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.
5,205 total articles
The Russell 2000 recorded its first intraday record high on Friday since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran conflict, joining other major U.S. indexes at all-time highs. The gain follows a correction confirmed less than a month earlier and comes as oil prices fell after reports the Strait of Hormuz reopened, reducing near-term inflation concerns and imp…
Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill said the central bank should prioritise returning inflation to its 2% target above other competing policy trade-offs. He argued that recent shocks stemming from the Middle East conflict and higher energy prices represent a real economic shock that monetary policy cannot absorb fully, and noted the need for a…
U.S. and Iranian negotiators are working on a concise agreement to end the conflict as it nears 50 days, centered on a U.S. proposal to release $20 billion in frozen Iranian assets in return for Iran relinquishing portions of its enriched uranium stockpile and agreeing to a voluntary halt on enrichment for a limited period.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office granted security clearance to Peter Mandelson last year despite objections from vetting officials. The disclosure, tied to Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the United States, has prompted opposition demands for Starmer's resignation and renewed scrut…
A Goldman Sachs note published late Thursday reports that systematic hedge funds increased their equity exposure by $86 billion over the last five trading sessions. The buying - concentrated among trend-following CTAs - coincided with world stocks hovering near record levels and set markets up for a third consecutive week of gains as investors awai…
The European Union's trade surplus narrowed by 60% in February as exports to the United States sank 26.4% year-on-year, Eurostat data released Friday show. Overall EU exports fell 9.3% while imports declined 3.5%. The fall in U.S.-bound shipments follows earlier front-loading in anticipation of tariffs, and comes amid recent changes to U.S. tariff …
U.S. equity markets have recovered to fresh record levels as investors shift focus from conflict-related volatility to corporate earnings. A heavy slate of first-quarter results, led this week by Tesla and including Boeing, Intel and Procter & Gamble, will test whether profit growth can sustain the rally. Elevated oil prices and upcoming economic d…
Global equity funds logged a fourth consecutive week of net inflows in the week through April 15, receiving $31.26 billion as positive corporate results and hopes for a swift resolution to the Iran conflict supported risk appetite. Bond and commodity flows showed mixed signals, while money market funds registered the largest weekly outflow on recor…
U.S. equity futures were largely subdued as investors awaited potential renewed U.S.-Iran negotiations this weekend and monitored a fragile truce between Israel and Lebanon. The calm in the Middle East helped risk appetite but left traders focused on tech and energy-sensitive sectors. Oil prices slipped below $100 a barrel amid hopes for a longer-t…
Financial markets enter the week buoyed by hopes that the conflict in Iran may be nearing an end, yet investors will weigh that optimism against upcoming data showing softer business activity and higher input costs. A confirmation hearing for Kevin Warsh, picked by the U.S. president to lead the Federal Reserve, will test policy direction amid elev…
A Reuters poll of 16 economists points to a small rise in Japan's nationwide core consumer price index in March to 1.8% year-on-year, driven primarily by higher energy costs linked to the Middle East conflict. The rate would be up from February's 1.6% but would remain short of the Bank of Japan's 2% inflation goal for a second month. Officials and …
A Reuters survey of market participants shows China is expected to hold its one-year and five-year loan prime rates steady at 3.00% and 3.50% respectively, extending an 11-month pause. Strong first-quarter GDP growth of 5.0% and the first positive reading in factory-gate prices in over three years have weakened the case for additional rate cuts, wh…
Deutsche Bank now expects the U.S. Federal Reserve to leave interest rates unchanged through 2026, pointing to oil-related inflationary pressures tied to the Middle East conflict, persistent economic growth and a still-tight labour market. The bank had previously forecast a 25-basis-point cut in September but says rate reductions would require soft…
A new wave of Indian apps is expanding low-cost, on-demand domestic help with services priced at about 99 rupees an hour. Startups including Pronto and Snabbit, and listed rival Urban Company, are training thousands of women and scaling bookings rapidly. The model offers pay that can exceed national per capita income levels for some workers but rai…
The International Monetary Fund's European Department head said on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank spring meetings that IMF models point to the European Central Bank raising policy rates by about 50 basis points in 2026 to maintain a neutral monetary stance, with a potential easing in 2027. The recommendation is model-based and not a firm p…
Global markets took a cautious turn as traders priced in the prospect of weekend diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran, sending oil under $100 a barrel and easing some safe-haven flows. Despite the short-term relief, the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed and the possibility of renewed fighting keeps downside risks alive. European equities opene…
Malaysia's economy expanded 5.3% year-on-year in the January-March quarter, official advance estimates show, a slowdown from the 6.3% growth recorded in the final quarter of 2025. Growth in Q1 was supported by continuing strength in manufacturing, services and construction, but mining and quarrying contracted amid lower crude oil and natural gas pr…
Exhibitors at the Canton Fair say the Iran war has driven up the price of plastics, metals and energy, eroding already-thin margins and denting overseas demand. Some manufacturers have passed costs onto buyers, others are absorbing losses or preparing cuts, while hopes for easing U.S. tariffs hinge on a potential presidential visit.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said she left Washington encouraged after two days of intensive discussions with U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. She emphasized Washington’s backing for keeping sanctions on Russia intact, reported steps to deepen U.S.-Ukraine investment cooperation through a reconstruction fund,…
The United States and the Philippines will construct a 4,000-acre industrial complex in the Luzon Economic Corridor after the Philippines joined Pax Silica, a U.S.-led initiative to protect AI and semiconductor supply chains. The move accompanies trilateral commitments with Japan to increase infrastructure investment in the corridor and is presente…
Foreign investors have begun returning to South Korea after a severe March selloff, drawn by demand for AI-related memory chips, corporate governance reforms and steady bond issuance. Yet the episode exposed market concentration in a few AI-linked firms, pronounced equity volatility and currency weakness that complicate the policy landscape and rai…
The U.S. dollar moved toward a second straight weekly decline as a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and indications of renewed U.S.-Iran engagement reduced demand for safe-haven assets. Major currencies traded in narrow ranges in Asia, while Treasury yields and central bank commentary signaled that policymakers remain cautious about infl…
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said after meetings in Washington that the central bank needs to take Japan's low real interest rates into account when deciding how soon to raise policy rates. He warned that rising inflation in Japan stems from a negative supply shock, which he described as harder to control with monetary policy than demand-drive…
The International Monetary Fund has re-established formal contact with Venezuela after more than six years, engaging with the interim administration led by Delcy Rodriguez. The move follows an initial re-engagement last month to gather basic economic data and comes amid investor interest in Venezuelan sovereign debt and U.S. involvement in the coun…
European Central Bank policymakers signaled that a rate increase in April looks unlikely, saying further data are needed to judge whether recent energy-driven inflation will spread to the wider economy. Several Governing Council members stressed timing is secondary to confirming any persistent inflationary effects, with markets cutting the odds of …
