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
Iran has acknowledged it cannot locate or remove all naval mines placed in the Strait of Hormuz, a technical shortfall confirmed by U.S. officials that jeopardizes a proposed two-week ceasefire contingent on a "complete, immediate, and safe" reopening of the waterway. Haphazard mine-laying by the IRGC and drifting devices have made prior safe-route…
The Federal Reserve has begun a formal review of major U.S. banks to map their connections to the $1.8 trillion private credit sector after a surge in troubled loans and investor withdrawals. Examiners are adding focused questions to oversight work to quantify debt originated by private credit funds, while the Treasury is separately querying the in…
U.S. intelligence assessments indicate Iran still possesses thousands of ballistic missiles even after weeks of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that Washington says have left the regime's military capabilities 'functionally destroyed.' The findings arrive as U.S. envoys prepare to negotiate in Islamabad over a ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait …
The International Monetary Fund's executive board has decided to keep the floor for precautionary balances - comprising general and special reserves - at 20 billion Special Drawing Rights (about $29 billion). Directors welcomed growing buffers since a medium-term target of SDR 25 billion was set for the end of fiscal year 2024, and flagged increase…
Fitch has moved Turkey's sovereign outlook from "positive" to "stable" while affirming the country's long-term foreign-currency rating at "BB-." The agency pointed to a sharp drawdown in foreign exchange reserves driven by heavy intervention to support the lira, along with persistent macroeconomic weaknesses including high inflation, large external…
President Trump has told senior administration officials on multiple occasions that he plans to pardon them before he departs the White House, according to people familiar with his remarks who spoke to the Wall Street Journal. In meetings this year and last, he made quips about pardoning anyone within a certain distance of the Oval Office and indic…
Colombia's finance minister said the government will present a 16 trillion peso ($4.39 billion) tax reform proposal to congress in the coming days to help finance the 2026 budget. The plan mirrors a financing bill that congress rejected in December and comes as the current legislature concludes its session in June, with a new congress due to be swo…
World Bank President Ajay Banga warned that the ongoing war in the Middle East will have cascading effects on the global economy. In a recent interview, he laid out a baseline in which global growth is trimmed modestly if an early end to hostilities occurs, and a much deeper hit if the conflict endures. Banga also highlighted significant upside ris…
The U.S. federal deficit for March increased by $4 billion, or 2%, to $164 billion from a year earlier as higher tax refunds tied to new individual and corporate breaks and increased farm relief payments outpaced receipts. Military outlays linked to the conflict rose modestly, and the Treasury said many war-related expenditures will appear in later…
U.S. monthly headline inflation recorded its fastest rise since the summer of 2022, driven largely by energy costs tied to the Iran conflict. Federal Reserve officials say the current jump differs from the prior surge because core inflation remains relatively subdued, and they must explain that distinction to a public whose inflation expectations h…
South Africa published a draft national artificial intelligence policy on April 10, opening it for public comment through June 10. The proposal sets out a framework to accelerate AI adoption while addressing ethical, social and economic challenges, and includes plans to create a National AI Commission, an AI Ethics Board and an AI Regulatory Author…
Switzerland is aiming to conclude a bilateral trade agreement with the United States by the end of July, seeking assurances it will not face higher tariffs than other trading partners. Negotiators plan to resume talks in Washington this month to convert a preliminary framework into a binding treaty intended to protect exporters, including the pharm…
Brazil's consumer inflation accelerated in March, pushed by stronger transportation costs led by gasoline. Annual inflation rose to 4.14% from 3.81% in February, while the monthly IPCA reading jumped 0.88%, outpacing market forecasts and highlighting potential headwinds for the central bank's recent rate cuts.
Countries already recovering from recent economic crises are being pushed back toward instability by a spike in energy prices tied to the Iran war. Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Egypt face heavier import bills, currency pressure and shrinking buffers. Policymakers are seeking temporary relief from multilateral lenders, while households and small business…
A new Morgan Stanley analysis finds that artificial intelligence is beginning to influence U.S. labor markets, but its aggregate macroeconomic footprint is still small. The bank's AI disruption tracker points to early, narrow displacement that is most apparent among younger, early-career workers in high-exposure roles, while industry payrolls show …
An Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf is due in Islamabad Friday night ahead of Saturday talks with US representatives that aim to solidify a ceasefire. Washington is sending Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Significant disagreements remain…
Consumer prices in the United States rose 0.9% in March, the biggest monthly increase since June 2022, driven by a spike in oil and gasoline costs and ongoing pass-through from tariffs. Core inflation excluding food and energy also picked up, leaving policymakers and markets more doubtful that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this year.
U.S. stock index futures moved higher after March Consumer Price Index figures matched economist estimates, easing some concerns about inflationary pressure stemming from the Middle East conflict. Overall CPI rose 3.3% year-over-year and 0.9% month-over-month. The core CPI, which excludes food and energy, increased 2.6% annually and 0.2% on the mon…
Canada added a modest 14,100 jobs in March while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.7%, reflecting continued underutilization in the labour market. Employment gains were concentrated in part-time work and the goods-producing sector; full-time positions fell slightly. Average hourly wages for permanent employees rose 5.1% year-on-year, th…
Brazil's consumer-price index increased 0.88% in March, outpacing the Bloomberg median forecast of 0.77% from 40 economists and bringing annual inflation to 4.14%. Higher fuel prices tied to the ongoing Middle East conflict are pressuring households and have prompted fiscal measures ahead of elections, complicating central bank plans to pare back i…
San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said the U.S. economy is fundamentally sound and the labor market has stabilized, but the recent oil shock tied to the Iran conflict has extended the time required to return inflation to the Fed’s 2% target. Daly said the central bank’s policy is restrictive enough to pressure inflation downward without damagin…
Bank of America reiterated its forecast for two Federal Reserve rate reductions in 2026, telling clients that the Fed's inclination to look past supply-driven inflation, muted wage pressures and political considerations should outweigh short-term inflation risks. The bank said incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh could have enough evidence of cooling inf…
Ukraine's chief negotiator Kyrylo Budanov told Bloomberg that talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States are progressing toward a possible peace agreement and that he expects a resolution soon. The comments coincided with a rally in Ukraine dollar bonds, while the Kremlin said a recent visit to the United States by a Russian investment e…
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to travel to India in May as Washington and New Delhi seek to rebuild diplomatic and trade relations strained by US tariff policies. The planned trip was disclosed by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor after Rubio met India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Washington. Officials have highlighted discu…
Japan's 2026 Diplomatic Bluebook downgrades the characterization of its relationship with China from "one of the most important bilateral relations" to "an important neighbor," reflecting continuing strain over Taiwan. Tokyo nonetheless underscores the need for ongoing contact and says it will pursue a strategic, mutually beneficial relationship an…
