Elevated global bond yields continue to cause concern in the market. Analysts say the US Treasury’s recent move to ease bond yields failed to provide lasting comfort, given surging crude prices and persistent inflation fears. Domestically, the RBI’s hawkish meeting minutes have pushed India’s 10-year yield to a two-month high, driven by local inflation risks and tighter liquidity. Meanwhile, recent services PMI data shows domestic resilience amid an uncertain global environment.

Here are two stock recommendations for Friday:

Jayaswal Neco Industries – Buy | Buying Zone: Rs 100-101 | Stop-loss: Rs 95 | Target: Rs 110

Strong decisive breakout above horizontal resistance at Rs 96 with surging volume. The price has reclaimed all short-term EMAs (20, 50 and 100), and RSI is expanding towards 68, confirming fresh bullish momentum for a continuation towards Rs 110.

(Virat Jagad, Senior Technical Research Analyst, Bonanza Portfolio)

Alkyl Amines – Buy | Buying Zone: Rs 2,050-2,060 | Stop-loss: Rs 1,975 | Target: Rs 2,250
Clean breakout from consolidation above the Rs 2,000 resistance level on strong volume. Trading safely above all key moving averages (20, 50, 100 and 200 EMA), with RSI strengthening near 66, signalling uptrend momentum towards Rs 2,250.(Virat Jagad, Senior Technical Research Analyst, Bonanza Portfolio)

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times.)

After having been in the investing world for more than 25 years from private banking and investment management to private and venture capital; I have pretty much “been there and done that” at one point or another. I am currently a partner at RIA Advisors in Houston, Texas. The majority of my time is spent analyzing, researching and writing commentary about investing, investor psychology and macro-views of the markets and the economy. My thoughts are not generally mainstream and are often contrarian in nature but I try an use a common sense approach, clear explanations and my “real world” experience in the process. I am a managing partner of RIA Pro, a weekly subscriber based-newsletter that is distributed to individual and professional investors nationwide. The newsletter covers economic, political and market topics as they relate to your money and life. I also write a daily blog which is read by thousands nationwide from individuals to professionals at www.realinvestmentadvice.com.

Homebuyers across the United States now face a significantly longer financial timeline before purchasing a home makes more sense than renting, according to a new analysis from real estate technology company Zillow, which found that a median-income household needs nearly 15 years to both save for a down payment and financially break even on homeownership.

According to Zillow, a household setting aside 10% of the median income needs 8.5 years to reach a 20% down payment on a typical single-family home nationally, followed by another 6.2 years before buying becomes more cost-effective than continuing to rent. Combined, that puts the total national breakeven timeline at just under 15 years, a figure Zillow arrived at by measuring two distinct phases: the time required to save for a down payment, and the additional time needed to recover the upfront costs of homeownership relative to renting.

“Buying a home is a financial commitment measured not just in dollars, but in years,” Zillow wrote in its analysis. “Whether to buy or rent is a complex question that depends on where you want to live and your lifestyle preferences, in addition to your financial situation.”

Kara Ng, senior economist at Zillow, said the breakeven timeline offers homebuyers a more complete picture of a housing market than list prices alone can provide. “The common wisdom is that saving early to buy a home is the smart financial move, but the reality is more nuanced,” Ng said. “The breakeven number tells you something about a market that a price tag alone doesn’t.” Ng encouraged prospective buyers to factor that longer horizon directly into their decision-making process. “Buyers should think about not just when they can afford to buy, but how long they’d need to stay before owning makes more financial sense than renting,” she said. “Homeownership comes with equity and stability, while renting offers flexibility and freedom from maintenance bills and emergencies.”

Zillow’s analysis found dramatic variation in breakeven timelines depending on location, driven largely by differences in local rent trends and home price appreciation. In Austin, Texas, a household saving for a down payment reaches the 20% threshold in roughly eight years, faster than the national pace, but then faces an 18-year wait before homeownership becomes financially advantageous compared with renting, a delay Zillow attributed in part to recently declining local rental costs. Miami tells a different story: buyers there spend roughly five additional years saving for a down payment compared with Austin, but reach the breakeven point in about half the time once they do purchase, meaning Miami homebuyers ultimately come out ahead financially roughly three years sooner than their counterparts in Austin.

The report identified purchasing a starter home, defined by Zillow as a property in the bottom third of regional home values, as one of the clearest ways buyers can shorten their overall timeline. On a national level, Zillow found that buying an entry-level home rather than renting a typical apartment cuts the total combined savings-and-breakeven timeline roughly in half, to just 7.2 years.

However, Zillow’s data suggests many buyers remain reluctant to take on properties requiring significant renovation work despite the potential savings such properties often offer. “However, with the cost of homeownership this high, buyers have signaled they do not want an expensive project,” Zillow wrote. According to the company’s research, turnkey homes, those ready for immediate move-in without renovation, sell for 2.9% more than expected, while homes noted as recently remodeled in their listing descriptions sell for 2.2% more than comparable homes without such renovations mentioned. By contrast, fixer-upper homes sell for 14% less than comparable move-in-ready properties. Zillow cautioned that while not every starter home requires renovation, buyers considering a fixer-upper should carefully account for the full cost of ownership, including the likelihood of future repairs.

