Artificial intelligence is at the forefront of the economic debate, promising to reshape how businesses operate and how productivity is generated. Its investment cycle is already supporting activity, well before the full benefits of adoption can be measured.

From supply-chain exposure to geospatial analysis, understanding where companies operate is becoming essential to assessing their long-term resilience.

The central-bank gauntlet begins, with the Fed, ECB and BoJ all expected to hold. The key signal will be how much further tightening they still see ahead.

A cancer diagnosis raises very personal questions. Which treatment is most likely to work? How will doctors know whether it has worked?

Earnings season will broaden this week, with Meta, Tesla, Netflix, Procter & Gamble and American Express reporting. Flash PMIs will test whether growth in the US, Europe and Asia can withstand higher rates and energy costs.

Europe may be breaking its dependence on Russian fossil fuels, but energy autonomy will not be achieved by changing the energy mix alone. It will require stronger grids, greater industrial capacity and more resilient critical-material supply chains.

September was characterised by resilient global economic activity, persistent inflationary pressures and increasing concerns over monetary tightening and geopolitical risks. In the United States, economic momentum remained robust, supported by AI-related investment and resilient consumption, despite signs of labour market moderation. In Europe, economic indicators continued to improve, with manufacturing and services PMIs signalling greater resilience.

The Fed has delivered a hike where investors just months ago expected cuts. Markets now anticipate further tightening through 2027, yet US equities remain higher this year. Earnings expectations have held up through the reversal in monetary expectations. The upcoming Q3 reporting season will show whether companies can deliver on them.