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.
7,077 total articles
Renewed Gulf hostilities have driven Brent crude back to $100 a barrel, pushed European gas and government bond yields higher, and reignited concerns about stagflation - the coexistence of elevated inflation and sluggish growth. Trade frictions, including fresh U.S. tariffs on goods from 60 trading partners, add to the uncertainty facing households…
U.S. equity futures rose early Friday as investors weighed a widening confrontation between the U.S. and Iran, the risk of further disruptions to critical shipping lanes and a slate of tech earnings led by an upbeat report from Intel. New double-digit tariffs from the White House and upcoming PMI readings add to a complex macroeconomic backdrop in …
Next week’s calendar centers on central bank decisions and corporate earnings against a backdrop of rising energy prices and fresh U.S. trade measures. Brent crude has moved back above $100 a barrel amid concerns about shipping chokepoints in the Middle East, while the U.S. levied new tariffs on a broad set of trading partners. The Federal Reserve,…
Temasek is stepping up investment activity across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and is now giving greater consideration to defence-related opportunities amid rising European military expenditure. The Singaporean state investor has allocated a relatively small share of its S$518 billion portfolio to the region but has been increasing deployment…
Emmanuel Moulin, governor of the Bank of France, said tariffs recently imposed by the U.S. administration increase uncertainty for global commerce and are not supportive of economic growth. The duties - introduced as a temporary global levy expired - target goods from 60 trading partners amid allegations of insufficient enforcement of forced labour…
At the Farnborough Airshow, U.S. defence contractors encountered growing European insistence on local production, technology access and industrial returns. Companies including Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies and newer entrants such as Anduril are responding with European manufacturing, joint ventures and tailored offerings, while European go…
Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said the European Central Bank is well positioned to respond to a renewed surge in energy costs and must weigh incoming economic data before deciding on a possible interest-rate increase at its September meeting. The ECB left rates unchanged on Thursday, with policymakers signalling a September hike is possible am…
HSBC-S&P Global's flash composite Purchasing Managers' Index for India fell to 54.3 in July from 57.1 in June, marking the weakest private-sector growth in more than four years. The decline was driven by a pronounced slowdown in services activity, while manufacturing held up but softened. Export orders improved and firms continued to add staff, eve…
A sharp rise in oil following Red Sea attacks on tankers lifted Brent and pushed longer-dated U.S. Treasury yields higher, reviving concerns about inflation and the likelihood of further Fed tightening. At the same time, large tech firms reported cash outflows linked to AI investment, feeding equity losses and investor unease about capital spending…
Approximately 2,000 Brazilian export categories will be shielded from newly implemented U.S. tariffs, with key agricultural commodities such as coffee and orange juice fully exempt. The policy introduces a tiered tariff architecture that differentiates between single-levy and dual-levy sectors, establishing distinct cost environments across trade c…
The Trump administration has implemented tariff measures targeting sixty of the United States primary trading partners to address persistent gaps in how foreign nations manage the movement of goods created through coerced labor. By linking trade levies to supply chain transparency, the administration is enforcing compliance through direct economic …
Canada is preparing possible retaliatory measures if talks with the United States fail to avert a threatened 50% tariff set to take effect by August 19. The prime minister said Ottawa has reintroduced the possibility of countermeasures after having removed many such tariffs last September, and described recent exchanges with U.S. officials as refle…
The European Central Bank is examining several policy options aimed at reducing the financial losses faced across the Eurosystem, with a decisive conversation expected in the autumn, according to four sources. Measures being considered range from raising minimum reserve requirements to reintroducing tiered deposit rates or even charging banks fees.…
The European Central Bank will take up the question of increasing the minimum reserves that commercial banks must hold, ECB President Christine Lagarde said, a step that could reduce interest costs the Eurosystem pays on excess liquidity and help limit losses at some national central banks. Although the change was not discussed at the latest Govern…
Over the past year U.S. bond returns have been modest while their five-year performance is negative. International equity and developed-market ETFs, particularly those tied to Europe and Japan, have outpaced U.S. bond benchmarks, a divergence driven by higher U.S. rates, relatively firmer U.S. inflation, and differing central bank stances.
Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields climbed to their highest level since January 2025 after oil rallied above $90 per barrel following reported strikes on two Saudi tankers. The move has increased concerns about inflation and raised the probability traders assign to a Federal Reserve rate increase at the July 29 policy meeting.
Two major Israeli banks plan to suspend correspondent banking arrangements with Palestinian banks in the coming months, citing heightened risks of involvement in terrorism financing and money laundering. Palestinian and Israeli officials warn the move could disrupt trade, government payments and supply chains that rely heavily on shekel transaction…
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told provincial premiers that Ottawa is intensifying negotiations with the United States and will take necessary measures to defend workers, farmers, businesses and families after President Trump warned of new 50% tariffs on $20 billion of Canadian goods. Provinces are split on response, with Alberta and Saskatch…
The U.S. Treasury has sharply increased issuance of short-term Treasury bills this month to meet a jump in borrowing needs, a move readily absorbed by money market funds but one that heightens exposure to refinancing risk if interest rates climb. While the Treasury emphasizes that most marketable debt remains at fixed rates with maturities of two y…
A World Bank rapid assessment finds that the two earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 produced $19.6 billion in direct physical damage. The estimate covers destroyed residential, non-residential and infrastructure assets in northern regions including the capital, but does not include higher costs tied to rebuilding stronger or clearing debr…
China issued a renewable energy plan that establishes a binding commitment to increase wind and solar power generation by 53% from 2025 to 2030, raise total renewable generation to 1.8 billion tons of coal equivalent by 2030, and expand dispatchable renewable capacity and hydropower storage substantially.
A bipartisan pair of U.S. House members introduced legislation that would permit the Department of Homeland Security to order shutdowns of artificial intelligence models when those systems pose threats to human life or the economy. The 'AI Kill Switch Act,' sponsored by Democrat Ted Lieu and Republican Nathaniel Moran, defines a trigger as a 'loss-…
The South African Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee opted to leave the key policy rate at 7% on Thursday, surprising most economists who had forecast a 25 basis point increase. The committee said the existing stance remained appropriate after a rate increase at its previous meeting in May. The decision was not unanimous, and markets, includi…
Sweden has declared the extraction of critical metals and rare earth minerals a national security interest, a policy shift intended to accelerate planning and permitting, draw investment into domestic projects and lessen Europe’s dependence on Chinese mining and refining capacity. The designation targets faster land allocation for mines and contemp…
Statistics Canada reported that Canadian retail sales rose 1.0% to $73.7 billion in May, with increases recorded in all nine retail subsectors. An advance estimate indicates a 0.4% rise in June, which would represent six straight months of growth if confirmed. Notable moves included a 3.1% gain at gasoline stations and a 0.7% rise at motor vehicle …
