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.
5,212 total articles
Ebanx, the Curitiba-founded cross-border payments company, said it is broadening its global reach with immediate launches in Thailand, Indonesia and Turkey and planned entries into Malaysia and Vietnam next quarter. The company, backed by Advent International and FTV Capital, has shifted a growing share of gross profit to markets beyond Brazil and …
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said he will not rush decisions on interest rate increases as higher oil and gas prices from the Iran war complicate the outlook. Speaking in Washington at the IMF spring meetings, Bailey stressed the difficulty of gauging how energy-driven price rises will pass through to the UK economy. His comments echoed s…
Japan's Financial Services Agency views private credit as a potential cornerstone of its forthcoming financial strategy to channel rising corporate funding needs, even as private credit markets overseas face redemption pressures. Officials point to a shift in corporate behaviour, an uptick in M&A activity and a push for investment-led growth under …
Alexander Demarco, head of Malta's central bank and an ECB policymaker, said the euro area may be moving toward the European Central Bank's adverse scenario for inflation and growth. He cautioned against rushing to tighten policy, noting that inflation expectations remain anchored, ECB credibility is strong and the bank entered the current shock fr…
A recent jump in European government bond yields tied to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has increased borrowing costs for national treasuries across the continent, intensifying pressure on fragile public finances even before slower growth and planned fiscal measures take effect. While equity markets have pared losses amid hopes of a quick end to the …
Estonian central bank policymaker Madis Muller said the European Central Bank may not have sufficient data by its April 30 meeting to determine whether interest rates should be raised in response to a recent jump in euro zone inflation to 2.5%.Muller pointed to the war in the Middle East and rising energy costs as the trigger for the inflation upti…
Global equity benchmarks rose to fresh highs and the U.S. dollar extended losses as investors increased bets that the Middle East conflict may be winding down. U.S. President Donald Trump posted that direct talks between Israel and Lebanon "will happen tomorrow", helping fuel rallying markets. Gains were broad-based, led by Asia-Pacific shares and …
A Reuters poll of economists found that 65% expect the Bank of Japan's policy rate to reach 1.00% by the end of June, with opinions divided between an immediate move in April and a hike in June. The escalation of the Middle East conflict involving Iran has heightened concerns about higher energy costs, inflationary pressure and further yen weakness…
The head of the European Banking Authority said lenders currently hold sufficient capital and liquidity buffers to withstand the immediate strains from geopolitical tensions, but supervisors must prepare for evolving threats - notably AI-related cybersecurity challenges and risks tied to private credit interconnections with regulated finance.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he is pursuing a pause in hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, announcing on Truth Social that the two countries will hold direct talks on Thursday after decades without direct contact. His comments come amid ongoing fighting with Hezbollah and broader U.S.-led efforts to stabilize the region, with mediation expe…
Official data show China’s economy expanded 5.0% year-on-year in the first quarter, outpacing market forecasts, while quarterly growth matched expectations at 1.3%. Industrial output surprised to the upside in March, but retail sales, fixed-asset investment and property investment lagged. Market response was modest and commentary from strategists h…
Official data showed China’s gross domestic product climbed 5.0% year-on-year in the January-March quarter, surpassing market expectations. On a quarterly basis, GDP rose 1.3%, in line with forecasts and slightly ahead of the prior quarter’s 1.2% increase. The outbreak of conflict in the Middle East since February 28 has heightened the economy’s vu…
The U.S. dollar remained close to its lowest levels since early March as growing optimism from the White House about a possible peace deal with Iran encouraged market participants to unwind safe-haven positions. Currency benchmarks and risk-sensitive currencies strengthened, while officials signalled further diplomatic engagement and potential mari…
Goldman Sachs endured losses on certain rates positions late in the first quarter after fixed-income and currency markets became volatile amid the conflict with Iran, sources familiar with the matter said. The firm’s FICC division recorded a 10% fall in revenue to $4.01 billion in Q1, while some rivals posted gains. Bank executives say the setback …
Thailand's economy is slowing amid spillovers from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, the Bank of Thailand said. Assistant Governor Chayawadee Chai-anant warned of deep and open-ended downside risks if the conflict continues, citing near-zero Gulf tourism in March, rising import costs due to energy dependence, and a downgraded 2026 baseline GDP foreca…
Foreign portfolio flows have reversed sharply in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which has pushed global oil prices toward $100 a barrel and exposed Thailand’s heavy reliance on Middle East energy. The shock has coincided with a fragile economic backdrop - deflationary pressures prior to the conflict, slow growth, and public debt approach…
Japan and the United States have agreed to intensify communication on exchange rates, Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said after meeting U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington. Katayama, attending IMF, G7 and G20 finance gatherings, posted the remark on her X account. Japanese officials have issued repeated verbal warnings a…
China appears to have accelerated growth at the start of 2026, driven by strong external demand and stepped‑up fiscal support. Yet a geopolitical shock in the Middle East is lifting energy and transport costs, cooling global demand and squeezing corporate margins, creating downside risks to the later parts of the year.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced support for a proposed tax on second homes worth more than $5 million, a measure endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. City Hall says the levy targets out-of-city ultrawealthy owners who treat local properties as wealth storage and could generate roughly $500 million a year to help close a municipa…
Foreign ownership of U.S. Treasury securities reached a record $9.49 trillion in February, rising for a second consecutive month as investors sought U.S. yields. The gain was concentrated in Japan and the United Kingdom, while China slightly trimmed its holdings. The rise in foreign demand coincided with a fall in the 10-year Treasury yield and pro…
Brazil’s government has proposed counting 39.4% of court-ordered debt payments due in 2027 within its fiscal target, above the constitutional minimum. The move reduces the difference between the headline primary surplus target and the effective primary balance, as a substantial portion of judicial payments will remain outside fiscal rules.
Ukraine's deputy economy minister, Yegor Perelygin, said a Ukraine-U.S. reconstruction investment fund is expected to approve a second project this summer, most likely in the energy sector, with a third project targeted before the end of 2026. Speaking in Washington as part of a large Ukrainian delegation, Perelygin described the fund as a de-riski…
Norway’s $2.1 trillion sovereign wealth fund does not plan to cut its exposure to U.S. assets, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg told the Financial Times. He reiterated at a Washington event that roughly half of the fund’s investments will remain in the United States, citing the dynamism of the American stock market, even as the region’s conflict a…
Britain's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has urged political clarity on whether UK-built cars will qualify as 'Made in EU' under the European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA). The industry group says the current uncertainty risks delaying boardroom investment decisions for UK carmakers at a time when both the UK and …
Mark Mobius, a defining figure in emerging markets investing who encouraged on-the-ground research and embraced volatility as opportunity, has died at the age of 89, according to a statement on his LinkedIn page. The post did not provide a cause of death. Over a multi-decade career he helped popularize the asset class, authored books blending trave…
