Oil hit a six-month high, UK inflation jumped and France escaped a downgrade — it was a busy week for your money. Test yourself with five questions on the stories that mattered.
Question 1: Oil’s six-month high
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, closed on Friday, October 23, at its highest level since April after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia revived supply fears. Roughly where did it settle?
- A. About $96 a barrel
- B. About $116 a barrel
- C. About $126 a barrel
- D. About $136 a barrel
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Answer: B. Brent settled at $116.72 a barrel on Friday, up more than 3% on the day and about 6% on the week — its highest close since late April. US crude (WTI) rose to about $103. Higher crude prices tend to feed through to petrol, diesel and heating costs. More in our Morning Briefing of October 24.
Question 2: UK inflation
Official figures published on October 21 showed UK consumer price inflation rising faster than economists expected in September. What was the annual rate?
- A. 2.8%
- B. 3.1%
- C. 3.5%
- D. 4.2%
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Answer: C. UK CPI inflation rose to 3.5% in September from 3.1% in August, above the 3.4% economists had forecast and the highest in nearly a year. Motor fuels were the main driver, with prices up almost 30% on a year earlier; 2.8% was the core rate. More in our Morning Briefing of October 22.
Question 3: France and Moody’s
After a week of political unrest that pushed France’s 10-year bond yield to 5%, Moody’s published its review of the country on Friday evening. What did it decide?
- A. It downgraded France to A1
- B. It upgraded France to Aa2
- C. It moved France’s outlook to positive
- D. It kept France at Aa3 with a negative outlook
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Answer: D. Moody’s left France’s rating unchanged at Aa3 and kept the outlook negative, sparing Paris a downgrade many had feared. The negative outlook means the risk of a future cut remains, and Moody’s said its view assumes a 2027 budget that reduces the deficit is adopted. More in our Morning Briefing of October 24.
Question 4: Meta’s results
Meta reported its third-quarter results on October 21. By how much did its revenue grow compared with a year earlier?
- A. About 26%
- B. About 12%
- C. About 38%
- D. About 52%
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Answer: A. Meta’s revenue rose 26% to $64.6 billion, beating analysts’ estimates, and it guided to $73–76 billion for the fourth quarter. Heavy AI spending and legal settlement charges, however, weighed on profit. See our Morning Briefing of October 22 and Meta’s official earnings release.
Question 5: How consumers feel
The University of Michigan published its final reading of US consumer sentiment for October on Friday. Where did the index land?
- A. About 38
- B. About 48
- C. About 68
- D. About 88
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Answer: B. The final October index came in at 48, barely changed from 48.1 in September and revised up from a preliminary 46.3. The preliminary figure had been the second-lowest in the survey’s history, as high prices weigh on how Americans feel about their finances. More in our Morning Briefing of October 24 and from Axios.
How did you do? 5/5: you’re a markets pro · 3–4: well informed · 0–2: catch up with our Morning Briefing.
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Written by The Daily Economy editorial team with AI assistance and checked against the linked sources. Read our editorial policy.