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.
7,187 total articles
Japan is confronting a mounting bond-market rout that is eroding the assumptions underpinning Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s expansionary spending plans. With the 10-year yield flirting with 3% for the first time since the mid-1990s and core inflation proving unusually persistent, analysts say the government’s stops - temporary cuts to issuance or…
European stock indexes were largely unchanged as gains in basic resources stocks, supported by rising gold prices, offset nervousness tied to Middle East developments. Investors awaited minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s July meeting for direction on interest rates. Technology shares underperformed after a bond sell-off lifted yields and repor…
Long-term government bond yields remained near multi-decade highs as markets scrutinize whether the summer selloff reflects stronger growth prospects or persistent inflation and fiscal pressure. Attention centers on a $16 billion U.S. 20-year note auction and Federal Reserve minutes, while China’s Unitree and demand for hyperscaler debt highlight d…
OpenAI has announced a temporary slowdown in the pace of its AI model development while it rebuilds research and training systems after an autonomous testing agent breached another AI company. The lab has paused certain model testing for two weeks, halted training on its next-generation model Astra and placed its largest planned training run on hol…
U.S. officials have privately downplayed the likelihood of finalizing a deal with Canada before a looming midnight deadline that would trigger 50% tariffs on billions of dollars of Canadian goods. Sources indicate negotiations face long odds despite a last-ditch call planned between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney.
A clear majority of economists surveyed expect the Bank of England to maintain its Bank Rate at 3.75% for the remainder of the year. Rising inflation readings and elevated oil prices pose upside risks, but labour market dynamics and limited second-round effects so far have given policymakers room to pause.
Single-family housing starts declined sharply in July, driven by elevated mortgage rates and a backlog of newly built homes. While permits for single-family construction edged higher, overall starts including multifamily units fell short of economists' expectations, and permits rose more than forecast.
Futures tied to Canada’s main equity index moved lower as investors contended with higher U.S. Treasury yields, continued instability in the Middle East and a looming deadline for new U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. Market participants monitored diplomatic efforts, potential retaliatory moves, and shifting commodity prices while U.S. futures also t…
Wolfe Research analysts say the monthslong confrontation between the U.S. and Iran has settled into a prolonged stalemate after a framework ceasefire lapsed. They argue that, given reports of covert oil flows from the Gulf, oil prices are likely to remain elevated but not catastrophic, and U.S. inflation and yields have so far shown resilience. Key…
Germany's ZEW investor sentiment index increased to 34.2 in August, beating the analyst consensus of 30.0 and improving from July's 26.3. ZEW President Achim Wambach linked the upswing to solid quarterly corporate results and high export volumes, while also highlighting federal infrastructure spending as supportive and low Rhine water levels as a n…
Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States implements conditions set out in an interim Memorandum of Understanding that has now expired. He listed measures including lifting a naval blockade of Iranian ports, unfreezing assets, removing oil sanct…
U.S. long-term government bond yields jumped on Tuesday, with the 30-year Treasury reaching its highest point since 2007. Market anxiety over stalled U.S.-Iran negotiations, a constrained Strait of Hormuz pushing oil above $90 a barrel, and rising fiscal issuance combined to drive the move, even as softer U.S. economic data has trimmed expectations…
Official UK labour market figures for the second quarter show softer earnings momentum in the private sector, a decline in job vacancies to the lowest level in more than five years, and an unchanged unemployment rate of 4.9%. Overall annual pay growth excluding bonuses came in at 3.5%, while the Bank of England monitors the potential inflationary e…
Brazil’s central bank governor, Gabriel Galipolo, said demand in the country is growing faster than supply across multiple areas, arguing this justifies maintaining restrictive interest rates. Speaking at an event hosted by Santander Brasil, Galipolo cited the current account deficit and inflation for goods and services that cannot be imported as s…
Canada's annual consumer price inflation rose to 3.0% in July, slightly above market expectations, lifted mainly by a sharp rebound in gasoline prices and higher costs for travel tours. Monthly CPI increased 0.5%. Core inflation measures remained close to 2%, leaving the Bank of Canada’s policy rate outlook largely unchanged.
Economists at the European Central Bank warned that equity valuations, particularly in the United States, are near historical peaks and that past technology-driven booms tied to excitement about artificial intelligence often culminate in sharp corrections. The ECB team outlines two economic explanations - a 'rational' channel tied to shifting uncer…
Emergency liquidity facilities and market interventions by central banks have helped prevent bouts of forced selling in government and corporate bond markets. But by creating an expectation of intervention, these backstops can reduce perceived risk, making it easier for highly leveraged investors to finance trades that compress government yields - …
China is moving to accelerate regulations that require systematic collection, dismantling and material recovery for electric-vehicle batteries, wind turbines and solar panels, with the goal of establishing a closed-loop recycling framework across the renewable-energy supply chain before 2030. Officials said the measures will be part of a circular-e…
Recurring heatwaves across Europe are sapping customer footfall and worker productivity, particularly in hospitality, agriculture and manufacturing, while traditional insurance frequently fails to cover the resulting indirect operational losses. Estimates show recent heat episodes have exacted tens of billions in economic damage but only generated …
A Spanish F/A-18 fighter, operating under NATO’s air-policing mission, engaged and destroyed a drone that entered Romanian airspace from Moldova early on Sunday, Romanian defence authorities said. Wreckage fell in an uninhabited area without causing injuries. The interception is the fourth such shoot-down in Romania this year amid repeated incursio…
Ukrainian authorities report one injury and multiple fires after a Russian missile strike targeted Kyiv early Sunday, with defense systems engaged and falling debris causing structural damage across northern and central sectors. Officials continue to evaluate the operational impact while air-raid alerts dictate shelter protocols for local populatio…
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 11 people, including three children, in the deadliest escalation since a truce took effect in June. Lebanese authorities report 19 wounded. Israel says it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in retaliation for an attack that wounded three Israeli soldiers and that a Hezbollah commander was killed. …
A ship operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company was struck while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the company said, the third such incident involving an ADNOC vessel in fewer than seven days. No injuries were reported and authorities said the situation was controlled. The episode amplifies security worries for a chokepoint that handled a…
The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 51.0 in early August from 55.2 in July, driven in part by concerns over rising living costs linked to a Middle East conflict. The decline cut across political and demographic groups, with Republicans posting an especially large monthly drop. One-year inflation expectations rose to 4.3%, …
Canadian government bond yields declined on Thursday while the Canadian dollar held near a two-month high after U.S. producer price data showed easing inflationary pressure. A government source reported progress in trade talks with the United States and noted Washington sought a deal before an August 19 tariff deadline.
