April 9, 2026
United States:
US Consumer Spending Barely Rose, Inflation Lingered Pre-War
US consumer spending barely rose in February against a backdrop of persistent inflation that’s set to accelerate due to the Iran war.
Inflation-adjusted consumer spending increased 0.1% after stagnating in January, continuing an extended period of lackluster demand, a report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed Thursday.
Europe:
OECD Urges Reeves to Overhaul UK Tax System to Boost Growth
The OECD urged UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves to overhaul the tax system to make it less complex and help turn around Britain’s tepid growth rates.
The Paris-based organization said on Thursday that the UK government should tackle distortions in income tax that discourage work, “inefficient and regressive” reliefs in its sales tax and outdated valuations used for property tax.
Asia:
Japan’s Consumer Confidence Tumbles by Most Since Covid Pandemic
Sentiment among Japan’s households deteriorated by the most since the early stages of the Covid pandemic following the outbreak of the war in Iran.
Confidence among multi-person households plunged to 33.3 in March from a revised 39.7 in the biggest drop since April 2020, according to a Cabinet Office report Thursday.
Disclaimer:
Analyst Certification – The views expressed in this research report accurately reflect the personal views of Mayberry Investments Limited Research Department about those issuer (s) or securities as at the date of this report. Each research analyst (s) also certify that no part of their compensation was, is, or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendation(s) or view (s) expressed by that research analyst in this research report.
Company Disclosure – The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, however its accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. You are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Mayberry may effect transactions or have positions in securities mentioned herein. In addition, employees of Mayberry may have positions and effect transactions in the securities mentioned herein.