Halo Effect… With pop icons like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift on tour, local economies are feeling their star power as fans travel to see their idols. Last month economists said Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” concert stops in Stockholm likely lifted Sweden’s inflation as hotel prices surged. It's not just Queen Bee: Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour could add nearly $5B to the US economy. The average concertgoer is spending $720 over their budget for things like flights and food. Morgan Stanley expects more pop-star “blips.”
Double dough… Two of the largest grain-shipping and crop-processing companies, Bunge and Viterra, plan to merge into the world’s second-biggest agri-business. Farmers say the megadeal could limit crop competition and drive up food prices. Bunge already reaped higher gluten profits after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hit global grain supplies. Several countries’ regulatory authorities are expected to weigh in on the merger, but carb consolidation is standard: 90% of global grain trading and processing is controlled by four companies.