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.
2,617 total articles
Geopolitical diplomacy in Geneva, mixed signals from the technology sector and fresh inflation-related data are keeping markets subdued as many Asian bourses observe Lunar New Year holidays. Tokyo-focused tech optimism lifted Japan’s Nikkei, while central bank commentary and upcoming data releases, including Fed minutes, UK and French CPI reports, …
Asian share markets moved higher on Wednesday even as investor anxiety over artificial intelligence persisted. Oil prices recovered modestly after Tehran and Washington reported progress in nuclear discussions, while safe-haven assets and government bond yields saw modest shifts. The New Zealand dollar weakened following the Reserve Bank of New Zea…
Asian equities opened higher on Wednesday even as lingering uncertainty about the economic impact of artificial intelligence continued to unsettle investors. Oil prices eased after Iran and the United States reported progress on guiding principles in nuclear negotiations, reducing near-term risk of supply disruption. Currency moves reflected centra…
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand held its official cash rate at 2.25%, noting that headline inflation rose to 3.1% in the December 2025 quarter but is expected to fall back within the 1% to 3% target band by the March quarter and drift toward the 2% midpoint over the next year. The central bank said earlier rate cuts have supported a gradual recover…
The U.S. dollar remained largely steady as investors balanced renewed geopolitical concerns with reports of diplomatic progress in Geneva and awaited minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting. Asian markets were thin due to Lunar New Year holidays, while currency moves responded to Japanese manufacturing data, an expected hold by New Zeala…
Pay settlements reported by employers in the UK rose to a median basic award of 3.2% in the three months to the end of January, edging up from 3% recorded across 2025. The Brightmine sample suggests an initial tilt toward higher settlements as firms compete for staff, though employers remain cautious amid broader economic challenges and a spring in…
The International Monetary Fund does not endorse any specific valuation for the Japanese yen, IMF mission chief for Japan Rahul Anand said, stressing that the currency’s level is the outcome of market dynamics and that Japan maintains a flexible exchange-rate regime. When pressed on whether circumstances might prompt Japanese authorities to interve…
Japan's merchandise exports rose 16.8% year-on-year in January, marking a fifth straight month of growth, buoyed by strong shipments to China ahead of the Lunar New Year. Despite the export rebound, broader economic data showed the country only managed meagre growth in the fourth quarter, with weaker-than-expected exports and capital expenditure ci…
U.S. equity benchmarks finished the session marginally higher after a day of choppy trading as investors balanced concerns about corporate spending on artificial intelligence and its economic implications with encouraging signs from Iran on nuclear negotiations with the United States. Technology names recovered from early losses while transports be…
A survey by the European Travel Commission projects international arrivals to Europe will increase 6.2%, driven by a 28% surge in visitors from China and a 9% rise from India. Growth from the Americas is forecast at a more modest 4.2%, signaling the first signs of a post-pandemic cooling in U.S. demand amid economic and geopolitical worries.
A panel of independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council says millions of documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein point to a network whose actions may reach the legal threshold of crimes against humanity. The experts called for impartial investigations and raised concerns about redaction failures that exposed victim information…
President Donald Trump announced that Japan has initiated the first wave of investments tied to a $550 billion pledge to the United States. The initial projects, described as being in "strategic areas," include oil and gas development in Texas, a gas-fired power plant in Ohio and a critical minerals facility in Georgia. The president attributed the…
San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly said Tuesday that the Fed must rigorously examine the data to determine whether artificial intelligence is materially increasing productivity and allowing faster economic growth without producing inflationary pressure. While some in government and portions of the economics profession argue AI is alr…
Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr said the central bank is likely to hold interest rates steady "for some time" as officials weigh evolving inflation risks and incoming economic data. Speaking to the New York Association for Business Economics, Barr emphasized a cautious approach, saying policymakers need signs that goods price inflation is sus…
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani intends to put forward a preliminary budget that would include the city’s first property tax increase in more than two decades, paired with withdrawals from reserve funds, to help close a $5 billion gap. The proposal arrives after state aid announcements and follows the mayor’s warning of a larger two-year deficit…
Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said the Federal Reserve could enact several additional interest rate reductions in 2026 if inflation demonstrably returns to the central bank's 2% objective. He cautioned that a recent softer consumer price reading was influenced by base effects and pointed out that services inflation remains high, urging poli…
U.S. homebuilder confidence fell in February as high land and construction costs, elevated house prices relative to incomes and scarce lots keep many potential buyers sidelined. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index dropped one point to 36, remaining below the 50 threshold for a 22nd consecutive month, while bui…
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Tuesday the Trump administration is considering adjustments to how broad steel and aluminum tariffs are applied to ease compliance burdens on businesses, while keeping the primary metals duties intact. The potential changes respond to complaints from companies and pressure from trading partners, though …
The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has proposed eliminating the country's long-standing prime lending rate as a reference in financial contracts and replacing it with its policy rate. A SARB discussion paper argues the prime rate has become largely administrative, citing its fixed 350 basis point spread above the policy rate since 2001. The prim…
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee told CNBC that the Fed could enact "several more" interest rate cuts in 2026 if inflation demonstrably returns to the central bank's 2% target. He cautioned that recent weak headline inflation partly reflected base effects and stressed services inflation remains "not tame," while noting good…
Statistics Canada reported that consumer prices rose 2.3% year over year in January, down from 2.4% in December. A sharp decline in gasoline prices was the main driver of the slowdown, while core measures excluding food and energy held near recent levels and shelter costs continued to climb at a slower pace.
Canada's Consumer Price Index rose 2.3% year over year in January, down slightly from December's 2.4% reading. A steep drop in gasoline prices was the main factor in the headline slowdown, while core measures excluding gasoline held steady at 3.0%. Shelter inflation eased to 1.7%, the first sub-2.0% print in nearly five years.
The National Bank of Romania kept its policy interest rate unchanged at 6.50% in its February meeting. Policymakers are set to publish the quarterly Inflation Report on Wednesday, which will update inflation projections. The bank signalled no major near-term change to its inflation outlook and reiterated expectations that inflation will drop sharpl…
U.S. stock index futures fell modestly Tuesday as investors returned from a long weekend worried that artificial intelligence could upend business models in software, brokerage and logistics sectors. Tech names led declines while futures tracked losses across major indexes. Markets also focused on corporate earnings and a key inflation report that …
Kevin Warsh, nominated to lead the Federal Reserve, has argued for a materially smaller central bank balance sheet. But analysts and economists say the Fed’s present operating framework and the banking system’s demand for reserves make a significant contraction difficult without substantial regulatory and operational changes - moves that would take…
