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.
2,629 total articles
U.S. equity futures rose after remarks from President Donald Trump raised hopes the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran could be drawing to a close sooner than his prior four-to-five-week estimate. Crude and natural gas prices eased from the worrying $120 per barrel threshold, providing relief to battered travel stocks. Yet Iran's declaration that an o…
Canadian S&P/TSX March futures climbed 0.4% early Tuesday, supported by gains in gold even as oil tumbled following remarks that the Middle East conflict might abate. Market participants remain cautious in Canada’s resource-heavy benchmark, with attention turning to upcoming U.S. inflation figures and Canada’s jobs report ahead of the Bank of Canad…
Two European central bank policymakers said the outbreak of conflict in Iran and resulting energy price volatility could materially change Europe's economic trajectory, but warned the ECB should not react hastily. Gediminas Simkus of Lithuania and Madis Muller of Estonia urged a measured approach ahead of the ECB's March 19 policy meeting, stressin…
The Japanese government has announced an ambition to raise annual sales of domestically produced semiconductors to 40 trillion yen by 2040, a fivefold increase from current levels. The goal extends an existing 2030 target and will be supported by broader public investment and forthcoming detailed roadmaps to be integrated into next year’s budget pl…
U.S. equity futures rose and oil prices eased after President Donald Trump said the week-long conflict involving Iran could be over "very soon," though Tehran has signaled it is prepared to continue fighting and may disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Traders parsed mixed signals from the White House, volatility returned to risk assets o…
Estonian central bank Governor Madis Muller told a Vilnius conference audience that the likelihood the European Central Bank's next policy move will be a rate increase has risen in recent weeks. He urged the ECB to assess whether the recent jump in energy prices and its pass-through to inflation will be temporary or more persistent, while stressing…
Standard Chartered and Morgan Stanley have moved their expected timing for the Bank of England's first rate cut into the second quarter, citing elevated inflation risks from a sharp rise in oil and gas prices tied to the Middle East conflict. Markets are pricing a high probability that the BoE will leave rates unchanged at its March meeting, while …
Reserve Bank of Australia Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser said a true policy debate is likely at the board meeting next week as uncertainty from the Middle East conflict pushes oil prices higher. Hauser stressed the policy response will hinge on the magnitude and persistence of the resulting price shock, while also pointing to softer consumption and …
Global markets briefly rallied on remarks from President Donald Trump that the conflict with Iran could be "very complete" and "over soon," but those gains were checked after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards vowed they would decide the war's end and hardliners declared continued oil blockade plans. Brent crude plunged as much as 11% to $88.05 a barrel b…
China's exports surged in the January-February period, lifting the trade surplus to $213.6 billion and keeping the country on course for a record-breaking year. Exports rose 21.8% in U.S. dollar terms, far exceeding recent monthly gains and beating consensus expectations. Imports also posted strong growth, while domestic factory earnings remain und…
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s views on monetary policy were interrogated in parliament after reports she raised concerns about further rate hikes during a meeting with Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said the premier made no specific policy requests and underscored the legal balance between the BOJ’s autonomy …
Asian equities jumped and crude prices slumped at the start of trading after U.S. President Donald Trump said the Middle East war could be "over soon." The move followed a volatile session in which oil initially spiked, Wall Street sold off and then recovered, leaving investors to weigh upbeat rhetoric from Washington against defiant actions in Ira…
The dollar eased from recent safe-haven highs as markets reacted to comments suggesting the Middle East fighting might be more limited than feared. Brent crude fell sharply from Monday’s peaks, while risk-sensitive currencies and equities steadied. Traders remained cautious amid conflicting signals from U.S. remarks and Iran’s rejection of those as…
National Australia Bank's business survey recorded unchanged conditions in February at the long-run average, while business confidence fell into negative territory for the first time in nearly a year amid higher borrowing costs and rising input expenses. Sales and investment signals were positive, but labour and cost pressures climbed and retail pr…
Revised government data show Japan's economy expanded faster in October-December 2025 than initially reported, driven by a sharp rise in corporate capital expenditure. The upgrade raises fourth-quarter GDP growth to 1.3% annualised, while household spending and the fallout from the Middle East conflict pose near-term risks to domestic demand and fu…
The Canadian government has cleared TikTok to continue operating in Canada and greenlit an investment by the platform after completing a national security review. The decision is conditional on legally binding undertakings from TikTok Canada, including measures to better protect Canadian user data, enhanced protections for minors, an independent th…
President Donald Trump told reporters that he expects the military confrontation with Iran to conclude soon but indicated it is unlikely to end this week. He said the U.S. will lift certain oil-related sanctions temporarily to help stabilize supplies and reduce prices, while offering few specifics on which measures will be relaxed.
A federal jury in Manhattan found brothers Oren, Tal and Alon Alexander guilty on charges tied to an indictment alleging they lured women and girls to exclusive gatherings where they were allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted. The three had pleaded not guilty and were detained in Brooklyn since their December 2024 arrest. The trial included test…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell placed 13 brief phone calls with U.S. lawmakers in the week following his January 11 disclosure that the Department of Justice had opened an investigation into his congressional comments. The calendar entries, each recording 10 or 15 minute conversations, occurred in the days after Powell said in a rare Sunday ev…
Global equity markets opened under heavy selling pressure as the conflict with Iran entered a second week and crude surged, at one point climbing as much as 30% above $100 a barrel. Asian and European bourses fell sharply, but major U.S. indexes reversed early losses to finish higher after remarks from President Donald Trump signaled the war may be…
U.S. crude has surged roughly 50% to top $100 a barrel in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, provoking a sharp uptick in market volatility and prompting investors to reassess risks to corporate margins, consumer spending and Federal Reserve policy. The jump has driven gasoline prices higher, weighed on consumer-facing stocks and tightened th…
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that oil production dependent on shipments through the Strait of Hormuz may cease entirely within a month, as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has disrupted a vital transit corridor and sent oil prices above $100 per barrel. Putin said storage in the region is filling with oil that cannot be moved or is costly to…
Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad is expected to leave his cabinet post by the end of next week to launch a campaign for governor of São Paulo, four sources said. The move, reportedly encouraged by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, comes as polls show a close national race and ahead of a Datafolha survey in São Paulo that places Haddad …
As The Wealth of Nations marks its 250th birthday, the arguments of Adam Smith retain striking relevance to current debates over tariffs, monopoly power and wealth distribution. The book pairs robust support for trade and market mechanisms with explicit concerns about concentrated wealth and the capture of public policy by powerful interests. Schol…
A sharp jump in oil and energy prices has revived investor concern that a prolonged Middle East conflict could trigger stagflation similar to the 1970s. The move higher in Brent crude and European gas is complicating policy choices for central banks, pressuring bond markets and reshaping safe-haven flows, with Europe and the UK appearing particular…
