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.
5,165 total articles
U.S. equity futures moved higher early Thursday as reports circulated that Washington and Tehran are negotiating a compact framework that could kick-start peace talks next week in Pakistan. Oil prices slipped from recent peaks yet stayed close to $100 a barrel amid lingering concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, while energy and chip sectors reacted …
Japan appears to have stepped into currency markets during the Golden Week holidays to prevent the yen slipping beyond the psychologically important 160-per-dollar level, a former central bank official who previously took part in Tokyo interventions said. Authorities are likely to act again if the yen renews its slide below that threshold, and offi…
The European Central Bank says the euro zone has seen measurable advances in financial integration across debt markets and banking since 2022, but equity markets remain fragmented, with cross-border investment at unusually low levels. The ECB supports European Commission measures to deepen integration but cautions that entrenched national barriers …
Asian equity markets extended their runaway gains as Japan's Nikkei returned from a holiday to join record-setting rallies across South Korea and Taiwan, fueled by strong tech earnings and renewed enthusiasm for artificial intelligence. Oil prices remained around $100 per barrel amid hopes for a deal to end the Middle East conflict, while the yen's…
According to reports from Bloomberg News citing sources familiar with the matter, China's financial regulator has directed its largest banking institutions to temporarily suspend the issuance of new loans to five specific refineries. These entities were recently placed under sanctions by the United States due to their perceived connections to Irani…
The United States has implemented an abrupt suspension of its maritime escort initiative, known as "Project Freedom," following significant diplomatic pushback from Saudi Arabia. According to reports citing U.S. officials, the decision to halt the operation in the Strait of Hormuz came after the Kingdom expressed anger over the Sunday afternoon ann…
The OECD says New Zealand is emerging from over two years of economic weakness but the recovery is fragile and vulnerable to renewed inflation, high energy prices, persistent low productivity and ageing-related fiscal pressures. The report projects modest growth through 2027, notes the impact of recent Reserve Bank cuts on domestic demand, and urge…
U.S. and Chinese officials are exploring the launch of formal discussions on artificial intelligence ahead of a planned summit in Beijing next week between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping. The talks would focus on risks such as unpredictable model behavior, autonomous military applications and AI-enabled attacks by non-state actors.…
A quarterly survey by Incomes Data Research found the median annual pay award among major British private sector employers held at 3.5% in the January to March period. The report noted a possible uptick in higher-value pay awards in April following a 4.1% rise in the National Living Wage to 12.71 pounds an hour.
Chinese exporters say President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to Beijing this month is unlikely to upend their operations. After a turbulent 2025 when tariffs spiked briefly to triple-digit levels, many firms report steady U.S. demand, expanding sales into new regions and stronger domestic supply chains. Beijing's export controls on key inputs such…
A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Department of Justice may keep possession of ballots and records seized during an FBI search of Fulton County's election hub in January. The decision denies Fulton County's request for the return of original materials and permits the FBI to retain over 600 boxes of 2020 ballots while a criminal inquiry contin…
Global stocks climbed to fresh highs on optimism that a U.S.-Iran peace agreement could be near, while a burst of AI-related spending plans and robust U.S. corporate profits fueled gains in technology shares. Energy markets fell sharply, driving oil down and lifting precious metals, even as emerging markets demonstrated unusual resilience to the en…
Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee warned that the U.S.-backed war against Iran is behaving predominantly as an inflationary shock so far, with limited observable effects on employment and economic growth. Speaking on a video call with journalists after attending a conference in Los Angeles, Goolsbee said rising supply-chain complica…
A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York finds that lower-income American households reduced gasoline spending in March after adjusting for higher prices, while higher-income households sustained their fuel outlays. The pattern resembles the K-shaped consumption response seen after the 2022 surge in fuel costs, and gasoline prices have co…
The International Monetary Fund has advised Angola to apply higher oil revenues toward rebuilding fiscal buffers and cutting debt rather than boosting public spending in the run-up to the 2027 elections. IMF resident representative Victor Lledo told reporters in Luanda that extraordinary oil receipts should be used to lower domestic financing needs…
Clorox Co completed a $1.5 billion debt offering split into three SEC-registered senior unsecured tranches with maturities of five, seven and 10 years. Coupon rates range from 4.700% to 5.250% and the notes are expected to carry Baa1 and BBB ratings from Moody's and S&P respectively. Proceeds will repay outstanding borrowings under a delayed draw t…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned that shortages of sterile pads, sponges and strips used in neurosurgery could last until the end of 2026. The agency added these neurosurgical patties, sponges and strips to its medical device shortages list after a recall of Medline Industries' neuro sponge line in March for elevated endotoxin levels. T…
U.S. military units fired on and disabled an Iranian-flagged oil tanker identified as M/T Hasna on Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel attempted to breach a blockade on Iranian ports, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X. The tanker, which was not carrying cargo, was prevented from reaching its intended Iranian destination.
South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago told investors that policymakers must keep interest-rate options open as geopolitical shocks push fuel prices higher and inflation expectations stay above the 3% target. Although headline inflation has edged down in recent months and debt dynamics appear to be stabilising, the governor said suppl…
Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee cautioned that rising productivity does not guarantee lower inflation. If households and firms expect higher productivity in the future, their present-day spending could accelerate, potentially overheating the economy and prompting higher interest rates. The debate over productivity's net effect on …
President Donald Trump told reporters at a White House event that Iran wants to negotiate and that U.S. efforts in Iran are proceeding smoothly. Iran is reviewing a new U.S. proposal, while sources say Washington and Tehran are nearing a one-page memorandum intended to end hostilities in the Gulf and defer complex matters like Iran's nuclear progra…
Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee cautioned that rising productivity does not guarantee lower inflation. Speaking at a Milken Institute conference in Los Angeles, he argued that if households, firms and investors spend more because they expect future productivity gains, that increased demand could overheat the economy and require hi…
The International Monetary Fund and Serbian authorities have concluded a staff-level agreement on the third review of a 36-month Policy Coordination Instrument designed to facilitate external financing and support economic reforms. The IMF projects modest near-term growth, a stronger rebound in 2027, and higher inflation ahead, while stressing fisc…
A Statistics Canada study finds that 16.3% of Canadian millennials aged 25 to 39 were living with at least one parent in 2021, roughly double the rate experienced by baby boomers at the same age in 1991. The pattern is strongest in costly metropolitan areas such as Toronto and Vancouver and is associated with changes in education and family formati…
Minutes from a recent Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee meeting show officials debated a proposal for the Treasury to place some of its excess cash in the overnight repurchase (repo) market. The move would mark a change from holding most reserves at the Federal Reserve and could return liquidity to short-term funding markets while seeking modes…
