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FLASH

Central banks' super week: Fed, ECB, BoJ seen holding; Canada may hike Moody’s spares France a downgrade as 10-year yield tops 5% Oil slips from six-month highs as Qatar mediates in Tehran China’s Fifth Plenum opens as AI exports mask weak home demand Lula wins, Brazil markets brace for shock sell-off; Tokyo Brazil ETF plunges ~15% Brazil votes today: Lula faces Flávio Bolsonaro in runoff Fed, ECB, BoJ Rate Decisions This Week: Holds Expected, December in Focus Oil is pricing in the next round of war. Brent tops $116 as Iran tensions drag Wall Street lower Global money is bidding for India's biggest growth stories while leaving India’s index

Central banks' super week: Fed, ECB, BoJ seen holding; Canada may hike Moody’s spares France a downgrade as 10-year yield tops 5% Oil slips from six-month highs as Qatar mediates in Tehran China’s Fifth Plenum opens as AI exports mask weak home demand Lula wins, Brazil markets brace for shock sell-off; Tokyo Brazil ETF plunges ~15% Brazil votes today: Lula faces Flávio Bolsonaro in runoff Fed, ECB, BoJ Rate Decisions This Week: Holds Expected, December in Focus Oil is pricing in the next round of war. Brent tops $116 as Iran tensions drag Wall Street lower Global money is bidding for India's biggest growth stories while leaving India’s index

Regions

China’s Fifth Plenum opens as AI exports mask weak home demand

Beijing’s top leaders meet from today, with markets watching for growth support. Q3 growth relied on exports while domestic demand stayed weak.

News | 26 October 2026

China’s Fifth Plenum opens as AI exports mask weak home demand

China’s leadership meets behind closed doors for the 5th plenum.

The Fifth Plenum runs 26–29 October, focused largely on Party governance and discipline ahead of the 21st Party Congress in 2027. No major stimulus is expected, but the closing communiqué will be watched for stronger language on growth and consumption. The economy they’re steering runs on exports while domestic demand stays weak.

Q3 GDP grew 4.5%, the very bottom of Beijing’s 4.5–5% target. AI-driven demand for chips and electronics pushed September exports up 36.3%, the biggest jump since early 2021. Spending at home is still weak, and the CSI 300 has slid into bear territory after a 10-week rout.

The plenum is mainly about Party discipline ahead of the 2027 Congress. Markets will still read the closing communiqué for any stronger language on boosting consumption.