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.
5,127 total articles
South Africa's central bank raised its policy rate by 25 basis points to 7%, the first hike since 2023, citing elevated inflation risks tied to the Iran war. The six-member Monetary Policy Committee voted 4-2 in favour of the increase after considering scenarios that showed higher inflation and slower growth. Markets saw a firmer rand, a drop in th…
The Bank of Canada’s 2026 Financial System Report concludes that Canada’s financial system remains resilient while pointing to rising vulnerabilities tied to lofty stock and corporate debt valuations and increased hedge fund purchases of sovereign bonds using leverage. The report, presented by Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers and Deputy Govern…
New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said monetary policy is currently appropriate given the economic outlook, while warning inflation will be elevated in the near term because of recent tariff hikes and an energy shock from the Middle East conflict. He described policy as slightly restrictive, signaled the Fed is taking a longer-term v…
The International Monetary Fund's mission chief for Sri Lanka said the country's monetary policy is broadly appropriate and that the economy retains the capacity to meet the IMF's 3% growth target this year. The remarks came after the Central Bank of Sri Lanka raised its overnight policy rate by 100 basis points to 8.75% amid inflationary pressure …
Senior Bank of Canada officials said the nation’s financial system has performed well over a challenging period, with households and firms largely stable and banks bolstering their shock-absorption capacity. However, the Financial Stability Report highlights rising vulnerabilities in asset valuations, expanding non-bank leverage and new risks tied …
UBS contends that recent increases in U.S. Treasury yields exaggerate the likelihood of near-term Federal Reserve rate hikes. While the bank has pushed back its timeline for when easing might resume to December and then to March 2027 for a further cut, it stops short of endorsing the more hawkish market pricing. UBS highlights slower-than-expected …
The Commerce Department's second estimate for first-quarter U.S. GDP was revised down to a 1.6% annualized pace, driven by weaker inventory investment and consumer spending. At the same time, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge - the personal consumption expenditures price index - rose 3.8% year-on-year in April, matching economists' ex…
A Reuters poll of 24 economists indicates Brazil's economy probably expanded 1.0% in January-March from the prior quarter, led by a rebound in manufacturing and a pickup in services and household spending. Annual growth is seen at 1.8%. Official figures are due Friday. Analysts note improving industrial momentum, support from rising oil exports and…
John Williams, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, told attendees at the Reykjavík Economic Conference that identifying structural shifts in productivity as they occur is one of the central difficulties facing economic policymakers. He highlighted historical episodes of productivity acceleration and slowdown, underlined the 'recognit…
Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams told an economic conference that identifying structural changes in productivity as they occur is extraordinarily difficult. In prepared remarks for the Reykjavík Economic Conference in Iceland, Williams said expectations of future growth adjust slowly and that an initial productivity shift ma…
The personal consumption expenditures price index rose 3.8% year-on-year in April, the fastest increase since May 2023, propelled by sharp energy price gains linked to the conflict in the Middle East. Core inflation also ticked up, consumer spending remained robust, and markets expect interest rates to stay elevated for an extended period.
Ivan Cepeda, a leftist senator shaped by exile and the assassination of his father, is campaigning to extend and intensify the economic and social reforms initiated by President Gustavo Petro. Leading in opinion polls but unlikely to secure an outright majority on Sunday, Cepeda has outlined an agenda of 'social capitalism' that includes expanded i…
A recent selloff in U.S. government bonds is eroding the traditional negative correlation between stocks and Treasuries, as inflation worries, stronger U.S. growth signals and fiscal pressures push long-term yields higher. The change has raised questions about the effectiveness of the 60/40 portfolio and prompted many managers to favor shorter matu…
UniCredit's deputy vice chair and head of the bank's risk committee, Elena Carletti, cautioned that Europe is less equipped than the United States to counter banking stress that originates from links between crypto assets and lenders. She cited the U.S. use of a 'systemic risk' exception during the 2023 Silicon Valley Bank crisis to guarantee all d…
U.S. equity futures moved lower while Brent crude climbed after a new round of strikes between U.S. and Iranian forces undermined hopes for a near-term peace accord. Investors are awaiting the April personal consumption expenditures price index, a Federal Reserve-favored inflation measure, which may influence rate outlooks already complicated by hi…
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde warned that the Federal Reserve's independence continues to be vulnerable and will require continued backing from both voters and lawmakers. Speaking to French-speaking central bankers in Cambodia, she tied the threat to a mix of economic shocks that are pushing up prices while weighing on growth, a…
Sources say the People’s Bank of China privately asked major state-owned banks to increase lending in May as household and corporate loan demand stayed subdued following an unexpected drop in new yuan loans in April. The move underscores Beijing’s efforts to shore up growth amid a housing downturn, rising energy costs linked to the U.S.-Israeli war…
Masazumi Wakatabe, former deputy governor of the Bank of Japan, told a meeting of a pro-spending faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that the central issue for potential rate increases is the economy's capacity to tolerate tighter monetary conditions rather than the specific timing of a move such as June. Wakatabe, now a Waseda Universit…
The U.S. Treasury added Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) to its list of sanctioned entities, citing ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp. The move penalizes shipowners that arrange passage with, or pay tolls to, the PGSA. Tehran created the body to formalize control of the Strait of Hormuz; recent hostilities and a contested draf…
Foreign investors continued a sustained buying run in Japanese equities for an eighth consecutive week to May 23, injecting a net 1.08 trillion yen. The tech segment led inflows after a strong demand outlook for AI chips, while long-term Japanese government bonds drew renewed foreign purchases as the bond selloff cooled.
Global markets turned cautious after fresh hostilities between the United States and Iran, with air raid alerts in Kuwait, a sharp rise in Brent crude and broad weakness across Asian equities. Safe-haven demand lifted the dollar and U.S. Treasury yields, while central bank commentary flagged the risk that an energy shock could prolong inflation eve…
Thailand's manufacturing production index fell 0.36% in April compared with the same month a year earlier, the industry ministry reported. The result was weaker than the 0.2% year-on-year gain foreseen in a Reuters poll and followed a revised 1.30% rise in March. The ministry cited the war in the Middle East, higher costs that squeezed profits and …
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson has indicated that the central bank's primary objective remains returning inflation to its 2% target. Speaking at a conference in Tokyo hosted by the Bank of Japan and its associated think tank, Jefferson noted that the current resilience of the U.S. labor market provides the necessary latitude to focus o…
European Central Bank (ECB) chief economist Philip Lane has signaled that the energy disruptions stemming from the conflict in the Middle East could exert a lasting influence on inflation rates. Speaking at a conference in Tokyo hosted by the Bank of Japan and its associated think tank, Lane noted that even if a swift resolution to the ongoing war …
Austan Goolsbee, the President of the Chicago Federal Reserve, has issued a warning regarding the potential inflationary consequences of the current enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence. Speaking at a Bank of Japan conference on Thursday, Goolsbee suggested that the heightened expectations for productivity boosts driven by AI could inadve…
