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.
5,182 total articles
Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Federal Reserve chair, was advanced by the Senate Banking Committee to the full Senate after winning unanimous Republican support on the panel. The committee vote coincided with Jerome Powell presiding over what officials expect to be his final Federal Open Market Committee meeting, at which the pol…
The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran could access a stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium located at sites struck by US forces, and that satellite imagery indicates much of the material remains where it was last observed near Isfahan. IAEA inspections of those sites have not taken place for 10 months, and negotiations between Washingt…
The Bank of Canada held its policy rate at 2.25% on Wednesday, choosing policy stability while monitoring higher energy prices and shifting U.S. trade policies. Officials said headline inflation has risen following a jump in gasoline prices but core measures remain close to target, and growth is projected to strengthen gradually through 2028 provid…
The Bank of Canada left its policy rate unchanged and signalled that future adjustments would likely be small if the economy unfolds as projected. Governor Tiff Macklem cautioned that persistent high oil prices, compounded by uncertainty from the Middle East war and U.S. tariffs, could push inflation higher and necessitate consecutive rate increase…
The Bank of Canada left its key policy rate unchanged at a target overnight rate of 2.25%, citing heightened global volatility driven by the conflict in the Middle East and ongoing shifts in US trade policy. The institution's April projections assume tariffs are unchanged and that the global benchmark oil price falls to US$75 per barrel by mid-2027…
The Bank of Canada kept its policy interest rate at 2.25% and outlined a baseline outlook in which the economy grows modestly while inflation, temporarily pushed higher by rising gasoline and food prices, is expected to return to the 2% target if oil prices decline as markets currently expect. The Governing Council said policy adjustments may be sm…
The Bank of Canada modestly raised its forecasts for real GDP growth in 2026 and 2027 in its quarterly monetary policy outlook, citing a baseline that assumes U.S. tariffs stay unchanged and oil prices gradually fall to $75 a barrel by mid-2027. The central bank projects 2026 growth at 1.2% (up from 1.1%) and 2027 growth at 1.6% (up from 1.5%). On …
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) says the UK economy will be roughly a335 billion smaller across 2026 and 2027 combined than it previously expected, even assuming a rapid resolution to the recent Middle East conflict. The institute has downgraded GDP growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027 and flagged higher inflation, a sl…
Iran’s currency fell to a record low of 1,810,000 rials per U.S. dollar as demand built up during six weeks of fighting suddenly entered the open market. Economic strains from export suspensions, a Gulf shipping blockade and rising inflation are tightening pressure on foreign-currency supplies, increasing the risk of further price instability and r…
Mortgage applications declined 1.6% last week as interest rates nudged higher, with the average 30-year fixed rate rising to 6.37% from 6.35%. Refinancing activity dropped 4% for the week but remains substantially above year-ago levels, while purchase applications posted a small weekly increase and were higher year over year amid greater housing in…
A government monthly economic report says India’s economy remains resilient after 7.6% real GDP growth in the prior fiscal year, but that the West Asia conflict is creating significant headwinds. The report highlights rising crude oil prices, accelerating wholesale inflation, weaker merchandise exports and potential stress on remittances and labour…
The Democratic Republic of Congo is forecast to expand by 6.2% this year, up from 5.8% last year, Central Bank Governor Andre Wameso said in Kinshasa. With $7.7 billion in foreign reserves and annual inflation at 2.36%, the bank is monitoring external risks tied to the Strait of Hormuz and global demand for raw materials. The central bank plans to …
A monthly government economic bulletin released Wednesday says India’s economy is demonstrating resilience but is increasingly exposed to spillovers from the West Asia war. The conflict has disrupted energy, fertilizer and industrial inputs, lifted costs at the producer level, weakened merchandise exports and could weigh on remittances and labour m…
Germany's EU-harmonised inflation accelerated to 2.9% year-on-year in April, lifted predominantly by a 10.1% annual jump in oil and natural gas prices linked to the war-related disruption of key shipping lanes. Core inflation, excluding food and energy, fell to 2.3% from 2.5%, leaving broader price pressures subdued for the moment. Analysts warned …
An extended closure of the Strait of Hormuz combined with extreme weather conditions and higher input costs has pushed a broad measure of crop prices to the strongest level since November 2023. Tightening fertilizer availability and reduced planting in several producing regions have elevated prices for staple commodities such as wheat and corn, rai…
SoFi Technologies posted a first-quarter profit that doubled year-over-year as record loan originations and membership expansion drove revenue gains. Total loan originations reached $12.2 billion, member count rose 35% to 14.7 million, and adjusted revenue climbed to a record $1.1 billion. The results come as lenders see stronger loan demand despit…
Average 30-year fixed mortgage rates in the United States rose by 2 basis points to 6.37% for the week ended April 24, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Overall mortgage applications fell 1.6%, weighed down by a 4% decline in refinancing, even as purchase applications climbed 2% during the traditional spring buying season. Lenders repo…
Sberbank has reduced its projection for Russia’s 2026 gross domestic product growth to between 0.5% and 1% from a prior 1% to 1.5%, following a challenging first quarter marked by contractions in January and February. The lender pointed to tight monetary conditions and sectoral weakness in mining, manufacturing, retail and construction, and project…
Ireland's Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) recorded a 3.6% annual increase in April, unchanged from March, with monthly prices up 0.4%. Core inflation slowed to 2.3%. Separate preliminary figures show GDP falling 2.0% quarter-on-quarter and 6.0% year-on-year in the first quarter. Retail sales volumes rose modestly in March and February da…
The European Commission has approved a temporary framework to expand state aid for businesses facing higher fuel and fertilizer costs after oil prices rose when the Strait of Hormuz was closed amid the Iran war. The measures, valid until the end of the year, allow compensation of up to 70% of extra costs for agriculture, fishery and transport firms…
Federal Reserve officials last convened just after the U.S.-led war on Iran began and had limited evidence beyond a sharp rise in gasoline prices to judge its economic implications. In the weeks since, incoming data have clarified some trends - most notably higher headline inflation - while leaving core elements of the Fed’s policy calculus, such a…
The Senate Banking Committee voted along party lines to advance Kevin Warsh's nomination to lead the Federal Reserve, setting up a full Senate confirmation vote expected the week of May 11. The move comes as Jerome Powell chairs what is widely anticipated to be his final policy meeting and as questions persist about the future composition of the Fe…
The Federal Reserve is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at its latest policy meeting, with officials debating whether to warn that rising energy costs could push underlying inflation higher. Elevated global oil prices tied to the U.S.-led conflict with Iran have renewed concerns that a temporary energy shock could require interest …
Jerome Powell’s term as Federal Reserve chair, bookended by nominations from different presidents and marked by both market turbulence and bold crisis response, appears to be drawing to a close. His leadership encompassed early friction with President Donald Trump over rate increases, a sweeping and unconventional Fed reaction to the COVID-19 shock…
The Bank of Canada is widely expected to keep its policy rate at 2.25% on April 29 while publishing fresh forecasts in its quarterly Monetary Policy Report. The projections will be the first since the February 28 onset of the Iran war, an event that has pushed crude and gasoline prices higher and prompted scrutiny over whether the shock will broade…
