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
Iran has told the Philippines that its vessels will be permitted safe and unhindered passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a pledge conveyed by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in a phone conversation with Philippine Foreign Minister Ma. Theresa Lazaro. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said the assurance is intended to faci…
Financial markets entered April under renewed strain after President Donald Trump signalled a tougher stance on Iran, dashing hopes for a quick end to the confrontation. The resulting interruption to Middle East oil supplies has produced what analysts call the sharpest supply shock in history, forcing traders to reassess growth and inflation trajec…
Swiss consumer prices rose 0.3% in March 2026 compared with March 2025, the largest annual increase in a year, driven principally by higher petroleum prices and rising costs for air travel and package holidays. The reading was below economists' expectations of 0.5% and the Swiss National Bank declined to comment. Market pricing assigns a 21% chance…
Futures for Europe's main stock indices slipped on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged intensified strikes on Iran, undermining hopes for a near-term end to the Middle East conflict. The pan-European STOXX 600 and major national contracts were down in early trade, while Brent crude jumped above $100 a barrel. Investors will watch oil…
A former Bank of Japan official cautioned that fallout from the Iran war may inflict supply-chain shocks and a demand slump on Japan’s economy, risks he says the central bank may be underestimating while concentrating on inflation. He highlighted a potential shortfall of naphtha and other refinery-derived chemicals that underpin petrochemical produ…
Hong Kong’s Grade-A office market in the Central business district is beginning to stabilize after almost seven years of decline. A sharp rebound in capital markets in 2025 has drawn mainland Chinese and multinational buyers and tenants into premium office assets, lifting prices, rents and lowering vacancy rates in Central. Despite these gains, ana…
Major central banks mostly left policy settings unchanged in March as uncertainty from the Middle East conflict and volatile oil prices raised the risk of higher inflation even as growth prospects dimmed. Developed economies largely stood pat, while emerging markets offered a mixed response with several modest cuts and a few notable hikes.
A year after the imposition of sweeping 'Liberation Day' tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump, the dollar has staged a strong early-2026 comeback, aided by safe-haven flows amid conflict in the Middle East and the United States' role as an energy exporter. Despite a roughly 1.6% rally in the first quarter - the strongest quarterly performance sin…
Faced with a fresh energy-driven price shock tied to the Iran conflict, major central banks are attempting to read real-time signals from firms, workers and households to judge whether a temporary rise in energy costs will translate into broader, persistent inflation. Despite expanded toolkits and increased contact with businesses, authorities say …
A 19-minute prime-time speech from U.S. President Donald Trump, in which he vowed to hit Iran "extremely hard" over the next two to three weeks, erased investor optimism that a quick end to the conflict might be near. With the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed, markets reversed earlier gains: equities sold off, the U.S. dollar strengthened, oil jum…
President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that U.S. forces will intensify operations against Iran within the next two to three weeks, warning of severe strikes on Tehran's electricity network if no agreement is reached. He framed the steps as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and said U.S. military objectives were nearin…
Major currencies traded with little net change in thin Asian sessions as investors awaited a primetime national address from U.S. President Donald Trump that is expected to outline whether a ceasefire in the Gulf war is imminent. The dollar, which benefited from safe-haven demand after the conflict began in late February, has slipped over two sessi…
The U.S. Treasury Department announced a series of meetings beginning in April with state, national and international insurance regulators to review recent developments in private credit markets. The sessions, which will run into early May, are intended to examine market events, emerging risks, risk management practices and sector outlooks as conce…
Global equity markets climbed on Wednesday while oil and the U.S. dollar slipped as investors grew cautiously optimistic that tensions in the Middle East could ease. Comments from the U.S. president indicating a possible rapid withdrawal from Iran and a forthcoming televised address dominated market attention. Treasury custody holdings at the Feder…
The U.S. military has presented President Trump with a detailed proposal to seize almost 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium from Iran. The plan, described by two people familiar with the matter, calls for flying in excavation equipment, constructing a runway for cargo aircraft, and airlifting substantial personnel and heavy gear. Officials bri…
Colombia’s decision to pull the finance minister from the central bank’s board has introduced new uncertainty around monetary policy after a divided board raised the benchmark rate by 100 basis points to 11.25%. Legal and market observers say the move could hinder the bank’s ability to act, undermine institutional credibility and lift risk premiums…
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian published an open letter directed to the American people that challenges U.S. foreign policy narratives, traces tensions back to the 1953 coup, and condemns recent attacks on Iranian infrastructure. The letter asserts Iran's peaceful stance toward other nations, highlights domestic advances in education and healt…
The Pentagon has ordered 18 additional A-10 ground-attack aircraft to the Middle East, roughly doubling the number deployed in the region. Officials say the planes will join about a dozen A-10s already operating there, which U.S. commanders have used against Iranian boats and Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The move highlights operational priorities …
President Donald Trump threatened to stop weapons shipments to Ukraine as leverage to compel European governments to join a U.S.-led effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Financial Times report citing people familiar with the discussions. The move followed a request that NATO navies assist in reopening the narrow waterway, which Eur…
The heads of the International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund and World Bank announced the formation of a coordination group to synchronize their response to substantial energy and economic shocks stemming from the war in the Middle East. The group will evaluate impacts across countries, coordinate policy responses and mobilize stakehol…
The Bank of Canada’s rate-setting council said it will lean more on judgement than usual when setting interest rates because of heightened global uncertainty, including the war in Iran and evolving U.S. trade policy. The bank left its policy rate at 2.25% on March 18 and signalled a cautious, data-dependent stance as energy prices lift near-term in…
Minutes from the Bank of Canada show policymakers will place greater weight on judgment and risk management when setting rates, as the Iran war lifts crude prices and clouds the near-term inflation outlook. The bank left its policy rate at 2.25% on March 18 and said it will monitor developments - including US trade policy and incoming data - while …
The United Arab Emirates has formally requested that the United Nations Security Council authorize measures, including the use of force under Chapter Seven, to restore safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE's letter seeks immediate action to protect navigational rights and could provide diplomatic backing for Gulf states weighing mil…
Bain Capital Managing Partner David Gross cautioned that many executives are deploying artificial intelligence as if it were a simple technology rollout rather than rethinking business processes. He stressed starting from business objectives, warned of a growing skills gap needed to operationalize AI, and highlighted shifts in private markets that …
France’s navy chief warned that China’s current approach — limited political engagement with Iran and an insufficient number of Chinese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz — will likely be inadequate to restore regular traffic. Admiral Nicolas Vaujour said China may need to take a more direct role, and that political coordination led by France wil…
