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.
5,126 total articles
Global equity funds recorded net inflows in the week to May 27 after a prior week of withdrawals, propelled by a rally in AI-related technology shares and a rebound in sentiment. Broader flows showed strong demand for bond funds, continued outflows from Asian and emerging market equities, and weakness in precious metals and money market funds.
Statistics Canada reported that real gross domestic product fell at an annualized rate of 0.1% in the first quarter, marking two straight quarters of annualized contraction after a downwardly revised 1.0% fall in the fourth quarter. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, GDP was unchanged, avoiding a sequential contraction. The data show weak business inve…
Brazil's economy returned to expansion in the first quarter, registering 1.1% growth from the previous quarter. The uptick was led by household spending and a rise in gross fixed capital formation, with agriculture and the extractive industry contributing on the supply side. Annual GDP rose 1.8%, in line with market forecasts.
Preliminary national statistics show German headline inflation eased to 2.7% in May from 2.9% the prior month, while core inflation - excluding food and energy - climbed to 2.5% from 2.3%. The data precedes an expected uptick in euro zone inflation and increases the chance of monetary policy action by the European Central Bank.
Preliminary May data from the euro zone's four largest economies indicate headline inflation remained above the European Central Bank's 2% goal for a third consecutive month. A jump in fuel prices linked to the Iran war has begun to push up costs in transport, entertainment and fresh food in several countries, strengthening the case for an ECB rate…
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said he welcomed financial markets scaling back expectations for further rate increases, but warned the path for policy depends on developments in the Middle East. He defended the decision to tolerate inflation above the 2% target while the economy softens, but said that tolerance would be withdrawn if evidenc…
Futures on Canada's major stock gauge rose modestly after reports that the United States and Iran agreed to extend a ceasefire and relax shipping restrictions through the Strait of Hormuz, a move that eased risk sentiment. Oil prices fell and investors prepared for Canada’s first-quarter GDP release, while markets continued to price in a high proba…
China has signaled it could open trade investigations targeting the European Union at the same time EU officials meet to consider strengthening mechanisms to limit heavily subsidized imports. The exchange centers on a proposed 'overcapacity instrument' that would allow Brussels to cap imports and apply sector-wide tariffs, measures that would most …
Japan's Ministry of Finance reported that authorities spent 11.7 trillion yen, roughly $73.5 billion, on foreign exchange intervention over the past month to prop up the yen. Officials are understood to have intervened around the turn of the month, including during Golden Week when liquidity was thin. Despite the outlay, the yen has returned to lev…
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President Jeffrey Schmid warned that recent increases in energy prices should not be assumed to be fleeting, given that inflation has remained above target for an extended period. He highlighted consumer strain from higher gasoline costs, described U.S. energy firms as cautious about boosting output despite eleva…
U.S. stocks have pushed higher this year, driven by technology gains tied to artificial intelligence optimism, but upcoming economic data - notably the June jobs report - and quarterly results from Broadcom could challenge the rally. Investors are watching inflation measures, bond yields and signals about Federal Reserve policy closely; a stronger-…
Discussions within the Federal Reserve and among outside analysts center on altering liquidity rules to lower banks' demand for reserves, a change that could shrink the central bank's $6.7 trillion balance sheet. Estimates of potential reserve reductions vary - one bank places the figure near $700 billion, while a senior Fed policymaker doubts even…
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche has moved swiftly since his April appointment, aligning the Justice Department with several Trump-prioritized actions. But a $1.776 billion fund established under a settlement of Trump’s IRS lawsuit has provoked fierce Republican pushback in the Senate and raised new legal concerns after a federal judge dis…
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey told a central banking conference in Reykjavik that allowing inflation to run above the 2% target is appropriate given uncertainty over the economic fallout from the Iran war and a weak growth backdrop. He warned that tolerance would be reduced if second-round inflationary effects appear and reiterated that pr…
Australia’s defence minister described China’s decision to send a delegation made up largely of academics to the Shangri-La Dialogue as a lost opportunity for strategic reassurance, noting the region needs clearer signals amid China’s large conventional military buildup. The forum in Singapore drew defence ministers from the United States, Japan, B…
U.S. equity futures were little changed on Friday after major indexes closed at record highs the previous session. Markets awaited confirmation of reports that the U.S. and Iran agreed to extend a ceasefire and lift limits on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz - a move that had not yet been approved by President Donald Trump. Macroeconomic data a…
Stop-and-start negotiations between Tehran and Washington over a ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz are the primary geopolitical drivers for markets this week. Key economic data from the United States and the euro zone will be watched for evidence of the conflict's economic fallout, while developments in India, Colombia and the tec…
Preliminary May data show inflation fell in four major German states, a pattern that suggests the country's harmonised inflation rate may decline this month despite elevated energy and raw material costs linked to the Iran war. Economists' forecasts and forthcoming national and euro zone releases will clarify the picture.
Global government bond markets swung sharply in May after the Iran war pushed yields to multi-decade highs amid fears of prolonged inflation and higher borrowing costs. A surge in oil, hot U.S. inflation data and stalled peace-talk signals drove a mid-month selloff. Later in the month, reports of progress in U.S.-Iran talks and weaker economic acti…
Fabio Panetta, a member of the European Central Bank's governing council and governor of the Bank of Italy, said the ECB will act in a "timely and measured manner" to prevent the current energy shock from becoming persistent inflation. Speaking at the Bank of Italy's annual assembly in Rome, Panetta called for a "recalibration" of monetary policy a…
Fabio Panetta, governor of the Bank of Italy and a member of the European Central Bank's governing council, told the Italian central bank's annual assembly in Rome that the ECB will act in a timely and measured way to prevent the current energy shock from translating into persistent inflation. He said the forward-looking inflation outlook points to…
U.S. equity futures traded little changed as reports circulated that the U.S. and Iran had agreed to extend a weeks-long ceasefire pending presidential approval. Brent and WTI futures slipped, putting oil on track for its biggest weekly decline since early April, while attention on the supply-sensitive Strait of Hormuz and April inflation data temp…
A recent poll indicates Indonesia's headline inflation likely rose to 2.97% year-on-year in May, with core inflation projected to tick up to 2.52%. The same survey expects April's trade surplus to narrow to a median $1.50 billion from March's $3.32 billion, as exports and imports both showed year-on-year gains.
Japan’s finance minister said some domestic financial firms have been given access to OpenAI’s GPT-5.5 model to help defend against cyberattacks, following a meeting with OpenAI’s chief strategy officer. Details on which institutions received access were not released, though a local report named the country’s three largest banks as expected recipie…
European Central Bank research indicates that euro area consumers, still affected by the economic fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, reacted quickly to the Iran war by increasing attention to prices. Drawing on the ECB's Consumer Expectations Survey, economists found that nearly half of respondents were actively monitoring prices in March 2…
