Of taxes and household buys – Sound Economies with Mel & Peter, 30 April 2026

The income gap between mature and emerging markets is narrowing – apart from GDP growth, income tax rates are squeezing people’s purchasing power. This episode also looks at some wins and losses for China’s economy, and the UAE’s departure from the global oil cartel.

Join us on Wednesday, 6 May 2026 for “Big Bets on China AI Stocks”, a quarterly webinar hosted by our multi-awarded Lundgreen’s Invest – China Fund. The fund managers will discuss strategies to maximise returns that allow our China Fund to continue to outperform peers. Please register here.

Timestamp:

(00:00) – Episode rundown
(00:12) – Intro
(00:40) – Quick updates
(02:01) – Positive change in China’s credit rating outlook
(08:10) – Moving the bar for the global middle class
(25:24) – UAE leaves OPEC
(28:00) – Our global outlook

“Sound Economies with Mel & Peter” is a weekly podcast where our founding CEO Peter Lundgreen and Manila-based Chief Economist Mel Lopez discuss what’s happening in economies around the world and their views of the global financial markets.

Tune in to this episode on Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts.