Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs reported total export orders of $103bn in August 2026. That is the largest August figure in records stretching to 1984. The previous August best was $60.1bn, set in 2025, making the year-on-year rise 71%. The gain reflects demand across all product groups and all destination markets tracked by the dataset, with both measures reaching their own August highs.
The reading lands squarely on semiconductor and electronics supply chains. TSM sits at the centre of that chain. Short sellers have shown little conviction against it, consistent with the strength the export orders data is describing at the market level.
Statistics Canada's employment data for August 2026 shows 21.17 million Canadians in work, the largest August reading since 1976. The labour force itself reached 22.63 million, also a record for August in that series. Separately, Statistics Canada's CPI all-items index printed 169.8 in August 2026, the highest August reading since 1914, above the prior August best of 164.8 in 2025.
Canadian bank credit data from the Bank of Canada adds to the picture. Business loans reached CAD 3.16 trillion in July 2026, the largest July reading since records began in 1996, up from CAD 2.94 trillion a year earlier. Total assets, personal loans and uninsured residential mortgages all set July records in the same dataset. The banks carrying that credit book include , with short interest at 0.67% of free float as of 29 September, and , where short interest sits at 1.91% of free float. Canadian airline operating revenues also set a July record in 1981-vintage data from Transport Canada.
Spain's telecoms regulator CNMC reports fixed broadband lines rose for the 95th consecutive month as of June 2026, reaching nearly 19.9 million lines. TEF is the dominant fixed-line operator in that market, where short interest stands at just 0.41% of free float.
In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports nonfarm payrolls at 159,075 thousand in August 2026, the largest August level since 1997. At the same time, the labour force participation rate fell to 61.6%, the lowest August reading in that series since 1997. Average hourly earnings have risen for 65 consecutive months in the same BLS dataset. Italy's unemployment rate hit its lowest July reading since 1983, according to Eurostat, rounding out a picture of labour markets that are still setting extremes even as participation retreats.
ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
