and will be as high as 50%. Fresh fish and lobster were also on the list, but Canada later omitted them after pushback from its seafood industry - a sign of the tricky balance it has to strike as it retaliates against its largest trading partner. Both US and Canadian officials have said they would like to strike a deal, but no movement has been made to resume talks after they collapsed in late August. Speaking to reporters last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Canada is still in search of a deal with the US that is "durable" and in the best interests of both countries. "We're ready to sit down and strike that deal when the Americans are ready," Carney said. US trade representative Jamieson Greer said on Thursday the ball is in Canada's court. "We offered them the best deal, they looked at it square in the face and turned around," Greer said in an interview with Fox News, adding that there has been sparse communication with the Canadians since talks collapsed. In a separate interview with Canadian broadcaster CBC, Greer cautioned against retaliation and suggested the US might hit back by banning the import of some Canadian products. President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to halt all US business with Canada-based airplane maker Bombardier unless it moved its manufacturing south. The aerospace giant is one of the largest in the country, contributing over C$7bn to Canada's annual GDP in 2024, according to a report commissioned by accounting firm PwC. Trump took aim at Canada in a series of other Truth Social posts over the weekend, including one that called Canada's exchange rate with the US "unacceptable".

Canada braces for prolonged trade war as counter-tariffs on US take effect