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
Global markets moved cautiously as the conflict involving Iran extended into a fourth week. U.S. stock futures fell, oil prices rose further, and investors sought the dollar as a safe haven. President Trump issued an ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Monday night, a demand Tehran rejected. The International Energy Agency warned th…
European stocks tumbled to their lowest level in four months on March 23 as a spike in crude prices and intensifying Middle East conflict drove broad selling. The pan-European STOXX 600 slipped 1.6% to 564.13 points by 0808 GMT, with all sectors in negative territory and industrials the largest detractor. Investors are pricing in renewed inflationa…
Goldman Sachs has revised its euro-area forecast in response to elevated energy-price assumptions resulting from disruptions in the Middle East. The bank now expects the European Central Bank to deliver two 25 basis-point rate hikes in April and June, lifting the deposit rate to 2.5%, while downgrading growth and raising both headline and core infl…
Preliminary results from Japan's annual spring wage negotiations indicate an average pay increase of 5.26% this year, according to Rengo, the country’s largest labour union confederation. The outcome would mark a third straight year of wage growth above 5%, with major companies reported to have met union demands in full. Policymakers and markets ar…
European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos said the ECB cannot stop an initial inflation spike caused by higher energy prices but must intervene if those increases begin to feed through into broader, persistent price rises. The bank kept interest rates on hold last week but signalled readiness to tighten policy should second-round effects…
The Bank of Japan is preparing to amend its policy language next month, a change that would make it easier for the central bank to raise interest rates even if growth shows temporary weakness. Governor Kazuo Ueda signalled a departure from a risk-averse narrative, flagged a new inflation indicator to be disclosed by summer and an updated staff esti…
Markets opened under acute geopolitical pressure after President Trump gave Iran 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to "obliterate" the country's power plants if it did not. Iran replied by warning it could close the strait "completely" and target energy and water infrastructure in neighbouring states. The row has pushed oil and…
Thailand has been instructed to submit written comments to the United States by April 15 in response to a Section 301 trade probe, the country's commerce ministry said. Officials warned that failure to mount a defence could leave Thai exports subject to U.S. tariffs. The probe targets alleged excess production capacity across a range of sectors and…
Global equity markets slid as renewed escalation in the Middle East prompted investors to reduce exposure to assets sensitive to inflation and energy prices. Major Asian bourses and Wall Street logged losses, pushing MSCI's global equities gauge to its weakest level since November. Analysts cite concerns about a lasting impact on energy supplies, r…
Japan's finance ministry is contemplating a reduction in its buyback program for inflation-linked government bonds after market-based inflation expectations climbed, making these securities more attractive to investors. Proposed repurchases of 15 billion yen each for April and June would be a marked cut from recent monthly buybacks of 20 billion ye…
President Donald Trump said any funding agreement for the Department of Homeland Security should be contingent on congressional approval of legislation that would require proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration, the Save America Act. He also indicated he would deploy U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to airports until lawmake…
Escalating retaliatory threats in the Middle East pushed investors toward safe-haven assets on Monday, supporting the U.S. dollar. The greenback sought to reverse last week’s decline as concerns over energy-driven inflation and more hawkish central bank stances weighed on risk appetite. Currency moves, bond yields and equity futures reflected heigh…
Asian equity markets fell and the U.S. dollar strengthened on Monday as threats exchanged between the United States and Iran, together with Israel's expectation of prolonged fighting, intensified uncertainty. Oil swung through volatile moves while shipping and energy-related fuel costs surged, prompting investors to abandon hopes for near-term mone…
Goldman Sachs has raised its oil price forecasts again, citing an extended disruption in Strait of Hormuz flows and heightened structural risks from concentrated global production and limited spare capacity. The bank now expects a sharp near-term rise in Brent, lifted 2026 and longer-dated forecasts, and warns of significant upside in extreme scena…
New Zealand’s long-standing tendency to rely on a buoyant housing market to lift the economy during downturns has faltered. Despite aggressive cuts in the policy rate, house prices remain roughly 20% below their pandemic peak and a combination of global oil-price-driven inflation and domestic weakness is complicating the Reserve Bank’s policy choic…
A Jefferies survey of 30 CIOs and IT decision-makers indicates that increased investments in artificial intelligence are unlikely to come at the expense of cybersecurity funding. Respondents reported that cybersecurity is not expected to be among top areas for budget cuts to finance AI initiatives. Instead, companies are prepared to reallocate fund…
Bank of America suggests the recent selloff in Japanese equities likely represents a short-term bottom after a marked spike in volatility, but cautions that the market remains highly exposed to geopolitical developments tied to the Middle East. The brokerage says stabilization in energy markets - especially around the Strait of Hormuz - would be a …
Concerns about the private credit market have increased, yet Barclays argues the situation today lacks the scale and direct system connections that made the 2008 financial crisis systemic. While market caution and limited contagion have been visible, direct exposures within banks and insurers remain modest and corporate balance sheets are generally…
A widening Middle East confrontation and a sharp rise in energy prices have become the dominant forces shaping investor behavior, pressuring U.S. equities, lifting Treasury yields and reducing expectations for near-term interest rate cuts. Market participants are watching oil prices, the flow of crude through the Strait of Hormuz and key technical …
Israel's defense minister has directed the armed forces to destroy all bridges spanning Lebanon's Litani River and to intensify demolition of homes close to the Israeli frontier. The measures are presented as efforts to impede movement of militants and weapons, and follow recent cross-border attacks that resulted in the first civilian fatality in t…
UBS reports that Eurozone household wealth is greater relative to GDP than in the United States, but the makeup of that wealth differs sharply. The Eurozone’s advantage is driven by real estate holdings, while U.S. households hold a higher share of equities and other financial assets, making American wealth more exposed to stock market movements.
At the China Development Forum in Beijing, Premier Li Qiang said China will further open its economy to foreign companies, expand imports of high-quality goods and work with partners to promote balanced trade, remarks that follow a record $1.2 trillion trade surplus for 2025. Central bank governor Pan Gongsheng and other senior officials sought to …
A sharp climb in oil prices tied to escalating tensions in Iran has raised immediate concerns for consumer equities, with analysts saying the principal danger is pressure on corporate margins rather than an instant collapse in demand. Disruptions to flows through the Strait of Hormuz - a chokepoint that normally carries about 20% of global crude - …
China’s central bank governor has defended the country’s surging goods surplus as a stabilizing force for global markets and said outbound investment and finance redistribute the current account gains worldwide. Senior leaders at a Beijing forum pledged broader services market access and increased imports of high-value items amid concerns from trad…
Tencent has added an integration that places the OpenClaw agent inside WeChat as a contact named ClawBot, enabling the app's users to send commands and receive responses through the messaging interface. The move comes amid a wave of interest in OpenClaw-based agents and competing launches from major Chinese technology companies.
