S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico Market
UK public sector net borrowing (excluding public sector banks) rose to £23.3 billion in May 2026 from £17.9 billion in the same month last year, above market expectations of £18.5 billion. This was the second-highest borrowing for any May on record, behind that of 2020, indicating a tight fiscal situation. Public sector spending increased by £9.1 billion year-on-year to £118.0 billion, driven by rising costs of debt interest payments, public service delivery, investment, and benefits. Central government debt interest costs were the highest ever recorded for the month of May. Meanwhile, public sector receipts rose by £3.7 billion to £94.8 billion, supported by higher tax receipts. However, growth in National Insurance contributions slowed compared with recent trends, as the annual boost from the April 2025 policy changes no longer contributed. Public sector net debt excluding public sector banks was equivalent to 95.1% of GDP at the end of May, up 0.4 percentage points from a year ago.
