The Central Bank of Oman launched an annual research symposium to strengthen the use of economic analysis in monetary and financial policy. Initial research focused on U.S. interest rate transmission under the rial’s dollar peg, domestic shock propagation and the impact of oil price volatility on foreign reserves.

The UK Financial Conduct Authority found that most of 81 surveyed CFD firms had responded to its earlier review, but many changes were minor and only 12% had changed or planned to change charges. Concerns remain over high or opaque overnight funding fees, including full charges on matched or hedged positions, and inadequate client disclosures. Firms should review their pricing and communications and be prepared to demonstrate compliance with the Consumer Duty.

The South Korea Financial Services Commission announced approval of rules governing the planned credit union asset manager and full-time auditor appointments. The framework sets eligible assets and objective pricing requirements, while requiring full-time auditors at most credit unions with at least KRW 300 billion in assets. The rules take effect on Oct. 22, 2026, with nonperforming loan purchases expected from November 2026 or later.

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority has set supervisory expectations for the authorization and ongoing oversight of private equity-backed insurers and reinsurers. National supervisors should scrutinize capital extraction, complex and debt-funded ownership structures, alternative asset exposure, reinsurance risk and governance conflicts. The statement follows EIOPA’s earlier consultation and seeks consistent risk-based supervision across the European Union.

The European Central Bank finds that firms in AI intensive sectors increasingly use market based debt financing and carry less leverage than other firms. Their investment may therefore be less sensitive to bank lending and cash flow channels, but more exposed to longer term market rates. Deeper European capital markets could improve access to funding and channel more savings into European AI investment.

A European Central Bank Occasional Paper finds that no single institutional model ensures effective macroprudential policy across the EU. Clear decision making powers, operational independence and strong coordination matter more than organizational form. Borrower-based measures face greater political, legal and data constraints than capital measures.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Bank Negara Malaysia agreed to expand cooperation on compliant cross-border stablecoin use cases, digital money and cross-border cyber resilience. They will also pursue stronger payment and securities infrastructure links, greater local currency use and closer collaboration on Islamic finance and trade finance access.

Kazakhstan’s banking sector recorded a 1.7% rise in loans to the economy to KZT 42.8 trillion in August, led by business credit growth. The NPL90+ ratio declined to 4.0%, while capital ratios remained above regulatory requirements. Resident deposits fell 1.5% and year-to-date net profit declined 13.6% to KZT 1.61 trillion.

The South Korea Financial Services Commission issued a caution-level phishing alert and began a monthlong response period after financial sector data leaks. Financial companies must strengthen fraud monitoring, identity checks, customer support and suspicious activity sharing. No related customer fund losses have been confirmed, but consumers were warned about tailored loan and compensation scams using leaked information.

The National Securities and Stock Market Commission of Ukraine has presented the first draft of a broader Corporate Governance Code aligned with updated OECD principles. It would apply comply or explain recommendations to listed companies and other public interest entities, while adding sustainability and long-term value as a new section. The Commission plans to strengthen the draft’s board independence provision before public discussion in November and approval before Christmas.

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission reported that securities industry pretax net profit rose 21% to HKD 51.7 billion in the first half of 2026, supported by record transaction value and lower costs. Active clients increased 10% to 5.7 million, while outstanding margin loans climbed 28% to HKD 276.3 billion.

The Austrian Financial Market Authority called for completion of the banking union, deeper capital markets integration and the removal of national barriers to strengthen Europe’s resilience and competitiveness. It also urged a broader approach to resilience covering cyber, technology and geopolitical risks. Oliver Schütz will succeed Helmut Ettl when Ettl moves to the International Monetary Fund on Nov. 1, 2026.