The essentials. Dated, contextualised and sourced.

The third GDP estimate puts second-quarter growth at an annualised 2.2%, versus 1.5% previously. The BEA revised investment, consumer spending and government spending upwards. That improves the starting point, but these figures cover April–June: they do not yet describe the economy’s momentum in the third quarter.

The ONS raised quarterly growth by 0.1 percentage point, from 0.4% to 0.5%. Real household disposable income per head rose 1.0%, after falling in the previous quarter. That recovery matters for spending power; the next question is how much households spend and how much they continue to save.

Annual CPI inflation rose to 4.0% in August from 3.5% in July. Trimmed mean inflation remained at 3.6%, according to the ABS. The distinction matters: the headline measure accelerated while this underlying measure held steady. The next release will help establish whether price pressure is broadening.

France’s public debt reached 119.0% of GDP at the end of June, up from 117.5% in March. Debt increased by €59.6 billion over the quarter. The figures sharpen the focus on financing needs; the change in debt alone, however, cannot be used to calculate the government deficit.

September’s estimated annual inflation rate increases by 0.6 percentage point to 4.9%, while core inflation reaches 3.1%. The INE highlights fuel and package holidays in the increase. This is a flash estimate: the detailed release is still needed before treating the rise as uniform pressure across all prices.

Eurostat schedules September’s flash estimate for 2 October. August’s final reading put euro-area inflation at 3.2%, versus an initial estimate of 3.3%. That revision illustrates why preliminary and final data need to remain distinct when assessing energy, services and the outlook for interest rates.

Apple announced new selection tools in Pixelmator Pro for iPad, Cinematic effects editing and productivity templates. Our reading: greater usefulness may help retain users within its ecosystem. Testing that view requires adoption and monetisation evidence; the announcement alone does not establish an increase in profits.

On 28 September, SEC staff updated an answer on crypto-asset buybacks to specify that the system must have no central party in the circumstances described. These are staff views, not binding rules. For readers assessing a token, that qualification matters as much as the headline claim.