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.
7,101 total articles
Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump's nominee for Federal Reserve chair, told a Senate confirmation panel he would seek to reduce the central bank's balance sheet and would coordinate with the Treasury on that effort. Warsh argued a smaller balance sheet would benefit the broader economy and allow lower short-term rates, while criticizing the Fed's…
President Donald Trump has nominated Christopher Phelan, a long-serving University of Minnesota economics professor and former senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, to serve as his chief economic adviser. The nomination, announced by the White House, aims to fill the vacancy created when Stephen Miran left the Council of Econ…
Citigroup warns that Romania’s ongoing political instability increases the likelihood of fiscal deterioration, which could weigh on domestic government debt. Yields on the 10-year local-currency note have risen for a fifth day, while Citi highlights the potential for a wider fiscal slippage and warns of downside risks to both bond and currency mark…
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller on Tuesday proposed a reorganization of the Fed system's 12 regional Reserve Banks to centralize key operational functions. Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington, he described two models ranging from standardized system leadership to deeper physical consolidation for activities that do not r…
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller outlined a plan to restructure operational responsibilities across the Fed's 12 regional Reserve Banks, advocating consolidation of core business functions such as human resources, finance, procurement and technology under centralized national units rather than letting each bank run them independently. He…
Commonwealth Fusion Systems says its demonstration fusion device in Massachusetts is over 75% complete and is slated to be switched on in 2027. The company intends to move quickly to build a 400-megawatt commercial plant in Virginia once permits and capital are in place, and is scouting additional sites across the U.S. and internationally.
Markets fell on Tuesday while Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Federal Reserve chair, testified before the U.S. Senate. Warsh has voiced support for scaling back the central bank’s balance sheet and called for a different approach to managing inflation. His hearing prompted debate among investors and strategists about the likely di…
The commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific forces emphasized to the Senate that Taiwan needs to approve its delayed defense budget to maintain credible self-defense. Admiral Samuel Paparo warned that U.S. support cannot substitute for Taiwan's own commitment to fund its military. The dispute in Taiwan's parliament—where the opposition Kuomintang holds a ma…
Meta has begun rolling out software on U.S.-based employees' computers that records mouse movements, clicks and keystrokes, and takes occasional screen snapshots on specified work-related apps and websites. Internal memos seen by staffers describe the tool as a source of training data to help the company's AI models handle tasks such as selecting d…
Kevin Warsh, President Joe Biden's nominee to lead the U.S. central bank, faced intense questioning from Senate Democrats about a plan to divest most of his financial assets if confirmed. Warsh told the Senate Banking Committee he agreed to sell virtually all of his holdings and has an agreement to complete sales within 90 days of being sworn in, b…
South Africa’s central bank warned that the Iran war and related Middle East conflict pose material upside risks to the country's inflation path. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) said headline inflation will be higher in the near term, with an average of 3.7% expected this year, but still forecast to return to its 3% target by late 2027. Marke…
A joint survey from KPMG and Nuway Capital of 120 high-net-worth individuals, family offices and wealth managers across ten international markets finds technology assets now lead alternative investment portfolios. Respondents expressed particular optimism about GPU-related assets, driven by expectations of capital appreciation and diversification, …
Banco de Brasilia (BRB) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Quadra Capital to form an investment vehicle that will take on assets tied to transactions BRB received from Banco Master, with a reference value of 15 billion reais ($2.9 billion). The MoU, released late on Monday, outlines a mix of cash and subordinated shares as consideration …
The U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee has opened confirmation hearings for President Trump's nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh. Senators and markets are watching for signals about the Fed's likely interest-rate trajectory and broader questions about the central bank's independence after a Justice Department pr…
President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States is considering a currency swap with the United Arab Emirates after the UAE sought potential financial support as damage to Gulf energy infrastructure and closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted oil flows. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the U.S. was open to assistance but…
Futures tied to Canada’s principal stock index rose modestly as markets digested mixed signals over possible U.S.-Iran peace talks and prepared for a high-profile Senate confirmation hearing for Kevin Warsh, President Trump's nominee for Federal Reserve Chair. U.S. futures climbed, oil and gold reacted to geopolitical developments, and a slate of m…
A report from Physicians for Human Rights says cuts to U.S. funding have dismantled HIV prevention programmes in South Africa, jeopardizing the rollout of lenacapavir - a twice-yearly injectable prevention drug that arrived in the country this month. The study documents disruption to clinic and community services after Washington scaled back aid th…
D.R. Horton narrowed its 2026 consolidated revenue forecast yet kept the midpoint above analyst expectations, even as quarterly profits and revenue declined amid higher costs and subdued buyer demand. The Arlington, Texas-based builder signaled continued use of sales incentives in fiscal 2026 as interest rates, inflation and tariffs pressure margin…
The Bank for International Settlements reiterated a call for coordinated international regulation of stablecoins, arguing inconsistent frameworks risk fragmenting markets and enabling regulatory arbitrage. BIS General Manager Pablo Hernandez de Cos said stablecoins could undermine monetary and fiscal policy, increase financial market stress and obs…
U.S. retail sales climbed 1.7% in March, outpacing economist forecasts, driven in part by a sharp rise in gasoline receipts and a boost from tax refunds. The Commerce Department’s Census Bureau said the figures, which reflect nominal sales mostly for goods and are not adjusted for inflation, benefited from higher retail gasoline prices and stronger…
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively suspended, with just three vessels recorded crossing in the last 24 hours. The limited transits follow a period of larger movements when Iran briefly opened the waterway, but renewed tensions and naval actions have left commercial passage severely constrained. The strait handles a significa…
Major oil trading firms are warning that demand destruction tied to the Iran war may deepen significantly, with losses potentially rising to about 5 million barrels per day in May. Traders say the impact, now concentrated in Asia, will spread as global prices react. Firms cautioned that prolonged disruption to flows through the Strait of Hormuz cou…
A recent Reuters poll of 62 economists found unanimous expectations that the Bank of England will leave Bank Rate at 3.75% on April 30, with a majority forecasting no further moves through the rest of the year. Forecasters raised their near-term inflation outlook and flagged a heightened risk of stagflation, but many still judge tighter financial c…
China's cabinet has published a policy blueprint aiming to grow the services sector to 100 trillion yuan by 2030 and to raise service quality. The plan emphasizes demand stimulation, reform, technological innovation and openness, with targeted fiscal and financial tools to support business and consumer-facing services and to remove institutional ba…
Equifax reported a notable rise in first-quarter profit driven by a rebound in U.S. mortgage-related business, while keeping its full-year revenue guidance unchanged amid macroeconomic uncertainty. Revenue grew 14% to $1.65 billion and net income attributable increased 29% to $171.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, with per-share earnings ri…
