Tag: Economy

Following a year of stagnation, Italy’s economy still struggles, narrowly avoiding recession in the third quarter. The eurozone’s third-largest economy saw its gross domestic product (GDP) remain unchanged compared with the previous quarter, while expanding by 0.4% year over year, according to Trading Economics. In the three months leading up to September, Italy posted a 0.1% contraction from the second quarter, contradicting expectations of a 0.1% rebound.

NACM’s seasonally adjusted combined Credit Managers’ Index (CMI) for October 2025 improved 2.1 points to 54.5. “The index recovered most of last month’s drop and remains in expansion, but the statements made by respondents are worrying,” said NACM Economist Amy Crews Cutts, Ph.D., CBE. “The respondent comments are starkly negative, citing increased business failures and bankruptcies, lien filings and demands for extended terms.”

Metrics are a key part of how credit managers track their company’s performance, from how many customers are paying late to the number of new credit applications. There is a lot of internal data to consider when working in credit, but how often do credit professionals look outside their own metrics?

With economic uncertainty mounting across the board, the agricultural industry continues to slump. With input costs rising and profits dropping, trade tensions add increased instability as they stifle previously high agricultural exports.

Australia’s economy grew by 0.6% in the second quarter of 2025, showing slight growth that is still better than anticipated. Year-over-year the economy grew by 1.8% in the second quarter, according to the Wall Street Journal, beating out the forecasted 1.6%.

Canada’s economy lags as increased trade strains and softening labor market test the economy, prompting more conversation around interest rates cut by the Bank of Canada. Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 0.1% in May, with expectations that it will bounce back in the following months despite continued strain from tariff stress. The biggest hit came from the retail trade sector, part of the larger service-producing industries that contribute up to 75% of total GDP, which contracted 1.2%, per Reuters. 

The U.S. economy surpassed expectations after real (inflation adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 3% at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate for the second quarter of 2025, reversing a 0.5% decline in the previous quarter, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Contributing to the rise in real GDP, consumer spending grew by 1.4%, up from 0.5% in the prior period.

Argentina’s economy has shown signs of stabilization following a challenging year marked by severe poverty, soaring inflation and significant sociopolitical pressures. Today, the country stands as one of the largest economies in Latin America, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of approximately $640 billion, per the World Bank Group.

NACM’s seasonally adjusted combined Credit Managers’ Index (CMI) for July 2025 improved 0.2 points to 54.3. “By the numbers, based on what has already occurred, the NACM Credit Managers’ Index is showing continued resilience,” said NACM Economist Amy Crews Cutts, Ph.D., CBE.