Macroeconomic data, trends, and policy developments.
Coverage of key economic indicators, central bank policy decisions, inflation trends, labor data, and growth signals. This category focuses on the macroeconomic forces that shape markets, interest rates, and long-term capital allocation.
2,587 total articles
Morgan Stanley continues to expect the Federal Reserve to begin easing monetary policy in the second half of 2026, even after a recent jump in inflation tied to higher oil prices. The bank argues that long-run inflation expectations have held steady and that much of the short-term rise is driven by temporary energy effects, while broader financial …
Senior officials say the president is weighing a broader reorganization of his cabinet as pressure mounts from an ongoing five-week conflict with Iran. The move follows the recent removal of the attorney general and comes amid domestic fallout - higher gasoline prices, weakening approval numbers and unease among Republicans ahead of November's midt…
Five EU finance ministers from Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria have jointly asked the European Commission to design a bloc-wide windfall profits tax on energy companies to address market distortions following a sharp gas price surge. The ministers cited a 'price shock' linked to U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran beginning February 28 and urg…
The French government will make available loans of up to €50,000 through Bpifrance to small businesses in sectors with high fuel use. The 36-month loans carry a 3.8% interest rate, require no borrower guarantees and are aimed at firms spending at least 5% of revenue on fuel. Applications open April 13 via an online platform.
Barclays' equity research finds that recent airstrikes on two major Iranian steel plants have disrupted local output but are unlikely to cause a large immediate shock to global steel supply. With national utilisation already under 50% and the affected plants accounting for under 20% of Iran's capacity, production could shift domestically. The repor…
The International Monetary Fund has endorsed a measured path of interest rate increases by the Bank of Japan, saying monetary withdrawal should proceed gradually and be guided by incoming data. The endorsement comes amid heightened risks from a six-week conflict in Iran, rising energy costs, and a weakening yen that is pushing toward the 160-per-do…
The International Monetary Fund has advised the Bank of Japan to persist with measured interest rate increases even as the conflict in the Middle East introduces fresh risks to Japan's economic outlook. The IMF highlighted balanced risks to growth and inflation, endorsed the BOJ's withdrawal of extraordinary stimulus, and recommended that further h…
A coordinated series of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes on Saturday targeted maritime and industrial infrastructure in southern Russia, breaching air defenses in the Rostov and Samara regions. The incidents included an attack on a foreign-flagged commercial vessel in the Sea of Azov and large fires near major chemical producers in Togliatti. Au…
Nomura's latest Policy Watch finds the Federal Reserve likely to defer its expected shift toward monetary easing. The firm moved its projection for the initial rate cut from June to September 2026 and now anticipates only two cuts this year, with the second arriving in December. The revision reflects renewed inflation risks tied to the Iran conflic…
A widening rift has surfaced between Washington and its European partners over a proposed multinational military effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. European officials and naval specialists argue that a strictly military approach is unrealistic given Iran's layered coastal defenses and asymmetric tactics, and that diplomacy and legal measures wi…
U.S. authorities have handed a Chinese national suspected of drug smuggling back to Beijing, a rare example of bilateral law-enforcement cooperation. The case, involving an individual identified by the surname Han, comes as Washington and Beijing seek to lock in a period of calmer relations before a planned leaders' summit in mid-May. Officials poi…
Vietnam’s economic growth moderated in the first quarter of 2026 as disruptions linked to a six-week conflict in the Middle East raised fuel prices, lifted inflation and flipped the country’s trade position to a deficit. GDP rose 7.83% year-on-year, down from 8.46% in Q4 2025, while imports outpaced exports and consumer prices climbed. Policymakers…
A Citi Research briefing warns that the eurozone’s real economy could be more exposed to the current energy-driven shock than it was in 2022. Despite stable soft data and manufacturing surveys in March, the report highlights weakening domestic demand, persistent input shortages and elevated energy prices as factors that together increase the risk o…
Australia's federal government is encouraging people to maintain Easter travel plans even as diesel shortages affect hundreds of rural service stations. Energy Minister Chris Bowen confirmed that about 312 of the country's 8,000 service stations lack diesel, and officials are asking motorists to limit fuel purchases. Strategic fuel reserves and a c…
Iranian forces have inflicted the first combat air losses on U.S. aircraft after more than 13,000 sorties, signaling a tactical shift toward asymmetric operations aimed at raising the cost of conflict rather than achieving conventional victory. The strikes and resulting diplomatic breakdown have heightened market risk premia for energy, logistics a…
Chinese President Xi Jinping has intensified an anti-corruption campaign that now reaches another senior Politburo member. State media reports that Ma Xingrui, former Communist Party secretary for Xinjiang, is under investigation for "severe violations" of party discipline and law. The move reduces the Politburo to 21 members, its smallest membersh…
An Iranian drone attack on March 3 penetrated the U.S. Embassy compound in Riyadh, causing more extensive damage than initially reported. Multiple floors were heavily affected, a fire burned for twelve hours, and some sections remain described as "unrecoverable." The strike is part of a pattern of precision attacks on American assets in the region,…
U.S. intelligence assessments indicate Iran is likely to sustain its obstruction of the Strait of Hormuz, treating the waterway as a strategic lever in its conflict with Washington. The blockade has lifted crude prices, complicated military options to reopen the transit route and raises questions about long-term maritime security, insurance and ene…
SpaceX has postponed the next test flight of its Starship V3 vehicle from April to May, CEO Elon Musk said on social media. He indicated the launch is about four to six weeks away, placing it in the first half of May. The V3 debut has been pushed back for months while the company integrates numerous upgrades aimed at improving reliability and meeti…
A U.S. district judge on April 3 refused to reconsider his earlier order blocking subpoenas tied to a criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, maintaining a halt to the probe and setting the stage for an appeal that could delay President Trump’s plan to replace Powell with Kevin Warsh.
The March employment report showed job growth spreading across multiple sectors, lowering unemployment measures that had raised Fed concerns about weakening labor conditions. Policymakers are likely to keep interest rates on hold for the near term, while markets focus on whether a surge in global oil prices tied to conflict will push inflation high…
The Bank of Italy trimmed its GDP projections and increased its inflation estimates in a new report, citing a sharp deterioration in the international outlook tied to the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and a surge in energy costs. The central bank now expects growth of 0.6% this year and 0.5% in 2027, below government targets, and warns higher, pers…
The White House has requested $152 million in a proposed fiscal 2027 budget to fund the initial costs of converting Alcatraz Island from a National Park Service-managed historic site back into an active Federal Bureau of Prisons facility. The move follows a directive announced in May to rebuild and expand Alcatraz as a high-security prison for the …
On April 3, Beijing-based Space Pioneer announced that the inaugural flight of its reusable Tianlong-3 rocket failed. The company provided minimal details in a short statement on its official WeChat account. The setback follows an earlier structural incident and comes amid an intensifying domestic race to develop recoverable, reusable rocket stages…
The U.S. economy added 178,000 nonfarm payrolls in March, a larger increase than economists had forecast, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.3% from 4.4%. Revisions trimmed prior months' results, with February revised to a 133,000 decline and January revised higher to a 160,000 gain. Market moves were muted by a holiday, while Treasury yields and …
