Meanwhile, US semiconductor stocks moved higher in premarket trading, boosted by record quarterly profits from South Korea’s SK Hynix. Micron Technology climbed 3.7%, while Arm Holdings gained 2.3%, Intel 1.8%, AMD 1.6%, and Nvidia 0.8%. Alphabet also advanced 1.3% amid reports that OpenAI plans to purchase Google’s AI chips.

Political uncertainty in Israel further heightened regional risk sentiment, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot locked in a tight race that could leave the country without a clear governing majority. At the same time, ongoing Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure underscored the persistent threat to regional oil supplies. Still, gains were capped by reports that Qatari mediators had presented Iran with a new draft agreement, raising hopes of a possible diplomatic breakthrough and tempering fears of a deeper conflict.

In contrast, inflation for capital goods accelerated to 12.9%, up from 11.9%. By sector, price growth in manufacturing moderated to 6.1% from 6.3%, with slower increases recorded in food, tobacco products, paper and paper products, and electrical equipment. Costs also eased in water supply and waste management (2.4% vs. 7.4%) and in electricity and gas supply (10.4% vs. 10.5%).

Conversely, inflation in mining and quarrying picked up, rising to 24.3% from 21.7%. On a monthly basis, producer prices increased by 0.3% in September, slightly below the 0.4% rise recorded in August.

Despite the recent pullback, mortgage rates remain elevated by historical standards and are still more than one percentage point higher than during the same period a year ago. Many current homeowners continue to benefit from substantially lower rates locked in before borrowing costs surged, reducing the incentive to refinance. At the same time, rising home prices are keeping affordability under pressure, so the latest decline in mortgage rates is likely to provide only limited relief for would-be buyers.

Technology stocks dragged on the index amid uncertainty over the Fed’s policy outlook and its potential impact on US demand for Indian IT services. Infosys slipped 3.3%, Tech Mahindra declined 1.8%, TCS dropped 1.7%, and HCLTech fell 1.1%.

Selling pressure also spread to FMCG, oil & gas, private banks, financials, and metal stocks. Reliance Industries retreated 3.5%, even as its digital arm, Jio Platforms, soared 21.4% in its market debut following a record-breaking $3.2 billion IPO.

Manufacturing output growth slowed to 7.6% from 8.6% in the previous month, reflecting weaker activity in several segments: leather and related products (4.5% vs 8.1%), wood and related products (-10.5% vs 8.6%), printing and reproduction of recorded media (-5.1% vs 4.8%), pharmaceutical products (-8.9% vs 1.6%), rubber and plastics products (19.9% vs 21.4%), computer, electronic and optical products (7.3% vs 19.3%), and motor vehicles (19% vs 25.2%).

Output in mining and quarrying continued to contract, with the pace of decline accelerating to 6.2% after a 4.6% drop in August. At the same time, growth also moderated in electricity and gas supply (11.2% vs 12.3%), as well as in water supply, sewerage and waste management (6.2% vs 6.9%).

The latest reading indicates that while the sector continues to expand at a solid pace, the momentum has eased compared with the previous month. On a month-over-month basis, the September figure reflects a slower rate of increase in manufacturing activity than in August, when output growth had been stronger relative to July.

The comparison underscores a shift from very rapid expansion to more measured, though still elevated, growth in manufacturing. The “actual” September data measure the change versus August, while the “previous” August figure captured the change against July, highlighting the cooling, but ongoing, positive trend in India’s industrial performance.

Both the current and previous readings are measured on a year-over-year basis, comparing each month’s industrial output to the same month a year earlier. While the latest data still point to solid growth in India’s industrial sector, the deceleration from August suggests some cooling in momentum as the third quarter drew to a close.

The 0.10 percentage point increase suggests that industrial output has maintained its upward trajectory, reinforcing the broader trend of steady expansion rather than rapid acceleration. While the improvement is modest, the continued rise in cumulative production may be seen as a sign of resilience in India’s industrial sector during this period.

Market observers will likely monitor upcoming releases to assess whether this gradual momentum can be sustained or strengthened in the coming months, as cumulative data increasingly shapes expectations for the country’s medium-term industrial performance.

Domestic producer prices accelerated markedly, with inflation in the home market climbing to 17.4% from 13.5%. Price pressures intensified especially in the electricity and gas supply sector, where prices jumped 35.9%, up from 26.3% in the previous month.

