April 21, 2026
United States:
US Pending Home Sales Climbed in March on Improving Supply
Pending sales of previously owned US homes climbed for a second month in March as a pickup in inventory helped mitigate higher borrowing costs.
An index of contract signings increased by 1.5% to a four-month high of 73.7, according to National Association of Realtors data released Tuesday. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for a 0.5% advance.
US Pending Home Sales Rise for Second Month as Inventory Improves – Bloomberg
Europe:
German Investor Outlook Drops to Worst Since 2022 on Iran War
German investor morale slid to its lowest level in more than three years in April as the Middle East war threatens to snuff out a tentative recovery in Europe’s largest economy.
The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment dropped 16.7 points to -17.2 this month — the lowest reading since December 2022, in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and well below the -5.0 consensus forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists. The Current Situation Index also worsened, falling 10.8 points to -73.7. ZEW President Achim Wambach said the fallout from the Iran war extends well beyond rising prices, with businesses increasingly worried about long-term energy supply shortages that are holding back investment and undermining the impact of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s public spending push. Expectations plunged sharply for the energy-intensive chemicals and steel/metals sectors.
Germany Investor Outlook Drops to Worst Since 2022 on Iran War – Bloomberg
Asia:
Taiwan’s Export Orders Surge the Most in 16 Years on AI Demand
Taiwan’s export orders surged at the fastest pace in more than 16 years in March, a sign that demand for AI-related hardware remains robust despite disruptions to global trade from the Middle East war.
Export orders surged 65.9% in March compared with the same period last year, according to a statement from the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Taipei on Tuesday. That figure marks the fastest growth since January 2010 and blew away the 44.1% forecast by economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Strength was broad-based — orders from the US rose 76.4% and ASEAN markets climbed 94.4%, with telecoms orders jumping 120.9% and electronics up 73.7% year-on-year. The data follows a record $80.18 billion in actual March exports reported earlier this month and reinforces Taiwan’s position as a central beneficiary of the AI capex cycle even as energy-supply concerns begin to emerge.
Taiwan’s Export Orders Surge the Most in 16 Years on AI Demand – Bloomberg
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