Tag: Economy

Since the end of World War II, the United States’ dollar (USD) has been recognized as the world’s primary reserve currency and the most widely used medium of exchange in global transactions. Despite its long-standing dominance, the dollar remains susceptible to periods of devaluation.

As Saudi Arabia approves its state budget for 2026, the country anticipates a narrowing fiscal deficit as they prioritize industry and logistics industries in an effort to increase non-oil-based revenue. The country is projecting a deficit of 165 billion riyals ($44 billion), about 3.3% of gross domestic product (GDP).

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.