S&P Global

United Nations Industrial Development Organization has partnered with Vietnam's Ministry of Construction to launch the detailed preparatory phase of a project aimed at mobilizing finance and enabling policies to decarbonize the country's cement industry, UNIDO said in a statement March 16. The preparatory phase was launched through an inception workshop held at the Vietnam Institute for Building Materials, bringing together public- and private-sector stakeholders to start structured discussions on financing, technology and policy measures needed for a low-carbon transition in cement, UNIDO said. Read more with @EnergySPG: okt.to/Flh4fX

Congratulations to Steve Kemps, Chief Legal Officer at S&P Global, on his selection for the Legal 500 GC Powerlist: New York 2026. Steve and his global team’s focus on providing clear, practical advice have enabled confident and informed decision-making through business cycles and complex challenges, resulting in strategic outcomes that support our company’s continued growth and organizational resilience. Congratulations to Steve on this well-deserved honor.  Read more here: okt.to/cNUnWf

From @EnergySPG: India is one of the world's fastest-growing renewable energy markets, driven by policy support, abundant capital availability and rapidly rising electricity demand. Clean energy installed capacity, which achieved record-high additions in the country in 2025, is expected to increase further by 2030, with growth momentum anticipated to continue despite some challenges. Get more insights: okt.to/rePOhn

From @EnergySPG: Asia's energy transition has become an urgent economic and security imperative as the ongoing Middle East conflict exposes the vulnerability of the fossil fuel-dependent nations, energy experts said March 12. Market disruption and price volatility are making the case for a reassessment of energy security and policies, experts said at a press briefing organized by Global Strategic Communications Council. Get more insights: okt.to/PkUirB

In this episode of The Decisive Podcast from @SPGMarketIntel, host Paul Smith, Economics Director, is joined by fellow economists Sian Jones and Andrew Harker to unpack the role of Purchasing Managers’ Indices (PMI) in tracking economic trends across more than 40 countries and multiple sectors. They explore how PMI data offers a timely alternative to official statistics, helping organizations monitor conditions in output, prices, inventories, and supply chains when events are moving quickly. Listen to the latest The Decisive episode: okt.to/SOXFdx

@EnergySPG is expanding its power market intelligence capabilities by bringing Enertel AI into the division, combining its established long‑term benchmarks and strategic forecasts with real‑time, AI‑driven nodal price insights to support faster, more confident decision‑making across an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving grid. Read the full press-release: okt.to/OFT1wv

S&P Dow Jones Indices and trade[XYZ] have joined forces to launch the first official S&P 500 perpetual contract, available exclusively on Hyperliquid. For 69 years, the S&P 500 has been a defining reference point for global finance. Until now, access to that benchmark has been shaped by market hours, intermediaries, and geography. Today, that changes. The S&P 500 perp is now available 24/7/365, anchored by the official index data required for deep liquidity and institutional confidence at scale.  SPDJI helped define modern indexing. They are stewards of an iconic benchmark, the standard against which portfolios across the globe are measured. We are honored to bring that legacy on-chain. Trade[XYZ] is bringing the world's most iconic assets towards a future of global, continuous markets — a future powered by Hyperliquid.

Japan considers Russian crude oil "extremely important" for energy security in Asia's second-largest economy, as supplies from producers in the Middle East face disruptions due to war in the Middle East, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa said March 15. "Securing crude oil from overseas, including Russian crude oil, is extremely important for our country's energy security," Akazawa told reporters when asked about Japan's response to the recent US move authorizing Russian oil sales and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Read more with @EnergySPG: okt.to/wJfxi8

Global private equity and venture capital investment in the semiconductor sector fell 45% year over year to $13.35 billion in 2025, according to @SPGMarketIntel data. Last year's investment value, however, is skewed by an outsize transaction in 2024, when Apollo Global Management Inc. acquired an $11.1 billion stake in Intel Ireland Ltd.'s fabrication facility, one of the largest private equity deals in the sector's history. China accounted for most of the investment value in 2025, though private equity-backed transactions in the sector were down 6% year over year to $7.71 billion. Read more: okt.to/bzut5e

From @EnergySPG: Alasdair Carmichael and Lauren Laibach of the National Association for PET Container Resources (Napcor) join S&P Global research head Olivier Maronneaud and podcast host Vincent Valk for a discussion of the outlook for recycled PET in 2026. Key topics include the findings of Napcor's latest report on the state of the PET recycling sector and global challenges related to regulatory differences, trade tensions and weak supply-demand dynamics. Listen to the latest The Chemical Week Podcast episode: okt.to/H4NhW5

