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.
5,177 total articles
Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee characterized recent inflation readings as "bad news," saying they strengthen the case for the Fed to hold off on interest-rate reductions until there is firmer evidence that price pressures are returning to the 2% target. He highlighted inflation spreading into services and cited oil-price moves an…
Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee described last week’s inflation figures as "bad news" for the Federal Reserve, saying the 3.5% annual pace of the PCE price index in March means policymakers should be cautious about cutting interest rates until they have confidence inflation is moving back toward the 2% target. Goolsbee also highli…
A prolonged shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz is amplifying recessionary risks for the Eurozone by reducing available oil supplies, tightening global inventories, and fracturing supply chains. Analysts at BCA warn that, despite recent market rallies, the physical shortage and deteriorating forward indicators increase the likelihood of a downturn and…
Bank of America economists, citing International Labour Organization data, estimate that roughly 838 million roles worldwide - about one in four jobs - are exposed to generative AI. The analysis highlights heightened vulnerability among younger workers, women and higher-educated employees, and shows wide variation by country income level.
Reform UK is moderating its tax-cut rhetoric after its newly elected local administrations encountered binding statutory costs and sizeable budget gaps. Nine councils under Reform control have raised council tax by an average of 3.9% this fiscal year, and several areas are imposing increases up to the legally permitted limit before a referendum. Pa…
A Marshall Islands-flagged supertanker carrying 45,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and linked to India is navigating the Strait of Hormuz toward the Gulf of Oman, a significant movement amid a near-standstill in traffic caused by a U.S. blockade on Iran-tied shipping and recent Iranian attacks. The cargo, purchased by state-run Indian Oil…
An analysis by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) estimates that a U.S. tariff increase on cars and trucks to 25% could reduce German output by almost 15 billion euros in the near term, with potential longer-term losses of about 30 billion euros. The move highlights the vulnerability of Germany and other auto-dependent European economie…
The United States has intensified efforts to sever a major channel of Iranian oil revenue by focusing on privately owned Chinese refiners known as 'teapots' and the shipping firms that move their cargo. U.S. sanctions recently named a unit of Hengli Petrochemical and about 40 related shipping companies, accusing them of purchasing billions of dolla…
California voters will decide in November whether to adopt the "2026 Billionaire Tax Act," a proposed one-time 5% levy on net worth above $1 billion. The measure, backed by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, aims to raise roughly $100 billion over five years for healthcare programs and to offset federal Medica…
Bank of America Global Research describes the nuclear fuel market as entering the early phase of a multi-decade development cycle. Analysts highlight a materially different - and potentially more durable - 'third nuclear build wave' driven by priorities such as energy security, decarbonization and increasing electricity demand. Tightening physical …
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives in Hanoi to meet Vietnamese leader To Lam for high-level talks intended to revive the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership created in 2023. The visit follows a 75% year-on-year decline in new Japanese investment pledges to Vietnam, prompting discussions on business climate reforms alongside cooperation …
President Donald Trump said U.S. naval forces have acted "like pirates" while carrying out seizures of Iranian vessels during the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, highlighting the financial gains from captured cargo and oil. The comments come amid dual blockades - U.S. operations targeting Iranian ports and Iran's own restriction on the Str…
The administration approved more than $8.6 billion in military sales to four Middle Eastern partners by bypassing the usual congressional review through emergency waivers. The State Department said the moves were required to address immediate defense needs while tensions persist following recent military exchanges with Iran and a fragile ceasefire.
A U.S. magistrate judge in Minneapolis has ruled that the Department of Justice may use active-duty military lawyers to prosecute civilians in cases without a military nexus, finding that congressional statutes create exceptions to the Posse Comitatus Act. The decision arose from a challenge by a Minnesota defendant who sought to disqualify a Judge…
Lawmakers in California, Illinois and Colorado are advancing bills to prevent private-equity firms and other corporate investors from acquiring law firms or exerting control through Management Services Organizations (MSOs). Proposals include closing perceived loopholes that allow non-lawyers to influence legal operations, prohibiting revenue-sharin…
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a temporary stay that stops the distribution of mifepristone by mail, overturning an FDA regulatory practice that allowed providers to prescribe the drug via telemedicine and ship it directly to patients. The action stems from a Louisiana lawsuit arguing the FDA’s removal…
UPS is expanding its foothold in high-margin healthcare logistics, a move the company says makes it more resilient to economic swings even as geopolitical tensions around Iran raise fuel costs and growth concerns. The firm has reported record healthcare revenue quarters and shifted its business mix away from low-margin e-commerce parcels toward spe…
President Trump directed the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, including an army combat brigade and the cancellation of plans to station a long-range conventional missile battalion. The move follows public criticism from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of U.S. leadership on the Iran war and comes as Washington signals a reallocation of…
The U.S. Treasury is expected to keep coupon auction sizes unchanged for a ninth consecutive quarter when it issues its quarterly financing estimates on May 4 and its refunding announcement on May 6. A potentially large wave of tariff refunds tied to a legal ruling is refocusing attention on whether, and when, the Treasury will move to boost issuan…
World Health Organization member states have extended discussions on the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex, postponing the activation of the pandemic treaty adopted in May 2025. The talks aim to set procedures for rapid sharing of pathogen data and samples while securing fair access to resulting vaccines, tests and treatments. WHO Di…
Trade along the Colombia-Ecuador frontier has been largely halted after Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa activated a 100% tariff Friday on unspecified imports, an increase from measures first applied in February. Bogotá moved on Thursday to formalize tiered duties of 35%, 50% and 75% on roughly 190 Ecuadorean products. Quito says the move responds…
President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will unveil steps to boost private investment in Mexico by radically simplifying bureaucratic procedures. The move follows a government report showing the economy recorded its largest contraction in more than a year in the first quarter and that public investment fell 15.6% in real terms year-on-year, reflecting…
Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said regulators must evaluate how to supervise rapidly advancing artificial intelligence tools such as Anthropic PBC’s Mythos. While the technology can help banks identify vulnerabilities and bolster cyber defenses, officials warned it could also be misused to locate and exploit weaknesses.…
President Donald Trump on Friday issued an executive order authorizing new sanctions on individuals and entities that support Cuba's security apparatus or are implicated in government corruption and serious human rights abuses. The White House did not name specific targets. The measure expands authority for the State and Treasury departments to lev…
Classified World Trade Organization budget documents show the Geneva-based body is planning roughly a 10% cut in expenditures for 2026 after an increase in late or missing member payments, including the United States returning to Category 1 arrears. The cost-saving plan would trim staffing and operating costs and reduce the approved budget until ou…
