Botswana’s annual inflation slowed to 7.8% in September from 9.3% in August, according to Statistics Botswana, the third straight monthly slowdown since a peak of 10.7% in June. Prices rose just 0.1% month on month, but the annual rate remains above the bank’s 3% to 6% target. Transport contributed 4.0 of the 7.8 percentage points, while cheaper vegetables pulled food prices down 0.6% in the month. Trimmed-mean core inflation fell to 7.4% from 8.3%. The Bank of Botswana kept its policy rate at 5.5%, meets again on 29 October, and expects inflation to stay above its target range until the first quarter of 2027.
Summary written by Upside AI from the original article. Read the source for full details.
Read the original on riotimesonline.com ↗
Related news
- Cebu overall inflation slows down in Sept | The Manila Times
Cebu province's overall inflation eased to 9.2% in September from 9.5% in August, mainly because transport inflation slowed to 13.5% from 17.6%, though it remained well above the 5.3% recorded a year earlier. Food and non-alcoholic beverages remained the largest driver at 10.7%. In contrast, inflation accelerated in the major cities: Cebu City rose to 8.4% from 7.5%, Mandaue City to 6.8% from 5.9%, and Lapu-Lapu City to a revised 5.0% from 4.2%. Nationally, inflation accelerated to 7.2%, and economist Emmanuel Leyco warned that persistent inflation could weaken the peso's appeal to investors, proposing suspension of domestic fuel excise taxes and tax holidays for small businesses.
- Inflation expected to ease to 3 . 7 % in September year but cash rate still forecast to rise
Markets price about a 70% chance the Reserve Bank of New Zealand will lift the Official Cash Rate, now 2.75%, on October 28, and a 100% chance by December. ANZ says that if Q3 CPI lands near its 3.7% forecast, an October hike stays on the table given the weaker NZ dollar and higher oil prices since September, with tradeable inflation seen at 4.2% and non-tradeable at 3.5%. Westpac expects the central bank to look past the slight dip in headline inflation, as fuel prices rebounded late in the quarter and inflation for the December quarter could exceed the 4.1% of the June quarter. BNZ believes the bank will keep lifting the cash rate, including at its upcoming October meeting, due to concerns over fuel prices and the weak NZ dollar.
- September Inflation Came In at 3 . 9 %, Helping to Set Social Security 2027 Cost - of - Living Adjustment ( COLA )
The CPI-W rose 3.9% in September from a year earlier, its second-largest annual increase this year after May’s 4.4%, which sets the basis for Social Security’s 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027, the fifth largest in 35 years. Social Security uses the CPI-W rather than the CPI-U, which rose 3.7%, because it focuses on hourly wage earners and clerical workers, who make up about 30% of the U.S. population. Energy prices surged amid the Middle East conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with gasoline up 34.2% and fuel oil up 74.2% year over year. The COLA is based on the third-quarter CPI-W average, which was 3.62% higher than in 2025, and will take effect in January. The adjustment likely won’t fully offset current inflation pressures.
- September Inflation Came In at 3 . 9 %, Helping to Set Social Security 2027 Cost - of - Living Adjustment ( COLA )
Social Security's 2027 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is 3.6%, 0.8% higher than this year's, and will raise monthly benefits beginning in January. The COLA is calculated from CPI-W, which rose 3.9% from a year earlier in September, compared with 3.7% for the headline CPI-U. Energy prices drove the increase: in September, energy costs rose 20.4% year over year, gasoline 34.2%, and fuel oil 74.2%, amid the Middle East conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. CPI-W had eased to 3.4% in July and 3.5% in August before accelerating again, and the COLA is based on the third-quarter average compared with the prior year. The article notes that the adjustment will not fully offset the inflation recipients are facing.
- September Inflation Came In at 3.9%, Helping to Set Social Security's 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)
Social Security recipients will receive a 3.6% increase in monthly benefits starting next year, 0.8% higher than this year's COLA. The adjustment is based on the CPI-W, which rose 3.9% year over year in September, and the Q3 average was 3.62% above the previous year's average, rounded to 3.6%. The increase largely reflects energy price spikes tied to the Middle East conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with gasoline up 34.2% and fuel oil up 74.2% year over year in September. Inflation cooled in July and August before accelerating again in September. The article notes the COLA likely won't fully offset current inflation, but it lets recipients plan their 2027 budgets.
- Inflation Rose to 3.7% in September. Is It Time to Sell the S&P 500?
Consumer prices rose 3.7% over the 12 months through September, up from 3.4% in August, with gasoline accounting for much of the jump. On the day of the report, the S&P 500 fell about 1.1% to near 7,719. Using data since 1950, the author found the index rose the following year in about 69% of months when inflation was at 3.5% or higher, with an average gain of roughly 7%, versus about 79% and 11% after readings below 3%. Most of the 337 high-inflation months fell in the 1970s and 1980s, and outcomes depended heavily on timing. The author argues this record does not justify selling an index fund for a long-term holder, but expected gains should be lower.
