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.
2,588 total articles
Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, found the average 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.46% and the 15-year fixed at 5.77%. Both rates rose modestly from the prior week, while remaining below or near year-ago levels. Freddie Mac’s chief economist encouraged prospective buyers to obtain multiple quotes to potentially save thou…
Iran is working with Oman on a protocol to oversee vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran’s deputy foreign minister said. The measure is described as intended to improve safety and services for ships rather than to restrict navigation. The announcement follows international debate over how to reopen the waterway after Tehran effectiv…
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Lorie Logan told an audience at the bank that the Middle East war has introduced notable uncertainty into the U.S. outlook. She said the Fed is prepared to adjust monetary policy in response to incoming data, expressed concern about weak payroll gains, and reiterated the priority of returning inflation to 2%…
President Donald Trump announced he will sign an order to provide pay for Department of Homeland Security employees, praising Republican leaders for moving a plan to fund Border Patrol and Immigration Enforcement officers and criticizing Democratic leaders over immigration policy and election implications.
Dallas Federal Reserve President Lorie Logan outlined options for reducing the Federal Reserve's balance sheet while retaining the benefits of the current ample reserves system. She emphasized the system's effectiveness, cautioned against forcing banks to cut reserves, and pointed to regulatory changes and broadened liquidity access as potential wa…
Dallas Federal Reserve President Lorie Logan described pathways the Fed could take to reduce its balance sheet while preserving the liquidity framework that supports interest-rate control and financial stability. She emphasized the current ample-reserves system is effective and warned that forcing banks to cut reserves could raise systemic risk. Lo…
Bank of America has trimmed its forecast for India's fiscal 2027 GDP growth to 6.5% from 7.0% and raised its inflation projection to 5.2% from 4.7%, citing a revised crude oil baseline and emerging signs of economic stress tied to an extended energy price shock stemming from the Middle East conflict.
Canada recorded a substantially larger merchandise trade deficit in February, with imports jumping to a record C$72.1 billion driven in large part by a 45.6% rise in metal and non-metallic mineral product imports led by gold. Exports advanced but not enough to offset the import surge, leaving a C$5.74 billion deficit and reducing Canada’s share of …
Three paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse stolen from the Fondazione Magnani Rocca near Parma on the night of March 22 were likely not covered by commercial insurance, market sources said. An underwriter cited the prohibitive cost of cover for works in permanent collections. The robbery reportedly took just three minu…
Apollo Global Management's president defended the structure of private credit funds after a recent wave of retail redemption requests, saying limitations on withdrawals were disclosed and working as designed. He also flagged uneven communication from some distribution channels and noted Gulf sovereign wealth funds' investment focus could shift towa…
French President Emmanuel Macron said a military campaign to force open the Strait of Hormuz would be impractical and risky, arguing that reopening the strategic waterway must occur through consultation with Iran and international cooperation once hostilities cease. He also declined to comment on a U.S.-led operation with Israel and criticized pers…
Bank of America now anticipates the Bank of England will raise interest rates twice in mid-2026 and then move to cut rates through 2027, driven by a view that elevated energy prices linked to the Middle East conflict will sustain inflationary pressure. The bank expects a sequence of hikes in June and July 2026 and three cuts in 2027, while warning …
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…
