📸 China’s in… vague

What’s going on here?

Over the weekend, China's finance minister said that the government is looking for new ways to invigorate its economy… and mostly left it at that.

What does this mean?

That’s what investors would like to know. The country says it has a plan to increase its debt for a raft of projects aimed at boosting its slowing economy – the world’s second-biggest – but officials aren’t saying a lot about it. And that’s led to some mixed reactions from the market: Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index slipped lower on Monday, while mainland indexes like the CSI 300 and Shanghai Composite gained ground. China's property sector took it as good news: the Hang Seng Mainland Properties Index and CSI 300 Real Estate Index climbed. But the yuan weakened against the US dollar and oil prices dipped, suggesting there are still some nagging economic worries in the back of folks’ minds.

Why should I care?

For markets: Top scorers.

The CSI 300 has surged by more than 20% since China announced its broad stimulus package last month, and that’s got some people wondering how many bonus points it can rack up from here. On one hand, some Wall Street heavyweights have turned optimistic on the once-beaten-down index, predicting more gains. Goldman Sachs, for one, believes shares could rise another 20% if authorities deliver on their promises. After all, Chinese stocks have below-average valuations and below-average popularity – but their earnings have been looking up.

The bigger picture: Chasing ghosts.

On the “oof” side of the equation, some say the rally has already gone too far. China has unveiled some sparkly new measures, sure, but there are none aimed at boosting consumer demand. And that’s a crucial missing element in the country’s economy: cheaper loans won’t stimulate growth if consumers aren’t willing to spend.

What’s going on here?

A drought in Vietnam is taking a toll on its robusta coffee bean crops, so the price of your morning espresso might soon give you a jolt.

What does this mean?

Vietnam is the second-biggest coffee producer in the world and the biggest grower of popular robusta beans. This year, the country’s drought is especially bitter: the worst in a decade, it also follows two straight years of lower coffee yields. Experts estimate that this year’s crop could fall as much as 10% short of the industry’s annual target. Already, that’s sent robusta futures to their highest point in nearly 50 years. It’s a jittery market, and with good reason. A frost in Brazil chilled the country’s production of arabica beans, causing those prices to percolate higher too – and contributing to a third consecutive year of worldwide coffee shortages.

Why should I care?

The bigger picture: Coffee is everything, in a way.

Vietnam's drought and Brazil’s frost highlight the increasing impact of climate change on global agriculture. Significantly hotter, colder, or wetter weather means smaller harvests for many staple crops – and that, in turn, leads to higher food prices and inflation. One study even suggests that the climate crisis could result in an annual global food inflation increase of roughly three percentage points by 2035. Problem is, central banks often ignore food prices with the inflation gauges they target. That could change – but even if it does, their best tools are interest rate hikes, and those wouldn’t be very effective against price rises caused by falling crop yields.

For you, personally: A little bean counting.

Sure, climate change may keep making agricultural commodity prices more volatile and pushing them up over time. But it could also open up opportunities to invest in agricultural technology companies that can enhance farm productivity and grow food in indoor settings.