The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group will hold their 2026 Annual Meetings, the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand, from October 12 to 18. More than 15,000 participants from 191 countries are expected, including central bank governors, finance ministers, development ministers, academics, private sector executives, and civil society representatives. The meetings will discuss the global economy, inflation, energy prices, public debt, financial stability, war and geopolitics, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the world economy. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva is scheduled to deliver a speech on Wednesday, October 14, from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. on the state of the global economy and the direction of the IMF's work. Earlier, at the Singapore meetings on October 7, she warned that "winter is coming" for the global economy, pointing to risks from higher energy prices, surging government debt, and the rapid development of artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, the yield on 30-year UK government bonds surged past 6.03%, the highest level since 1998, and oil prices jumped above 102 dollars a barrel. The IMF will use Thailand as the stage to release its October World Economic Outlook on Tuesday, October 13, at 9:00 a.m. under the theme "Resilience under Strain, Urgent Choices." In its July edition, the IMF projected the global economy would grow 3.0% in 2026 and 3.4% in 2027. The US economy was seen growing 2.3% in 2026 and 2.2% in 2027, China's economy 4.6% in 2026 and 4.1% in 2027, and Thailand's economy 1.9% in 2026 and 2.2% in 2027. Another highlight is the appearance of Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, who is scheduled to take the stage with Georgieva on Friday, October 16, from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. in a session titled "Managing Director's Fireside Chat with Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh" to discuss the US economy, inflation, interest rates, and the Fed's policy direction. The remarks are significant because October 17 marks the day the Fed enters its blackout period ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on October 27-28.
Article reports the 30-year UK gilt yield surged past 6.03%, the highest since 1998, a bond-market/rate move driven by inflation and debt concerns.