The US launched Section 301 investigations into the manufacturing policies of 16 major trading partners, including the EU, China and India, to address unfair trade practices, the Office of the US Trade Representative said in a statement March 11. The USTR said the probes under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 will examine whether acts, policies and practices related to "structural excess capacity and production" in manufacturing sectors are unreasonable, discriminatory or otherwise burden or restrict US commerce. Read more with @EnergySPG: okt.to/1pI6qw

From @EnergySPG: Rice markets across Asia are facing mounting cost pressures as rising local fuel prices and shortages -- triggered by the ongoing Middle East conflict -- drive up expenses, multiple Asia-based market sources told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, on March 12. While weak international demand continues to weigh on FOB offers, rising local costs across major exporting origins are making it harder for buyers to commit and are adding uncertainty to regional rice trade, the sources said. Read more: okt.to/NmCZIp

#Bitcoin’s volatility is easing but remains high, with deeper integration into traditional #finance introducing new risks. Read our latest research: okt.to/3P29uf

The month of February was characterized by higher volatility in debt trading and widening spreads for highly leveraged software and certain services issuers, reflecting investor concerns over AI-driven disruption and refinancing risk particularly visible in the single 'B' rated universe. Read more with @SPGlobalRatings: okt.to/Fkl17y

In 2025, Greater China recorded 1941 M&A deals with a total value of US$203.5bn. This marked a 21.7% decline in aggregate transaction value compared to the previous year. Notably, outbound transaction value plummeted by 37.4%, while domestic and inbound transaction value decreased by 18.4%. The information technology sector experienced the most significant growth in deal value, soaring by 99% in the domestic and inbound markets. It was followed by consumer staples at 54% and energy at 42%. Conversely, the materials sector faced the steepest decline, dropping by 65%. Read more with @SPGMarketIntel: okt.to/ibUxXI

In this episode of the Look Forward Podcast from S&P Global, host Aries Poon speaks with Natznet Tesfay, Global Head of Analysis at @SPGMarketIntel, about how #technology is becoming the decisive game changer in #geopolitics as we approach 2026.   Listen to the full episode: okt.to/fEHXjb

Two US banks posted double-digit percentage growth in assets on a sequential basis in the fourth quarter of 2025, causing a shake-up in the US banking industry asset rankings. Banco Santander SA on Feb. 3 announced its $12.23 billion agreement to acquire Webster Financial Corp., marking the third-biggest US bank deal since 2010 and Santander's first US retail bank acquisition in roughly 17 years. For the purposes of an @SPGMarketIntel analysis, Santander Holdings USA Inc.'s assets were adjusted upward by $84.07 billion to account for its parent company’s pending acquisition, resulting in a 47.9% increase in assets compared to the third quarter. As a result, Santander Holdings USA rose to the 19th-largest US bank by total assets in the fourth quarter, up from 30th in the prior quarter. Read more: okt.to/9gEqlB

Global nonferrous mineral exploration spending totaled $12.40 billion in 2025, marking a third consecutive year of decline in nominal terms. While higher gold prices supported increased investment in precious metals exploration, reduced spending on battery metals and other commodities offset those gains. At the same time, capital allocation continued to shift toward minesite and near‑mine exploration, while grassroots exploration reached a historic low share of total budgets. The findings, based on @SPGMarketIntel’s exploration budget dataset, highlight how companies are prioritizing near‑term resource security over early‑stage discovery amid persistent financing constraints and market uncertainty. Read more: okt.to/5TFhmC

From @EnergySPG: The ongoing disruption in oil flows due to the US-Israel war with Iran has pushed Asia's benchmark high sulfur fuel oil cash differentials to their highest levels since the International Maritime Organization prohibited ships from using fuels with more than 0.5% sulfur starting January 2020, unless they were equipped with exhaust-cleaning devices known as scrubbers. Read more: okt.to/Nj25CA

Although #bitcoin had a 121% two-year return, it lagged spot gold and the Nasdaq-100 in 2025, highlighting the #cryptocurrency's characterization as a high-risk asset with significant volatility. By contrast, gold rose steadily even when #equities were flat or falling. Read our latest research: okt.to/694bdw