On Wednesday, the UK government announced a funding package of £8.4 billion ($11.2 billion) aimed at advancing the development of the Dreadnought-class nuclear submarines, ensuring the nation’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent. This substantial financial commitment will expedite the construction process across four new vessels and support thousands of skilled jobs and apprenticeships over the next decade, according to an official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Belgium experienced an unexpected acceleration in consumer price growth, with the annual inflation rate climbing to 3.56 percent in July from 3.40 percent in June. This notable uptick surpassed forecasts, driven by ongoing price increases in utilities, recreation, and transportation. Energy products and commercial services were identified as the main contributors to July’s inflation increase, with energy inflation rising to 10.59 percent year-on-year and electricity prices growing by 7.90 percent. Increases in recreational activities, transportation, and hospitality services also played a significant role in the overall inflation rate, which rose to 5.17 percent in July.

Global comparable store sales rose 7.9 percent year-over-year during the quarter, supported by a 4.2 percent increase in customer transaction volume and a 3.5 percent rise in average ticket size. Within the primary U.S. domestic market, comparable store sales expanded by 7.9 percent, fueled by steady recovery in foot traffic and improved morning service throughput. Non-GAAP adjusted earnings per share reached $0.85, comfortably exceeding the consensus analyst estimate of $0.65 from Yahoo Finance. Meanwhile, GAAP operating margin grew by 60 basis points to 10.5 percent, benefitting from sales leverage, efficiencies in supply chain operations, and tariff duty refunds during the quarter.