France's private sector business activity dropped in May 2026 at the fastest pace since January 2024, as total new business intakes declined sharply amid growing price pressures due to the war in the Middle East, final data from S&P Global confirmed Wednesday.
The S&P Global France Composite PMI Output Index dropped to a 28-month low of 44.9 in May from 47.6 in April, against the flash figure of 43.5.
The services PMI decreased to 44.3 from 46.5 earlier. The preliminary estimate was 42.9.
ANZ lifted its New Zealand farmgate milk price forecast for the 2026-2027 season to NZ$9.20 per kilogram of milk solids from NZ$8.70, with good dairy commodity prices and a favorable exchange rate, according to a report released Wednesday.Dairy markets are in a relatively good place at the onset of the new season following recent volatility, with product prices starting to stabilize near current levels, the report said.However, dairy prices are anticipated to weaken over the next few months due to strong milk production in all major exporters.Input costs are expected to be higher in the next season following two years of stable costs of production as a result of the conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, per the report.
Vietnam's annual inflation rate rose to 5.60% in May from 5.46% in the prior month, according to data from the General Statistics Office published on Wednesday.Monthly, the CPI edged up 0.29%, the data showed.The core inflation rate rose to 4.67% in May from a year earlier and increased 0.34% from the previous month.
Vietnam's retail sales jumped 11.8% annually to 647.1 trillion Vietnamese dong in May, the National Statistics Office of Vietnam said Wednesday.The pace of growth eased from 12.1% in April and missed analysts' forecast of 13%, according to Trading Economics data.For the first five months of the year, the country's retail sales and consumer service revenue increased 11.2% year over year to about 3,185 trillion dong, with real growth of 6.1% after inflation adjustment.