ING THINK aloud

Imagine a world where money moves instantly - across borders, systems and time zones, 24 hours a day. For many, that future rests on stablecoins: digital money, backed by real assets, designed to hold its value and move at the speed of the internet. In this podcast, experts discuss why stablecoins could shape the future of money and what it will take to make them a trusted, everyday reality.

In this podcast, ING’s Jan Frederik Slijkerman discusses the key trends that are set to define the European telecoms sector in 2026

Are Trump’s pharmaceutical policies a seismic revolution, or just hot air? Will he succeed in lowering drug prices in 2026? Will manufacturing shift to the US? And how will all of this impact Europe and China? ING's Diederik Stadig and Stephen Farrelly answer these questions and more in this week's THINK aloud.

In this podcast, ING's Diederik Stadig, Gerben Hieminga and Coco Zhang discuss the role of data centres in driving global economic growth, strategies to tackle the energy challenge, and what Europe must do to raise its game

In this podcast, ING's James Knightley and Padhraic Garvey discuss President Trump's efforts to steer monetary policy - and the economic narrative - through high-profile firings at the Federal Reserve and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Trump administration has imposed a 15% tariff on EU pharmaceuticals and threatened even steeper levies elsewhere. At the same time, however, the government has issued ultimatums to 17 companies to cut drug costs. In this podcast, ING's Diederik Stadig explains why these competing goals cannot be reconciled, and what the strategy means for the industry - and for consumers in the US and Euro...

The US dollar's historic plunge has sent ripples across global currency markets. As its dominance falters, investors everywhere are asking, how far could it fall - and who stands to gain? In this week's THINK aloud, a replay of our live webinar, ING's Chris Turner, Francesco Pesole, Frantisek Taborsky, and Deepali Bhargava share their views.

President Donald Trump this week delayed the planned  9 July tariff hikes on US imports, notifying 22 countries that rates could rise as much as 50% on 1 August. The White House had paused these measures for 90 days to pursue trade deals, but since Trump’s so-called Liberation Day announcement on 2 April, only three agreements have been reached. ING’s Inga Fechner says the new deadline, which Trum...

A US-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel sent oil prices tumbling this week, as traders and investors bet that the bombing campaigns are over and that the crucial Strait of Hormuz - through which 21 million barrels of oil pass each day -will not be disrupted. The drop in oil prices is good news for global growth – and for inflation, potentially giving central banks in Europe and the US some...

President Trump's unpredictable trade policy has undermined confidence and deepened uncertainty across the global economy this year. In this podcast, ING's James Knightley, Carsten Brzeski, and James Smith discuss the outlook for the US, eurozone and UK economies in this new, uncharted territory while Chris Turner looks at the implications for financial markets.

Officials from China and the US will meet in Switzerland this week to de-escalate a trade war that has disrupted global supply chains, deepened economic uncertainty, and triggered significant market volatility. In this podcast, ING’s Chief Economist for Greater China, Lynn Song, discusses how the talks could unfold, and the impact of the tariffs on China’s economy this year and beyond.

President Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement on April 2nd, a 90-day pause for most countries yet with escalating tariffs on China, exemptions on tech products from China, and later, news that these exemptions may only be temporary have left investors deeply unsettled. While much of the focus last week was on soaring Treasury yields and falling stock markets, corporate bonds were hit hard, too. S...

US-EU tariffs are a threat to the export-driven economies of Central and Eastern Europe. But ING economists argue that the region has ways to manage the disruption, and a trade war could serve as a much-needed catalyst for change.   In this podcast, a replay of our live webinar, ING’s Inga Fechner, Peter Virovacz, David Havrlant, Rafal Benecki, Valentin Tataru, and Muhammet Mercan explain why they...

The root cause of America's economic imbalances can be traced to a single factor: the strength of the US dollar. At least, that’s the view of Stephen Miran, President Trump’s newly appointed Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors. In an essay published late last year, Miran argued that the dollar's strength, driven by inelastic demand for Treasuries and the dollar’s status as a globa...

President Trump’s decision to temporarily suspend military support for Ukraine, coupled with his implicit threat to withdraw US forces from Europe unless Nato allies increase their defence spending, has upended the near 80-year transatlantic alliance, and left European countries scrambling to respond. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for a ‘surge’ in defence spending a...

In this podcast, ING commodities analysts Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey share their views on the outlook for energy, metals, and agriculture in the year ahead.

A new US president, trade war threats, political instability in Europe, and mounting fiscal concerns obscure the outlook for the global economy in 2025. In this podcast, ING's James Knightley, Carsten Brzeski, and James Smith discuss the themes that will shape the economy, inflation, and interest rates over the coming year.

Aluminium is an essential metal in our daily lives. It also plays a crucial role in the energy transition, and demand is soaring. But producing aluminium is highly energy-intensive, and urgent action is needed to reduce the industry's carbon footprint. In this podcast, ING's Ewa Manthey, Egor Fedorov, and Coco Zhang discuss the ongoing efforts to make the industry more sustainable.

ING FX strategists Chris Turner, Francesco Pesole, and Frantisek Taborsky discuss how Donald Trump's policies will reshape global currency markets in the year ahead.

Credit markets reacted positively to the outcome of the US election, with spreads - the difference between yields on corporate bonds relative to those on government securities - narrowing across the board. But the longer term implications are more complicated. ING analysts Jeroen van den Broek and Tim Rahill predict a tough year ahead for credit, with a Trump presidency one of 25 reasons to be cau...

The countries of Central and Eastern Europe have successfully avoided the middle-income trap and evolved into high-income economies. The next challenge is to converge with the income levels enjoyed by some of the core EU economies. But this could prove more difficult. The old growth model, based on exports and cheap labour, has reached its limits, and a new strategy is now required. In this week’s...

Inflation is down and unemployment is rising. Have global central banks left it too late to start cutting interest rates? ING's economists and analysts share their views in this week's THINK aloud.

The economies of Central and Eastern Europe are largely in recovery mode. Slowing inflation and rising real wages have boosted consumer spending, which should continue to support GDP growth well into 2025. Meanwhile, on the investment front, the region is drawing substantial interest from large multinational corporations, as its strategic location, low cost base and skilled workforce position it  ...

The European Central Bank is widely expected to cut interest rates on Thursday from a record high of 4%. It’s an unusual move for two reasons: There’s no recession or crisis to precipitate a cut – in fact the eurozone economy has recently shown signs of improvement. And it comes ahead of a rate cut by the US Federal Reserve, which has traditionally led the way for the ECB, but isn’t expected to ea...

China is a country in transition. After decades of rapid growth at any cost, the economic model is shifting to one centred on high quality, sustainable growth driven by the consumer. In this podcast, a replay of our recent webinar, ING’s Chief Economist for Greater China Lynn Song tells Senior Editor Rebecca Byrne why he thinks this will be a difficult but necessary transition while Commodities St...