Within manufacturing, notable increases were recorded in coke and refined petroleum products (91.1%), chemicals (11.4%), and in metallurgy and the manufacture of fabricated metal products, excluding machinery and equipment (7.6%).

In foreign markets, producer price inflation edged up to 4.2% from 3.9%, driven by increases both within the eurozone (4.1% vs 4%) and in non-euro area markets (4.5% vs 3.8%).

On a monthly basis, producer prices rose 2.9% in September, the strongest monthly increase since March, following a 2.4% gain in August.

On a year-over-year basis, the “actual” September reading reflects the change in prices received by producers in September 2026 versus September 2025, while the “previous” August figure captures the change from August 2026 against August 2025. The step-up from 10.9% to 13.8% suggests that cost pressures within Italy’s production sector have intensified as the third quarter drew to a close.

The pick-up in PPI is closely watched by markets and policymakers as an early signal of potential future movements in consumer inflation, given that higher producer costs can pass through to end prices over time. Investors and analysts will now be monitoring subsequent releases to assess whether September’s acceleration marks the start of a more persistent trend in Italian producer price inflation.

On a month‑over‑month basis, the September reading is compared directly with August, while the August figure reflected changes versus July. The pickup from 2.4% to 2.9% suggests that the pace of producer price growth has strengthened, a development that markets and policymakers will be watching closely for potential pass‑through effects to consumer inflation and corporate margins.

The firming PPI may influence expectations around costs in key industrial sectors and could factor into pricing strategies for Italian manufacturers as they navigate the final quarter of 2026. Investors and analysts are likely to weigh the data as they assess the inflation outlook and its implications for Italy’s broader economic environment.

By main industrial groupings, turnover fell for consumer goods (-2.5%) and intermediate goods (-3.3%), while energy posted a sharp increase (+12.0%) and capital goods registered a slight gain (+0.1%).

On an annual basis, industrial turnover adjusted for calendar effects grew by 4.2%, slowing from an upwardly revised 4.9% in July. The deceleration reflected more moderate growth in both domestic sales (3.1% vs 4.1%) and foreign sales (6.5% vs 6.6%).

Across industrial groupings, turnover in consumer goods fell 3.5%, whereas energy surged 36.7%. Capital goods and intermediate goods also recorded annual increases, at 5.9% and 1.9%, respectively.

Meanwhile, turnover in the services sector rose by 0.3% month-on-month in August, following a 0.2% increase in July.

Arrivals from European Union member states reached 684.2 thousand, or 54.7% of total visitors. Romania accounted for the largest share of EU tourists (29.4%), followed by Greece (14.8%) and Germany (13.5%). At the opposite end, Malta and Cyprus contributed the smallest shares, at 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively.

Tourists from other European countries totaled 462.7 thousand, or 37% of all arrivals. Within this group, Turkey was the leading source market, accounting for 44.8%, followed by Ukraine (22.5%) and Serbia (14.1%). Norway recorded the smallest share, at 0.9%.

Transit travelers merely passing through Bulgaria numbered 390.3 thousand, representing 31.2% of all visits by foreign nationals to the country.

Production expanded at its quickest pace in more than four and a half years, while growing backlogs of work encouraged manufacturers to add staff for a third consecutive month. Purchasing activity also rose at its strongest rate in over four years.

On the price front, input cost inflation quickened to its highest level since June, and supplier delivery times lengthened further amid ongoing component shortages. In contrast, output price inflation eased to a three-month low, though it remained elevated.

Looking ahead, business confidence strengthened slightly, with manufacturers anticipating fuller order books and a sustained improvement in market conditions.

Exports to Asia rose 67.5%, while shipments to other major markets, notably Mexico (up 148.1%) and the United States (up 133.4%), also recorded strong increases.

Imports grew 57.8% year-on-year to an all-time high of HK$808.9 billion, largely reflecting greater purchases of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (up 64.5%), together with office machines and automatic data processing machines (up 142%). Imports from Mainland China (up 55.6%) and South Korea (up 231.1%) were particularly buoyant.

Over the first nine months of 2026, Hong Kong’s cumulative trade deficit reached HK$417.7 billion.

The 0.25 percentage point increase suggests policymakers see a need to further rein in economic or financial pressures, shifting away from the earlier stance of stability. The new rate level of 7.00% will influence borrowing costs across the Namibian economy, affecting households, businesses, and financial markets.

The latest data on the October interest rate decision were updated on 28 October 2026, confirming the central bank’s move to a higher policy rate for the period.