The current, extended homebuying timeline represents a substantial deterioration compared with conditions before the pandemic. Zillow found that today’s national breakeven timeline runs nearly four years longer than the 11-year wait homebuyers faced back in July 2019, underscoring how significantly affordability has eroded over the intervening years.

Zillow attributed much of the current affordability crisis to a persistent nationwide housing shortage, which the company estimates stands at 4.7 million homes. According to the analysis, metropolitan areas with the largest housing shortages tend to also carry the longest breakeven timelines for prospective buyers. Los Angeles, for example, has the second-largest housing deficit in the country at nearly 345,000 homes, translating into a breakeven timeline of almost 38 years for buyers in that market.

To address the shortage, Zillow has advocated for a range of policy changes aimed at lowering construction costs and encouraging new housing development, including updating local zoning laws to allow for higher-density housing, simplifying municipal permit approval processes, and expanding access to financing options for manufactured homes.

Zillow’s warning arrives as mortgage rates have shown modest signs of easing in recent weeks. Freddie Mac reported Aug. 20 that the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage stood at 6.65%, down slightly from 6.67% the previous week. “The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage declined this week averaging 6.65%,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, adding that Freddie Mac emphasized borrowers can still save meaningfully by comparison shopping among lenders for the best available rate. Separately, Mortgage News Daily reported a daily 30-year fixed rate of 6.77% as of Aug. 21, with the outlet’s Matthew Graham noting that recent bond market volatility was unrelated to the U.S. Treasury Department’s mid-week announcement regarding its expanded bond buyback program, characterizing the earlier market reaction to that news as having been “overdone.”

With economic data expected to pick up significantly in the coming week, including anticipated remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh at the central bank’s annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, mortgage rates and broader housing affordability trends are likely to remain closely watched by prospective buyers weighing whether current market conditions justify committing to the increasingly lengthy financial timeline Zillow’s analysis has identified as the new reality facing most Americans looking to transition from renting to homeownership.

The Bank of Thailand is ready to host the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, expecting 15,000-20,000 participants and showcasing Thai culture, benefiting tourism and economic cooperation.

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Key Points

• The Bank of Thailand (BOT) is prepared to host the 2026 Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank, expecting 15,000 to 20,000 global participants, including finance ministers and economic experts.
• The event will highlight Thai culture with local cuisine and traditional textiles, and the BOT encourages public engagement to welcome visitors.
• Hosting the meetings is anticipated to provide significant economic opportunities for Thailand, particularly benefiting the tourism sector and showcasing the country’s role in international economic cooperation.

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has affirmed that the country is fully prepared to host the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group, with between 15,000 and 20,000 participants and accompanying delegates expected from around the world.

BOT Assistant Governor Chayawadee Chai-anant said the meetings will welcome finance ministers, central bank governors, and leading economic and financial experts. The expected turnout would make the gathering one of the largest IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings held outside Washington, D.C.

Thai culture will feature throughout the event, including local cuisine for delegates and traditional textiles from different regions used at the venues. Chayawadee also encouraged the public to welcome international visitors and take pride in Thailand’s role as host.

The BOT expects the meetings to provide economic opportunities for Thailand, including benefits for the tourism sector, allowing the country to demonstrate its role in international economic cooperation. 

Source : Thailand Ready to Host 2026 IMF World Bank Meetings

It has commissioned the Wales Centre for Public Policy to undertake the review

The formula used to distribute Welsh Government funding to local authorities is being reviewed.

The Plaid Cymru administration has commissioned the Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP) with work already underway to update the evidence base underpinning the formula, with initial focus on education and personal social services, which together account for nearly three-quarters of the funding distribution.

Assessment will be made of additional costs arising from sparsity, rurality, deprivation and demographic change. WCPP will also review funding distribution methods used across the UK and internationally.

The Welsh Government said that given the scale and complexity of the review, the earliest point at which any changes could be implemented would be for the 2028-29 local government settlement.

The review was discussed with local government in the finance sub-group, which includes leaders from local authorities and the Welsh Local Government Association, last month The group was provided with an update on progress to date, the proposed scope of the review, and proposals for future work. The group supported the direction of travel.

Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Siân Gwenllian, said: “Local authorities across Wales are on the front line of delivering the services people rely on every day, and it’s right that the way we fund them is based on evidence and keeps pace with how our communities are changing.

“That’s why I’ve been clear that this review must be done in partnership with local government, and I’m pleased colleagues on the Finance Sub-Group have supported the work so far.

“This is about making sure that funding reflects the real pressures faced by different parts of Wales, whether that’s a sparsely populated rural authority or an area with a growing and ageing population.”

Dr Helen Tilley, director of policy and practice (Welsh Government) at the Wales Centre for Public Policy said:“We are delighted to have been invited to provide evidence for this critically important review, particularly by considering how the experiences of other countries may be relevant to Wales.

“The thorough nature of the review is commensurate with the significant impact that the revised formula will have on the day-to-day lives of people across Wales, both directly through the provision of public services and more broadly through its influence on labour market participation and, in turn, the Welsh economy.”

A range of analytical improvements are being considered as part of the review, including:

Development of new sparsity and dispersion measures, including those derived from travel-time data, to better capture the costs of delivering services in rural and remote areas;development of school-level and pupil-based indicators to better reflect need within the education system;

Engagement with counterparts in Scotland on approaches to updating needs-based distributions; and

Consideration of the implications of an ageing population for patterns of need and service demand, particularly within personal social services.