UK Consumer Loan Default Gauge Jumps to Highest Since 2009

Jul 2, 2026 | Markets

A gauge measuring Britons defaulting on credit cards and other unsecured loans has hit its highest level since the financial crisis, a sign of growing pressure on household finances. The proportion of lenders saying default rates rose over the previous three months...

Hong Kong Wealth, Fund Assets Reach Record $5.4 Trillion on Inflows

Jul 2, 2026 | Markets

Hong Kong’s assets under management climbed 20% to a record HK$42.2 trillion ($5.4 trillion) last year, a sign that the city’s prolonged attempt to become a wealth management hub is bearing fruit. The increase was fueled by a 193% jump in net fund inflows to HK$2.1...

Michael Burry’s Short Call Dents Caterpillar’s AI-Fueled Rally

Jul 1, 2026 | Markets

Caterpillar Inc. stock slid from a record high Wednesday after Michael Burry, made famous in The Big Short for his bets against the US housing market ahead of the 2008 crisis, said he shorted the industrial heavyweight for the first time. The call comes as the...

BlackRock’s Tseng to Exit as CEO of Troubled Private Credit Fund

Jul 1, 2026 | Markets, Private Credit

The head of BlackRock Inc.’s beleaguered private credit fund is in the process of leaving the firm, a move that follows months of losses on soured loans and revelations of a US regulatory probe into the unit’s valuation practices. Phil Tseng, chief executive officer...

US Car Payments Hit a Record $777 a Month as Down Payments Drop

Jul 1, 2026 | Markets

The automotive affordability crisis is deepening as average monthly car payments reached a record $777 in the second quarter, with nearly a quarter of US car buyers taking out loans of seven years or more. The average amount financed on a new car also reached an...