The Week by the Numbers — Mar 27, 2026
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The week the world discovered the price of 21 miles of water — and patience turned out to be worth $373 billion.
Mar 27, 2026
The OECD Now Projects G20 Advanced Economy Inflation at 4.0% in 2026 — 1.2 Percentage Points Above Its Prior Forecast, Almost Entirely Because of One Strait
The OECD's March Interim Report, published this week, pins nearly all of its upward revision on the Middle East conflict — higher energy prices feeding into everything from food to freight — and warns that a prolonged Strait of Hormuz disruption could push outcomes "significantly worse." Advanced G20 economies last averaged 4% inflation in 2022, and markets spent the next three years celebrating their escape from it.
Source: OECD Economic Outlook, Interim Report March 2026
Iran Rejected the U.S. Ceasefire Proposal — and Brent Crude Surged Back to $108, Reversing a Brief Peace-Trade That Lasted Less Than 24 Hours
Iran's Foreign Minister told state media his government "has not engaged in talks and does not plan on any negotiations," erasing Wednesday's optimism that briefly sent Brent toward $95. Oil has settled into a reliable rhythm at this point: every ceasefire rumor sheds $5–10 per barrel, and every reality adds it back.
Source: CNBC / Associated Press
Berkshire Hathaway's Cash Pile Now Exceeds the Market Cap of 477 of the 500 Largest U.S. Companies
Buffett retired as CEO at year-end 2025, leaving successor Greg Abel $373.3 billion in cash and short-term Treasuries — up from $129 billion just three years ago, built by selling Apple and Bank of America while everyone else was buying them. He's not around to say he told us so. But the pile is.
Source: Berkshire Hathaway Q4 2025 10-K / The Motley Fool
U.S. Defense Spending Has Crossed $1 Trillion for the First Time in History — at 3.3% of GDP, the Highest Share Since the Reagan Buildup
Front-loaded appropriations in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are pushing total national defense spending past $1 trillion in fiscal 2026, a 15% jump year-over-year. The last time defense consumed this share of GDP was the Reagan buildup — when the U.S. was planning for one Cold War adversary; today's Pentagon is budgeting for two.
Source: TD Economics / U.S. Department of Defense
The UK Just Paid 5.52% to Borrow for 30 Years — Up Sharply From 5.29% — as Governments Worldwide Discover Long-Term Money Has a New Price
Today's UK 30-year gilt auction cleared at 5.52%, a level not seen in decades, as war-driven inflation expectations force governments to offer investors more to lock up their money for the long run. The U.S. 10-year Treasury now yields 4.33%; the UK 30-year yields 5.52% — and the direction of travel in both markets tells the same story.
Source: UK Debt Management Office / Bloomberg