Putin said currently the ruble accounts for about 65% of Russia's export settlement transactions.

UBS says global active managers’ China equity allocations have recovered from a Q4 2024 trough of about 5% to roughly 7%, well below a c.15% peak in 2021 and implying sizable scope for further allocation increases. UBS points to improving earnings as the chief support: A-share aggregate profit growth in Q1 rose by more than 7 percentage points, and UBS has lifted its full‑year A‑share earnings growth forecast to 11%. UBS research also flags the renminbi as this year’s most fundamentally supported core currency, forecasting c.3–4% appreciation versus major currencies, which should provide an additional incentive for offshore investors to buy A‑shares.

Bank of England survey: 57% of surveyed firms expect to raise prices because of the Middle East conflict.