Related markets
Latest news
- Winning over Vingroup and Sun Group with concrete and special materials: Vietnamese company's profit up 136%, chairman speaks out
Song Da Cao Cuong (SCL) reported Q3/2026 profit of VND 38 billion, up 136%, on net revenue of over VND 263 billion (up nearly 98%), while gross profit margin rose from about 36% to 41%. For the first nine months, revenue reached nearly VND 666 billion (up 81%) and after-tax profit nearly VND 94 billion, already exceeding more than 110% of its full-year profit target. Chairman Kieu Van Mat attributed the results to technology upgrades, production line optimization and capacity expansion, with several new plants expected to start operations by November 2026. The company said it spent more than two years testing its products before Vingroup accepted them; Vingroup's share of its business has fallen to about 25% as customers expanded to around 10 major groups and exports began to Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines. Over the past two years, the company has invested about VND 1,000 billion in factories and technology.
- Coteccons Chairman Bolat Duisenov reveals new direction: expanding home construction for individual customers
At the annual general meeting on October 20, Coteccons (HoSE: CTD) set fiscal 2027 targets of VND 42,000 billion in revenue and VND 1,050 billion in after-tax profit, and said it is considering expanding into residential construction for individual customers (B2C). In fiscal 2026, net revenue reached VND 34,340 billion (up 38%, 115% of plan) and after-tax profit VND 788 billion (up 73%); new contract wins totaled VND 60,307 billion and backlog was about VND 70,000 billion. In the first quarter of the new fiscal year, the company booked revenue of VND 11,270 billion and profit of VND 306 billion, but new contract value of VND 14,519 billion was lower than a year earlier; the company said it is tightening criteria for selecting clients and projects. Coteccons is also working with Microsoft, is expected to become a strategic partner of Workday, and targets raising its ROE from 10% to 15-18% by 2030.
- UPS Yields 6.7% After Firing Amazon. Here's Whether the Dividend Survives 2027.
UPS shares yield 6.7% as of October 16. The company has moved away from high-volume, low-margin Amazon deliveries and froze its dividend earlier this year, ending a 16-year streak of increases. The article says the payout will likely remain frozen through 2026 and 2027, citing competition from 10- and 30-year Treasury yields above 5% and other industrial dividend payers, but calls the dividend's safety questionable: UPS generated $5.47 billion in free cash flow in 2025, with $5.4 billion going to dividends, and free cash flow is projected to fall to $5.05 billion in 2026 and $5.01 billion in 2027, with the dividend absorbing about 98% of 2026 free cash flow. Rising competition and high fuel prices add pressure, and the article suggests investors may find more safety in the industrial sector.
- Asian shares mostly decline after AI stocks lead a rebound on Wall Street
Asian shares mostly fell in cautious trading on Tuesday after AI-related stocks rebounded on Wall Street, while other sectors stayed shaky and oil prices stayed high. Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.6% to 64,512.35 in early trading, South Korea's Kospi dropped 2.8%, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.8%. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Nasdaq gained 1.1%, helped by Nvidia's 1.4% gain, while most stocks outside AI and tech fell and the Dow slipped 0.1%. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 5.14%, and U.S. crude rose to $103.50 a barrel and Brent to $109.47, as uncertainty about when the energy industry will return to normal after the war with Iran means oil is unlikely to ease soon.
- Asian shares mostly decline after AI stocks lead a rebound on Wall Street
Asian shares mostly fell in cautious trading Tuesday after AI-related stocks rebounded on Wall Street, while other sectors stayed shaky and oil prices remained high. Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.6% to 64,512.35, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.8% to 8,772.10, and South Korea's Kospi dropped 2.8% to 5,605.31. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Nasdaq rallied 1.1%, helped by Nvidia, while the Dow fell 0.1%. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 5.14%, and U.S. crude rose 0.15% to $103.50 a barrel as uncertainty over the war with Iran kept oil prices elevated.
- What Could X-Energy (XE) Gain From Its 960MW Indiana Nuclear Project?
X-Energy (NasdaqGS:XE), American Electric Power and Amazon agreed to assess a 960 MW advanced nuclear project in Indiana using Xe-100 reactors, on a former coal plant site. Under the joint development agreement, Amazon would provide development funding and commit to a long-term power purchase. The article says the deal offers commercial validation for X-Energy's reactor platform rather than immediate financial relief, as the company, with a $4.3b market cap, reported $150.28 million in revenue, a $448.87 million loss, and a 20.2x price-to-sales ratio. The next key milestone is whether the study reaches a final investment decision for the Sullivan County site.
Get the briefing on Telegram or Zalo
Join the Upside Telegram channel or Zalo group for the Vietnam stocks and gold briefing at 8:00 and 19:00 (Vietnam time) on trading days, plus a weekly wrap on Saturday morning.