Wednesday 15 April 2026
The Mighty Headlines
Economics: China’s export growth shrinks to 2.5 per cent in March
Business and markets: Intel shares gain $100 billion in value in 10 days
Foreign Affairs: Canada’s Carney now leads a majority Government
Security and intelligence: Israel and Lebanon hold first talks since 1993
Domestic politics: Labour adviser criticises UK defence spending
The Mighty Stats
FTSE = 10,609.06 (up 0.25%)
S&P 500 = 6,967.38 (up 1.18%)
Nasdaq = 23,639.08 (up 1.96%)
Stoxx 600 = 619.95 (up 0.99%)
£1 = $1.36 / €1.15
Lab / Con / Reform / Green = 17 / 19 / 24 / 18 per cent (YouGov, 12-13 April)
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The Mighty Detail
Economics: New data shows that China’s export growth shrunk sharply to 2.5 per cent in March. Exports had risen by 40 per cent in February. The weak growth may be down to weaker global demand, caused by recent energy price hikes, and a slowdown in economic activity linked to the Chinese New Year holiday in March.
Business and markets: Shares in Intel have risen by around 50 per cent in the last 10 days, adding around $100 billion in market value. It follows news that Intel will help to develop chips for Tesla, SpaceX and xAI, and news of a data centre agreement with Google.
Intel stock has increased by 72 per cent this year and is close to its trading high of $69 a share, which was set in 2020.
The US Government, which bought a stake in Intel last year, has seen its shares soar in value. They are now worth around $27 billion.
Foreign Affairs: Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada now enjoys a majority government following three byelection victories and five defections to his centre-left Liberal Party. Carney’s party now holds 174 out of 343 seats in the House of Commons, making it easier for him to pass key policies. He has previously relied on ad hoc support from other parties to pass economic and trade bills.
Security and intelligence: Israel and Lebanon have opened their first direct diplomatic talks since 1993 as fighting continues between the Israeli military and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
Hezbollah opposes the talks, which are taking place in Washington DC, and said it won’t abide by any of the agreements which may be reached.
Domestic politics: In a speech yesterday evening, the former NATO Secretary General and former Labour Defence Secretary, George Roberston, criticised the Government’s approach to defence spending. He suggested that underinvestment was putting the UK “in peril”. He indicated that an “ever-expanding welfare budget” was to blame.
The UK spent 2.3% of GDP on defence in 2025 (£66 billion).
The UK will spend 10.6% of GDP on welfare in 2025/26 (£322.6 billion).
The Mighty Calendar
What’s happening today?
Anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster
G7 Finance Ministers meet in Washington DC
Prime Minister’s Questions in UK Parliament
Arsenal vs Sporting CP in Champions League quarter final
Company results from: ASML, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley
Lookahead to tomorrow
G20 Finance Ministers meet in Washington DC
China GDP data (Q1 2026) – set to rise from 4.5% to 4.6%
Culture Questions in UK Parliament
Company results from: Netflix, Tesco, TSMC, Hays, Pepsi, BNY Mellon
The Mighty Finale
🌤️Weather today
Thundery showers in the north of England. Light rain in the south. High of 17C and low of 9C in London. Thundery showers in Belfast. Light rain in Edinburgh.
✏️Life coaching quote of the day
“The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.” – Confucius, Ancient Chinese philosopher
Mighty takeaway: Keep a positive attitude! Positive thoughts lead to a positive view of your life.
That’s it for this Wednesday morning. We’ll see you again on Friday.
Bye!
The Mighty Memo team
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