Editor's Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.
1. Tariff refunds start hitting big US companies
More than 40 United States companies are expected to receive around $9.6 billion in tariff refunds, according to the Wall Street Journal, and at least $2.1 billion has already been distributed.
"Among the biggest refunds reported so far: Apple, at nearly $2.2 billion; Nike, at $986 million; FedEx, at about $800 million; Amazon.com, at $640 million; and General Motors, at $500 million," the WSJ reports.
A few companies, such as FedEx and Costco, have plans to trickle down their refund to customers.
2. Solar eclipse pushes hotel rate in Europe
Wednesday's solar eclipse pushed rates for hotels in Europe, according to CNBC reporting off data from Lighthouse. The report, published in July, found that hotel rates in Reykjavik, Iceland, were an average of $1,012 a night during the week of the eclipse, which is twice as much as the same period in 2025.
Closer to the event, rates dropped to around $800 a night, according to data from Aug. 10.
“Iceland priced the eclipse speculatively to begin with. Rooms were listed at three to four times normal levels more than a year out, and hotels have spent the past three months walking that back,” Jonathan Gough, content marketing team lead at Lighthouse, told CNBC.
3. Thailand-based Minor International delays REIT plan
Minor International, recognized as the largest hotel and restaurant operator in Thailand, has postponed plans to establish a $1 billion real estate investment trust.
The company's head of investor relations, Namida Artispong, said on the recent earnings call that the delay is due to some concerns that investors will want a higher-than-expected yield in light of the conflict in the Middle East, according to Bloomberg.
The overarching plan was for Minor to sell 14 hotels — located in Europe and Thailand — to the REIT and then list it in Singapore later this year. The timeline has shifted but the plan remains the same, Bloomberg reports.
4. Summer heat hasn't burned hotel performance in Europe
The heat in Europe has broken records this summer, with Fahrenheit temperatures reaching triple digits in Spain, France, Portugal and other countries. However, hoteliers haven't yet seen an effect on hotel performance, according to CoStar News contributor Vladislav Vorotnikov, but that could change as travelers' destination preferences shift.
“We do hear a lot from our travel adviser partners that many clients are preferring central and northern European destinations over southern European destinations in summer,” said Jan Mindermann, senior vice president of operations at Vienna-based Almanac Hotels.
5. UK's GDP rises in June
Unexpectedly, the United Kingdom's economy grew in June, putting it on the path to have the strongest growth among the Group of Seven rich economies in the first half of 2026, Reuters reports. U.K. gross domestic product rose by 0.3%, outpacing economists' prediction of matching May's flat performance.
"Overall, the economy seems to have weathered the Iran war extremely well, with little sign of consumers or businesses curtailing activity in response to higher oil prices," said Thomas Pugh, chief economist at accountancy firm RSM UK. "Looking ahead, though, growth is likely to slow."