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.
5,181 total articles
President Donald Trump announced that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. In a Truth Social post he said she will start treatment immediately, that her prognosis is excellent, and that she will continue to spend virtually full time at the White House during treatment.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused U.S. President Donald Trump of undermining the international order through a unilateral war with Iran, warning of domestic social consequences and outlining broader disputes with Washington over NATO spending, access to military bases, and regulation of American tech platforms.
U.S. homebuilder sentiment rose slightly in March, with the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index gaining one point to 38. Despite the small improvement, builders remain below the 50 break-even mark for the 23rd consecutive month and continue to grapple with elevated construction costs, labor shortages and incentives to move inventory.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated the meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for later this month may be pushed back because of logistical constraints and the president's intention to remain in Washington to coordinate the war effort. Bessent emphasized that any postponement would not be tied to the pres…
Two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers, the Shivalik and the Nanda Devi, passed through the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday without escort and are en route to India. According to Rajesh Kumar Sinha, the Shivalik is due to arrive on the Indian coast on Monday and the Nanda Devi early on Tuesday. The transit follows a recent phon…
Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang said that China and the United States reached a preliminary consensus during trade talks held in Paris. The discussions covered bilateral trade and economic issues, with China registering objections to U.S. restrictive measures and Section 301 investigations. Both sides agreed that stable trade relations serve …
Canada's headline Consumer Price Index slowed to 1.8% year-over-year in February, down from 2.3% in January. Statistics Canada attributed much of the decline to a base-year effect stemming from the expiration of a GST/HST tax break. Declines in gasoline and natural gas indexes and softer service-sector readings - notably restaurant prices - also we…
British goods exports to the United States fell 15.5% in January to £4.2 billion, marking a third monthly decline and reflecting a £400 million fall in machinery and transport equipment exports, notably cars. Annual exports to the US declined 10.3% to £59.2 billion for the year to December 31, 2025. Trade tensions and imminent US tariff plans are w…
Bank of America has trimmed its forecast for the Banco Central do Brasil’s initial policy easing this week from a 50 basis point cut to 25 basis points, attributing the change to a recent sharp escalation in geopolitical tensions. The bank says the central bank’s January guidance that policy could begin to be loosened still stands, but warns that s…
Standard & Poor's has raised Croatia's sovereign credit rating by one notch to 'A' and returned the outlook to stable. The upgrade, the sixth in roughly eight years, reflects S&P's view of a solid and resilient economic outlook and cites reforms tied to the Recovery and Resilience Facility and forthcoming OECD membership as supporting factors. S&P …
The Bank for International Settlements is urging central banks to avoid an immediate policy response to the recent Iran crisis-driven surge in oil and wholesale gas prices, calling the episode a classic temporary supply shock that should be 'looked through' if it proves short-lived. The warning comes as money markets swiftly repriced rate expectati…
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described trade talks with China as "very good" and said the relationship between the two countries is stable. He told CNBC the discussions included a new tariff regime and emphasized the U.S. is not seeking decoupling but is pursuing strategic change. Bessent also said it remains unclear whether a planned meet…
A March S&P Global survey found UK consumer sentiment slid to 44.1 from 44.8 in February, the weakest reading since January 2025. Households reported their gloomiest view of personal finances since December 2023 and the greatest reluctance to make major purchases in 14 months. Economists warn the conflict in the Middle East and rising global energy…
Italy will not join a naval operation in the Hormuz Strait, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said, urging diplomacy as the primary means to resolve the tensions. Speaking in Brussels, Tajani noted Italy already contributes to defensive missions in the Red Sea but does not have any deployment that could be redirected to the Hormuz Strait. His remarks…
Buenos Aires Fashion Week showcased local designers, but behind the shows Argentina’s textile and apparel sector is experiencing one of its sharpest downturns in decades. Ultra-low-cost imports, particularly from Chinese fast-fashion platforms, have surged as President Javier Milei’s trade liberalization measures lowered tariffs and eased cross-bor…
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom is working alongside European partners and other allies on a joint effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore freedom of navigation. He described the initiative as necessary to stabilise the oil market but cautioned that the operation will be challenging. The government has also deployed mi…
A German government spokesperson said Germany will not take part in the war in Iran or in any military operations aimed at keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. The spokesperson emphasized that the conflict is not related to the NATO defense alliance, noted comments by President Trump about NATO, and said Germany coordinated with allies over the weeke…
Goldman Sachs has reduced its forecast for Euro area Q4/Q4 growth in 2026 to 1% after revising commodity assumptions higher, while also reshuffling sector recommendations and trimming U.S. growth projections. The bank raised its expected peak for euro-area headline inflation and delayed the timing of some central bank easing moves in response to a …
Barclays has updated its projection for the Bank of England's March monetary policy decision, now anticipating that the Monetary Policy Committee will keep the Bank Rate at 3.75% on March 19 rather than reduce it by 25 basis points. The change reflects concerns about higher energy costs, the ongoing war in the Middle East, and broader geopolitical …
Goldman Sachs reports a marked decline in UAE real estate transaction activity since the onset of the current Middle East conflict. Data for early March show overall transaction values down 31% year over year and 51% month over month since the conflict began, with particularly large falls in the secondary market, villa sales and off-plan apartment …
U.S. stock index futures moved higher on Monday, lifted by gains in large technology stocks including Meta and Nvidia, even as crude oil prices settled around $100 a barrel due to disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz. Investors entered a week heavy with central bank meetings, corporate results and an Nvidia developer conference, while futures mark…
Iran's foreign minister and a ministry spokesperson said Tehran has not sought a ceasefire in the current hostilities with Israel and the U.S., and that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed only to adversaries and their supporters. Officials added that vessels from countries not engaged in the fighting have been allowed to transit with coordination …
Nearly all economists polled expect the Swiss National Bank to leave its policy rate at 0% through 2026 and use foreign exchange interventions rather than negative interest rates to counter further appreciation of the Swiss franc, which has strengthened amid safe-haven flows since the onset of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Markets enter a new trading week with the conflict involving Iran remaining the dominant story as disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz push oil and gas prices higher. Investors will also focus on Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's keynote at the company's developer event, Micron's quarterly results, and monetary policy decisions from the Federal Reserve and …
European authorities are expected to move first by cutting taxes on transport fuels in response to a recent spike in oil and short-dated gas prices. Citi Research economists say such steps would be the immediate fiscal response, with more expansive measures possible if elevated energy costs persist and household utility bills begin to rise sharply.
