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.
7,188 total articles
U.S. stock futures fell as reports emerged that American forces had seized an Iranian-flagged tanker and Iranian authorities said the Strait of Hormuz had been closed again in response to a U.S. blockade. Oil prices rose sharply but stayed below $100 a barrel. Corporate earnings and a major memory chip production announcement from SK Hynix provided…
Regulators in Australia and South Korea are monitoring Anthropic’s advanced AI model Mythos amid expert warnings that its high-level coding capabilities could be used to identify cybersecurity weaknesses and, in extreme scenarios, destabilise banking systems. Australian authorities including ASIC and APRA have signalled ongoing reviews and urged li…
Delegates from developing countries left this week’s IMF-World Bank meetings frustrated that a string of external shocks - most recently a war that pushed up oil and fertilizer costs - is reversing progress on debt, reform and poverty reduction. Officials and economists said the crisis is exposing the limits of existing tools and could prompt more …
The head of the Bank for International Settlements called for strengthened international cooperation on stablecoin regulation, saying divergent rules risk severe market fragmentation, regulatory arbitrage and potential threats to monetary and fiscal policy, financial stability and anti-money laundering efforts.
Global markets traded with muted activity as investors weighed renewed Middle East tensions against signs that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz may continue. S&P 500 futures slipped modestly on light volumes, European futures fell more sharply, and oil held a mid-single-digit gain below the $100-a-barrel threshold. Political developments in Lo…
All 31 economists surveyed in mid-April expect Bank Indonesia to keep its benchmark rate at 4.75% this week, with most abandoning earlier expectations for cuts as an Iran-related energy shock pushes inflation toward the top of the central bank's target range and pressures the rupiah. A majority of survey participants now see rates unchanged through…
U.S. equity markets have regained recent losses and pierced record highs as investors turn attention to an active week of corporate earnings. The surge follows easing U.S.-Iran tensions and a broader rally in technology names, though elevated oil prices, potential inflationary effects and rate-path uncertainty remain key concerns. Major reports fro…
China left its benchmark loan prime rates unchanged in April for the 11th consecutive month, with the one-year rate at 3.00% and the five-year rate at 3.50%. Strong first-quarter GDP growth and a resurgence in factory-gate prices have reduced pressure for broad monetary easing, prompting policymakers to favor targeted measures over across-the-board…
On April 20, National Australia Bank said it expects to record credit impairment charges of A$706 million in the first half as it raises provisions amid concerns the Middle East conflict increases the likelihood of an Australian downside economic scenario. The bank also announced an accelerated after-tax software amortisation charge of A$949 millio…
Oil surged and U.S. equity futures weakened as conflicting developments over the Iran conflict and a fresh closure of the Strait of Hormuz unsettled investors. Early Asian trade saw Brent crude climb roughly 7% to $96.85 a barrel, S&P 500 futures drop about 0.9%, and the dollar strengthen after a recent slide.
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda stopped short of committing to a rate rise in April, citing uncertainty from the Iran conflict, yet he issued hawkish comments during international meetings that keep a policy tightening on the table. Markets pared back bets for an April move but still assign a high probability of a hike by June as the BOJ weighs i…
At the opening of the Hanover industrial fair, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called for closer economic cooperation between the European Union and Brazil. Both leaders welcomed the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement coming into force on May 1 and emphasized collaboration on raw materials, technolog…
Over the weekend in Barcelona, a multinational gathering of left-leaning politicians, activists and intellectuals convened to map out responses to the rise of right-wing and nationalist movements. With participation from over 6,000 delegates representing more than 40 countries, the summit focused on addressing cost-of-living concerns, pressing for …
President Donald Trump accused Iranian forces of firing on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and said the United States has presented a "very fair and reasonable deal," warning that failure to accept it could bring strikes on key infrastructure. A U.S. delegation is set to travel to Islamabad for talks, with Vice President JD Vance expecte…
Participants at the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings confronted the narrow range of tools available to blunt repeated geopolitical shocks. Institutions committed up to $150 billion in new support for vulnerable developing economies and resumed engagement with Venezuela’s acting government, but attendees concluded that near-term outcomes hinge on …
A Morgan Stanley research report finds that widespread adoption of generative AI across enterprises is catalyzing a rise in new software projects rather than causing broad developer layoffs. While AI speeds routine code generation, the firm says that the resulting surge in projects shifts bottlenecks downstream - to review, integration, testing, se…
Global markets are pricing in a diplomatic resolution to the U.S.-Iran conflict, but Bernstein cautions that the logistical disruption to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz is unprecedented and could keep crude supplies tight for longer than investors expect. Asia-Pacific economies, which are heavily dependent on Middle Eastern crude and ha…
A growing cohort of high-achieving Chinese students, scientists and business leaders are choosing to sidestep or leave the United States and return to China. Concerns over U.S. social instability, restrictive immigration policies and economic pressure are weakening the long-standing perception of the U.S. as the premier destination for China’s top …
Bernstein's extended outlook argues that generative AI will materially alter the software landscape through 2030 but will expand the market for key players rather than eliminate them. The firm identifies Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) as primary beneficiaries, as rising GPU/ASIC and CPU demand to support trainin…
Bernstein projects that trading in event-based contracts on prediction market platforms will grow from roughly $240 billion in volume by the end of 2026 to about $1 trillion by 2030. The firm describes a structural evolution from niche gaming sites to broader 'information markets,' supported by clearer federal regulation, mainstream distribution de…
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps abruptly reversed a government declaration that the Strait of Hormuz was open, firing on commercial vessels and issuing radio warnings that effectively closed the passage. The episode exposes a widening split between Iran’s diplomatic leadership and its powerful military wing after the death of the Supreme L…
The state government of Victoria will extend its public transport subsidy program, offering free transit for May and 50% fares for the remainder of the year. The policy, estimated to cost about A$432 million, is aimed at lowering household transport costs and reducing reliance on private vehicles amid record domestic fuel prices and refinery disrup…
A fleet of Chinese-made humanoid robots outpaced professional human runners during a half-marathon in Beijing, signaling a sharp improvement from last year’s technical setbacks. More than 100 machines took part, and the winning unit from Honor completed the distance in 50 minutes and 26 seconds. The event underscores national policy support intende…
Morgan Stanley says that while headlines tying higher oil prices to stronger electric vehicle demand have driven market enthusiasm, the bank remains doubtful that this will produce a meaningful near-term increase in shipments for South Korean battery manufacturers. The firm points to the historical need for prolonged oil shocks, persistent EV price…
South Korean authorities reported that North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile eastward on Saturday. The launch comes amid a series of recent tests and is being viewed in the context of broader international security dynamics, including shifts in U.S. military attention toward the Middle East. Details on the missile type and flight p…
