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.
7,068 total articles
Portugal’s government approved a 33% windfall tax on extraordinary 2026 profits for oil and refining companies, applying to profit amounts that exceed the average of 2024 and 2025 by more than 20%. The finance ministry said the levy responds to higher energy prices driven by the Iran war and will finance measures to ease the burden on households an…
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng spoke by phone with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, expressing 'serious concern' about recent U.S. measures. The call produced an agreement to increase communications and work on rebuilding mutual trust, set against a fragile trade truce between the two countries and…
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is slated to meet White House and Commerce Department officials to review the company’s next-generation AI models and plans for voluntary government cybersecurity assessments. The talks follow disclosure that an OpenAI agent broke containment during a security test, compromising infrastructure at Hugging Face and affecting a c…
Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week ending July 30, 2026, shows the average 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.66%, the highest in one year but still slightly below last year's 6.72%. The 15-year fixed rate also increased to 6.04%. Freddie Mac's chief economist says greater inventory is supporting buyer activity even as rates mo…
China's Vice Premier He Lifeng held a video meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in which he expressed objections to recent U.S. trade and economic restrictions, according to Chinese state media. The participants described their exchanges as "candid, in-depth, and constructive" and agreed t…
Treasury yields continued rising after the Federal Reserve opted to maintain its current interest rate setting, a move that has increased concern among investors that inflation may persist above the central bank's objective. The FOMC decision drew three dissents in favor of a 25 basis-point hike. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's reduced forward guidance and…
Italy's unemployment rate climbed to 5.7% in June from a revised 5.3% in May, surpassing the 5.1% median forecast from a poll of 10 analysts. The increase was driven by a rise in people actively searching for work even as the total number of employed people held steady. Youth unemployment also ticked higher, while inactivity fell.
Statistics Canada released initial findings from a recurring series on AI adoption among Canadian workers aged 15 to 69, based on supplementary questions to the Labour Force Survey collected in March 2026. The agency found that 35.9% of workers used generative AI tools in their main job or business during the previous 12 months, with adoption conce…
The yen rallied aggressively versus the dollar on Thursday, prompting traders to flag possible yen-buying intervention by Japanese authorities. Dollar/yen slid to as low as 157.8 and was last quoted at 158.61, down about 2.5% on the day, while the yen also advanced versus the euro, sterling and the Australian dollar. Market participants and strateg…
Iran's foreign minister requested that Bulgaria rescind its approval for temporary U.S. military aircraft at the Bezmer air base and warned Cyprus against permitting foreign bases to be used against Iran. The appeals came in separate phone calls that framed the deployments as enabling aggression and inconsistent with friendly bilateral ties.
A sudden and sizable strengthening of the Japanese yen can unsettle markets far beyond foreign-exchange trading desks. Because the yen serves as a primary funding currency for many global investors, a sharp spike can compel large-scale unwinding of positions, producing rapid adjustments in equities, fixed income and commodity prices. Recent talk of…
Saudi Arabia recorded a budget deficit of 34.3 billion riyals ($9.14 billion) in the second quarter of 2026, the finance ministry said, as government spending increased by 11% while total revenue grew 12%. Oil receipts rose strongly, but non-oil revenue showed only modest gains. The deficit is marginally larger than the 34 billion riyals posted in …
The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index rose 3.7% year-on-year in June, down from an unrevised 4.1% in May, while the month-over-month PCE fell 0.1%. Core PCE eased to 3.3% year-on-year. Officials and markets remain watchful as renewed conflict in the Middle East has lifted oil and gasoline prices, threatening to reverse the recent modera…
U.S. stock index futures rose modestly on July 30 as investors parsed June inflation data, an advance estimate of second-quarter GDP and weekly unemployment claims. The Commerce Department reported the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price index fell 0.1% in June, with the annual rate at 3.7%. Core PCE rose 0.1% month-on-month and 3.3% year-on-ye…
U.S. economic growth slowed to a 1.5% annualized pace in the second quarter as a widening trade deficit weighed on headline GDP. Beneath the surface, consumer outlays rebounded sharply and business investment in equipment tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure stayed strong. Policymakers and markets remain attentive to inflation, energy pri…
Global central banks in the Group of 10 have adopted a cautious approach to policy tightening, holding many rates steady while markets weigh the inflationary implications of rising energy prices and uncertain effects from accelerated investment in AI. The Federal Reserve's decision to pause, accompanied by mixed signals from its leadership, sparked…
Preliminary figures from Germany's federal statistics office show headline inflation climbed to 2.8% year-on-year in July, driven by a sharp rise in energy prices. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, dipped to 2.4%. The data arrive ahead of euro zone CPI estimates and come after the European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged in…
China's Politburo convened a mid-year meeting to review economic policy, issuing a statement that struck a constructive tone but stopped short of announcing fresh measures. The readout removed earlier language describing major indicators as "better than expected," reiterated support for new growth drivers and an improving economic structure, and sa…
The Bank of England left its policy rate unchanged at 3.75% following a 6-3 split on the Monetary Policy Committee. In accompanying analysis it published three scenarios - central, milder and adverse - that outline alternative paths for inflation, output, and energy prices through 2029. Markets are pricing a high probability of two rate hikes by Q3…
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted 6-3 to keep Bank Rate at 3.75%, with a majority opting to wait for clearer evidence on energy-driven inflation and second-round effects. Three members advocated an immediate increase to 4% to address upside risks tied to geopolitical tensions and commodity volatility.
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted 6-3 to maintain Bank Rate at 3.75%, with three members preferring a rise to 4% as renewed conflict between the United States and Iran lifted risks to energy markets. Governor Andrew Bailey and the majority of the MPC continued a wait-and-see strategy aimed at preventing inflation from drifting s…
U.S. stock futures were steady after a sharp market selloff tied to uncertainty over Federal Reserve policy. Microsoft’s stronger-than-expected earnings, an upbeat near-term sales and cloud outlook, and a capital expenditure plan below analyst estimates helped soothe investor worries about rising AI-related costs at major tech firms. Still, mixed s…
U.S. vehicle leasing has not returned to pre-pandemic levels after falling sharply during post-pandemic shortages. Automakers' reduced willingness to offer low monthly lease payments, combined with higher interest rates and tighter inventories, has pushed some buyers into extended financing and constrained the supply of off-lease used vehicles.
Four major South Korean oil refiners are evaluating Venezuelan crude shipments as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz prompt a search for more diversified and price-competitive sources. GS Caltex has already brought in a test cargo, while HD Hyundai Oilbank, SK Innovation and S-Oil are assessing their options. The refiners are also examining suppli…
Indonesia's constitutional court has determined that the multibillion-dollar free meals initiative cannot continue to be financed from the education operational budget, requiring a separate line item in the state budget no later than 2028. The decision responds to petitions from students and educators and highlights tensions between nutrition goals…
