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
Qatar has begun assembling engineers and personnel to restart operations at the Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility following a recent ceasefire in the Middle East. Limited maintenance activity is underway ahead of a planned recommencement of production; however, the pace of any ramp-up is uncertain and full restoration depends o…
The United States and Iran agreed to a conditional ceasefire late Tuesday, with President Trump pausing planned attacks on Iranian infrastructure for two weeks provided Iran immediately reopens the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement came just under two hours before the president's self-imposed deadline, reversing an earlier, harsher threat, and pro…
Deloitte projects global revenues from women’s elite sports will reach at least $3 billion in 2026, a 25% increase versus last year. Growth has accelerated sharply since 2022, led primarily by basketball and football, with broadcast and matchday revenues accounting for substantial shares of the total.
The average contract rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate U.S. mortgage slipped to 6.51% for the week ending April 3, down 6 basis points from the prior week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported. Despite the decline, refinance activity fell and purchase applications remain below year-ago levels, while policymakers prepare a major housing announcemen…
Investors sharply boosted expectations for a Federal Reserve interest-rate reduction by year-end after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week cease-fire. CME Group market-implied probabilities moved markedly higher, while oil, gold and bond markets adjusted to a lower near-term risk of an inflation surge tied to Middle East hostilities. Un…
Ray Dalio said he anticipates constructive engagement when U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet next month, highlighting trade and capital flows as central topics. Dalio urged investors to take encouragement from the prospect of improved dialogue and stressed the broader importance of U.S.-China relations and maritime s…
A temporary ceasefire has eased oil prices and lifted stocks and bonds, but market participants and central bankers warn that the war-driven energy shock has exposed persistent inflationary pressure. With geopolitics now a central risk and policymakers signaling vigilance, pre-war expectations for rate cuts in major economies appear to have been ab…
France unveiled a revised military planning law that allocates 36 billion euros ($39 billion) in extra defense spending through 2030. The framework raises defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by decade-end, increases the number of nuclear warheads while keeping nuclear spending at about 13% of the defense budget, and directs fresh funding to replenish a…
An oil refinery on Iran's Lavan Island was struck by an attack at 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday, occurring only hours after a ceasefire in the conflict was announced. State television reported that firefighters worked to control a blaze at the facility and that no casualties had been reported. Iranian authorities have not identified who carried o…
The Federal Reserve enters the release of its March meeting minutes with policymakers already having acknowledged that the U.S.-Iran war would lift inflation this year. The two-day session, held March 17-18, occurred as oil jumped from about $70 to $100 a barrel and Fed officials revised up 2026 inflation projections. The minutes, due at 2 p.m. EDT…
Major U.S. banks are forecast to report higher quarterly earnings driven by stronger net interest income and elevated investment banking fees, according to analyst estimates. Earnings season begins with Goldman Sachs, followed by reports from JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley. Despite solid dealmaking and tr…
Visiting Budapest, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that a negotiated end to the Middle East hostilities is achievable if Iran engages in good faith. Vance said President Trump has tasked him and the negotiating team to pursue an agreement, and described recent steps - including Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz and an understanding by t…
Pope Leo on April 8 greeted the announcement of an immediate two-week ceasefire in the Iran war and urged a return to negotiation to achieve a lasting end to the conflict. Earlier he described a threat attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump against Iran’s population as "truly unacceptable," marking a rare direct rebuke of a world leader from the…
Major international investment banks have revised down earlier forecasts for reductions to China’s benchmark interest rates, now anticipating that official policy rates will remain unchanged through 2026. The shift reflects limited economic disruption from the Iran conflict, signs of an early domestic recovery, and ample liquidity in the banking sy…
U.S. stock futures climbed sharply after Washington and Tehran reached a mediated, temporary ceasefire that includes provisions to allow coordinated tanker transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The deal alleviated immediate fears of a widespread energy supply shock, sending crude prices down from recent peaks. Gold rebounded as the dollar weakened,…
U.S. stock futures surged on Wednesday following news of a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, a development that pushed crude oil prices sharply lower and eased some safe-haven flows. The agreement, announced late Tuesday hours before a stated deadline, coincided with broad gains in Asian and European equity indexes and declines in short…
House prices in Britain fell unexpectedly in March, with Halifax reporting a 0.5% month-on-month decline. The lender attributed the pullback to economic uncertainty tied to the Iran war and rising energy-driven inflation expectations that have pushed mortgage rates higher and cooled buyer confidence.
Japan recorded a fourth straight annual rise in corporate bankruptcies in fiscal 2025, with cases reaching 10,425, up 3.5% from the prior year. Teikoku Databank cautions that an escalation in costs following recent Middle East hostilities could prompt another uptick in bankruptcies from around summer, a trend that dovetails with concerns raised by …
The Reserve Bank of India’s monetary policy committee unanimously voted to maintain the policy repo rate at 5.25% and retain a neutral stance, citing heightened geopolitical uncertainty from the Iran war. While near-term inflation remains contained and government projections point to strong growth, rising oil prices and market reactions have increa…
The Reserve Bank of India maintained its policy repo rate at 5.25%, with Governor Sanjay Malhotra warning that disruptions from the Iran conflict and wider West Asia tensions pose downside risks to growth. The RBI noted limited recent inflationary pressures but cautioned that higher global energy costs and supply disruptions could lift fuel prices …
Global markets rallied as the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire contingent on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, bringing immediate relief to energy markets and risk assets. Oil dropped below $100 per barrel in Asian trade, Asian equities climbed, and futures for U.S. and European markets pointed to a firm opening. Treasuries ralli…
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand left its official cash rate unchanged at 2.25%, saying events in the Middle East have materially altered the outlook by driving up energy costs and lifting near-term inflation. The bank expects headline inflation to rise to about 4.2% in the June quarter, up from 3.1% in December, while noting weaker domestic demand …
At a March 26 meeting of Japan's top economic council, Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff urged Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to preserve the independence of the central bank, saying minutes released on Wednesday showed that loss of perceived autonomy could drive long-term government bond yields up, potentially to 3% or above in coming years.
New Zealand’s central bank left the official cash rate at 2.25% for a second straight decision, choosing to wait as policymakers assess the inflationary impact of the Middle East war. The hold was widely anticipated by economists, coming after substantial easing last year and amid signs headline inflation is rising above the target band. The bank s…
President Gustavo Petro announced plans to send an economic emergency decree and a tax reform bill to Congress aimed at balancing Colombia's 2026 budget. He warned that, should lawmakers fail to approve the proposals, his administration will implement them by decree. The administration has not specified how much revenue the tax bill is expected to …
