Other news

According to a Citi/YouGov survey, UK households' short-term inflation expectations surged to their highest level in more than a year in February, indicating the challenges facing the Bank of England (BoE).

UK consumer confidence rose for the second consecutive month in March, reaching a three-month high, according to a GfK survey. The index stood at -19 points, up from -20.

According to Reuters, copper smelters in China are struggling with raw material shortages and overcapacity, prompting preventive production shutdowns during a period of peak demand to minimize losses.

After a vote taken by the members of the Monetary Policy Committee, the Bank of England decided to keep its key rate at 4.5%. With the recent announcement of new US tariffs, experts on the panel were particularly concerned about the escalating uncertainty surrounding global trade.

This year, China plans to replenish its strategic reserves of key industrial metals in order to boost the resilience of critical material supplies. Heightened geopolitical tensions and rising demand for energy transition commodities have yet to support the industry's sustainability.

Japanese households' cash holdings shrank at a record pace last quarter amid rising costs of living. The amount of cash held by the country's citizens fell to 105.3 trillion yen (about $704.9 billion). That was 3.4% lower year-on-year.

The Australian government, allocating significant funds for pre-election spending, risks exacerbating inflation, which is already above the target range of 2-3%. Experts warn that this could lead to increased long-term risks for both the budget and the economy.

Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported a slowdown in the pace of consumer price growth. However, economists had forecast a more pronounced deceleration. Bloomberg notes that a slower pace of inflation easing could undermine forecasts of rate cuts by the Bank of Japan.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse expresses optimism regarding XRP's future. He believes the cryptocurrency could be included in the US Crypto Strategic Reserve, following President Donald Trump's executive order.

Indian conglomerate JSW Group will invest 120 billion rupees (1.39 billion dollars) to set up a 500,000 ton capacity copper smelter in Odisha state by 2028–2029. To supply production, the company is going to buy concentrate from Peru and Chile, Reuters states.