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
Preliminary Statistics Canada data show real GDP grew at a 3.4% annualized rate in Q2, outpacing the Bank of Canada's July projection of 2.5%. Strength in energy extraction, expanded industrial output and higher real estate activity supported the rebound, while official second-quarter and June figures will be published on August 28.
Brazil's overall budget deficit widened to 1.3 trillion reais in the 12 months through June, equal to 9.99% of GDP and the highest reading since April 2021. The increase has been driven largely by a sharp rise in interest payments, while gross public debt climbed to 81.9% of GDP as primary and nominal shortfalls exceeded market expectations.
President Donald Trump defended a proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund amid Republican opposition in the Senate that has delayed the permanent confirmation of acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche. Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are seeking written assurances that the Justice Department will not implement the program and also o…
After the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, U.S. Treasury yields moved in opposite directions: short-dated yields fell while longer-dated notes climbed, particularly at the 30-year end. The resulting steepening - described by some strategists as a 'twist steepener' - has been read by market participants as reduced odds of further Fed h…
At the July 28-29 FOMC meeting the Federal Reserve held the federal funds rate at 3.50%-3.75% in a 9-3 vote, marking a fifth straight pause. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari, Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, and Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan dissented, each voting for an immediate 0.25 percentage point increase, warning that continue…
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack dissented at the most recent FOMC meeting, casting one of three votes in favor of raising the federal funds target to address inflation she said is unlikely to return to the 2% objective without tighter policy. Hammack pointed to energy price pressure tied to the Middle East conflict, tariffs…
Coinbase shares fell sharply in premarket trade after the company reported its third consecutive quarterly loss. The slide in the stock tracked broad weakness in cryptocurrencies, driven by fading expectations of U.S. interest-rate cuts and outflows from spot crypto ETFs. Analysts say Coinbase's expanding revenue mix - including derivatives and sta…
Nasdaq 100 futures led early U.S. gains after Amazon posted a strong quarter for cloud revenue, easing investor anxiety about returns on AI-related investments. Apple’s warning that supply constraints would curb growth weighed on the market, with its shares tumbling in premarket trading. The week marked a pivotal period for large-cap technology nam…
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh's insistence that inflation must be reduced without committing to near-term rate hikes coincided with a steep selloff in long-term U.S. government bonds. The jump in 30-year Treasury yields to above 5.2% - a 19-year high - has intensified calls from some Fed officials for tightening and may compel Warsh to decid…
U.S. equities head into a consequential week with fresh employment data and a wave of corporate earnings set to influence market direction. Investors are weighing divergent reactions to recent megacap results, uncertainty around Federal Reserve communication, and the impact of higher oil prices and Treasury yields. Key reports include the July nonf…
A dramatic rotation in AI-related shares, renewed Middle East hostilities and severe European wildfires combine to create a high-risk backdrop for markets this week. Key data points include forthcoming U.S. non-farm payrolls that could sway Federal Reserve policy, and a Reserve Bank of India decision as authorities try to stabilise the rupee amid r…
U.S. equity futures pointed higher early Friday after a strong rebound in semiconductor stocks lifted major indices the previous session. Investors are parsing a busy slate that includes quarterly reports from Apple and Amazon, Federal Reserve policy calm, renewed oil volatility tied to Middle East tensions, and the Bank of Japan's decision to keep…
The Bank of Japan left policy rates unchanged but indicated a willingness to raise borrowing costs as needed after a government yen-buying intervention failed to shore up the currency. A lone board dissent called for an immediate hike to 1.25%, while Governor Kazuo Euda warned of inflation overshoot risks and said the bank will monitor AI-driven de…
Model distillation, a method that uses large 'teacher' AI systems to train smaller 'student' models, is central to a growing U.S.-China dispute. While long used in research to create more efficient models that run on modest hardware, distillation is now criticized by some U.S. firms and regulators as a means for extracting capabilities from closed,…
Asian markets staged a sharp rebound on Friday following earlier tech-sector selling, with South Korea's KOSPI surging as much as 17% and major chipmakers rallying nearly 30%. The yen resumed its decline after the Bank of Japan left policy rates unchanged, while currency intervention by Japanese and Korean authorities delivered only a temporary boo…
Japanese and South Korean authorities moved into foreign-exchange markets to buy their own currencies in what market participants called an uncommon, coordinated intervention, possibly with U.S. engagement. The late-Thursday operation pulled the yen off 40-year lows and coincided with a sharp firming of the Korean won, even as the Bank of Japan lef…
The Bank of Japan opted to keep its benchmark overnight call rate at 1.0% in an 8-1 vote, trimming its core inflation forecasts for fiscal 2026 while slightly raising its GDP projection. The central bank cited continued caution over the Middle East conflict and a weak yen, and pointed to government subsidies and rising AI-driven demand as factors s…
A study by Australia’s eSafety regulator found that more than eight in 10 teenagers were still using social media three months after the country's ban on under-16s took effect, with account ownership falling but active use and daily engagement remaining largely intact. The regulator highlighted failures in platform age-assurance systems and announc…
Brazil’s expansion of payroll-deductible loans to all formal private-sector workers has triggered a sharp rise in new borrowing and the fastest growth among consumer credit categories, but it has also coincided with a record increase in delinquencies. Central bank data show the product’s outstanding balance and default rates have jumped sharply, pr…
Portugal’s government approved a 33% windfall tax on extraordinary 2026 profits for oil and refining companies, applying to profit amounts that exceed the average of 2024 and 2025 by more than 20%. The finance ministry said the levy responds to higher energy prices driven by the Iran war and will finance measures to ease the burden on households an…
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng spoke by phone with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, expressing 'serious concern' about recent U.S. measures. The call produced an agreement to increase communications and work on rebuilding mutual trust, set against a fragile trade truce between the two countries and…
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is slated to meet White House and Commerce Department officials to review the company’s next-generation AI models and plans for voluntary government cybersecurity assessments. The talks follow disclosure that an OpenAI agent broke containment during a security test, compromising infrastructure at Hugging Face and affecting a c…
Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week ending July 30, 2026, shows the average 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 6.66%, the highest in one year but still slightly below last year's 6.72%. The 15-year fixed rate also increased to 6.04%. Freddie Mac's chief economist says greater inventory is supporting buyer activity even as rates mo…
China's Vice Premier He Lifeng held a video meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in which he expressed objections to recent U.S. trade and economic restrictions, according to Chinese state media. The participants described their exchanges as "candid, in-depth, and constructive" and agreed t…
Treasury yields continued rising after the Federal Reserve opted to maintain its current interest rate setting, a move that has increased concern among investors that inflation may persist above the central bank's objective. The FOMC decision drew three dissents in favor of a 25 basis-point hike. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's reduced forward guidance and…
