Week in Review Archive

Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 3.8% in the third quarter, according to the Wall Street Journal, signaling that even the largest economy in the Middle East is struggling to respond to the increased stress brought on by the Iran War.

Vietnam’s economy is expanding rapidly in 2026. In the third quarter, gross domestic product (GDP) grew 9.95% from a year earlier, the fastest quarterly growth since the COVID pandemic, according to Reuters. One of the fastest growing economies in the world, Vietnam has an estimated 8.4% GDP growth rate on the back of high-tech manufacturing, foreign investment and infrastructure spending, per the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

Incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a contentious runoff election in Brazil as the nation faces rising prices and high household debt. After neither candidate secured a majority vote in an early October election, the country headed into a runoff vote on Oct. 25. Lula defeated Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro Sunday night to earn his fourth term as Brazil’s president.

Canada’s economy is projected to lose momentum in the fourth quarter as the U.S.-Canada trade war and the Middle East energy crisis continue to raise costs. Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to slow from 2.0% in the third quarter to 1.4% in the fourth, according to a Canadian Federation of Independent Business report. Nearly two in five (39%) businesses surveyed expect to raise prices by more than 3% over the next year. 

South Korea’s finance ministry is considering regulations to keep banks without domestic securities licenses from arranging offshore bond sales of local issuers as the overseas insurance booms.  

Ecuador’s economic performance remains on a positive trajectory after a strong start to the year. In the second quarter, the economy grew 2.1% against the same period a year earlier, the central bank reported. The bank also said that output was 1.3% lower than in the first three months of the year. 

Turkey’s inflation forecasts rise as the economy continues to face headwinds from an ongoing war in Iran and slowing domestic spending. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) raised its 2026 and 2027 inflation forecasts while cutting economic growth projections. 

Time and time again, Singapore continues to exceed expectations. Powered by a high AI-related chip demand, its economy expanded 5.7% in the second quarter, surpassing a 5.5% target set by economists polled by Reuters.