G20 finance ministers’ disagreement in Shanghai over the best way to stem the economic slowdown had a cascading effect across the universe as hopes pinned on the summit dashed, sending a negative message to the equity markets. Despite being aware about the potential risks, the group’s communiqué did not include the call for coordinated action for which many had hoped. …

A jump in the core U.S. inflation rate has persuaded many people that deflation is no longer a threat. But even those who never subscribed to the idea that consumer prices might decline for a sustained period should be wary of misreading the data and dismissing the risk of deflation. Core U.S. consumer prices, excluding food and energy, rose 0.3 …

There is uncertainty over whether Singapore’s economy is headed for a recession, and the online debate certainly reflects that. Overall, there seems to be a general consensus that growth prospects in 2016 will be challenging. As the island-state’s largest export destination, China’s slowing economy is set to be a drag on Singapore’s growth prospects. According to several observers, including Swiss …