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The section presents news briefs and charted data showing economic and financial indicators for a list of 15 developed countries, including the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, the Euro area and individual European countries, plus closer looks at the Economist's poll of economic forecasters, and trade volumes. Consumer confidence in America suffered a surprise blow. American economic growth in the second quarter was revised up for the second time. The European Commission's euro-area economic-sentiment index rose in September to its highest level this year. Australia's industrial production grew by 1.3% in the year to the second quarter. Britain's GDP grew by twice as much as originally estimated in the second quarter.

The article presents news related to the business sector. The row between Britain and Germany over events leading to sterling's suspension from the exchange-rate mechanism flared up further, threatening progress towards monetary union. The chairman and four directors of Westpac Banking Corp., Australia's biggest bank, resigned after the failure of an $860 million rights issue. IBM Corp. is to take a $2.8 billion after-tax charge in the third quarter. The move, although alleviated by a change in accounting methods, will put the world's biggest computer maker into loss in those three months.