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.
5,909 total articles
An Indonesian military tribunal on Wednesday convicted four military intelligence officers for their roles in an acid attack that severely injured rights campaigner Andrie Yunus. Sentences ranged from one and a half to three years in prison; the two most heavily sentenced officers were also dishonourably discharged. Judges said the assault was carr…
SpaceX’s planned $75 billion IPO, expected to be the biggest on record and to carry a roughly $1.75 trillion valuation, is likely to siphon risk capital away from cryptocurrencies. With up to 30% of the deal earmarked for retail investors, market participants and crypto executives say cash currently supporting digital assets may be redeployed into …
The Bank of Canada is expected to keep its policy rate at 2.25% for a fifth straight meeting as recent inflation and labour data clash with indicators of a weakening economy. Economists point to U.S. tariffs, the USMCA review and the impact of the U.S.-backed war with Iran as complicating factors for the central bank's outlook, while markets weigh …
A nationwide poll found that 53% of U.S. adults worry that artificial intelligence could cause job losses for them or someone in their household. The six-day Reuters/Ipsos survey of 4,531 adults also shows rising unease about the expanding use of AI across sectors, differences by party affiliation, and higher reported AI use among college graduates…
U.S. stock futures fell on Wednesday as technology shares widened losses and geopolitical friction between the United States and Iran dampened risk appetite. Traders are bracing for the May consumer price index, due at 8:30 a.m. ET, which is forecast to show a larger annual uptick in inflation. Oil prices held above $91 a barrel while specific move…
Portugal’s debt management agency sold €1.39 billion across two maturities, with yields on both tranches lower than at comparable past auctions. The nine-year and 19-year bonds drew demand just above twice the amounts offered, and the country’s 10-year benchmark traded in the secondary market at 3.445% on the same day.
Foreign investors have withdrawn a net $27.08 billion from equities across several Asian markets so far in June, surpassing May's combined net outflow of $24.08 billion. The sell-off has been concentrated in technology and chip-exporting markets, while geopolitical strains in the Middle East and corporate funding moves have added pressure to the re…
Indonesian authorities enacted an off-cycle interest rate increase and raised gasoline prices, signaling a shift from a pro-growth stance to a pro-stability orientation. The moves, described by a source as a "bitter pill" necessary to "heal" the economy, helped the rupiah and the stock market recover; officials also agreed to pause aggressive liqui…
Morgan Stanley projects AI-related global debt issuance will climb to nearly $570 billion in 2026, driven by hyperscaler capital expenditure and increased bond supply. The bank reports issuance already near $236 billion as of May 31, 2026, and expects issuance to accelerate in the second half of the year as outlays intensify and hyperscaler capex m…
Germany faces the risk of a technical recession this year after the DIW economic institute cut its 2026 growth forecast in half, citing an energy price shock tied to the war in Iran. DIW now expects GDP growth of 0.5% this year and 0.8% in 2027, and projects slight contractions in both the second and third quarters before a late-year stabilisation.…
The Financial Stability Board warned that increasingly autonomous “agentic” AI systems could amplify risks across the financial system and urged corporate boards to adopt safeguards. The FSB outlined non-binding sound practices that include clear use boundaries, human approval for high-risk actions and treating advanced AI agents as 'synthetic empl…
India removed withholding and capital gains taxes on foreign holdings of government debt and widened the pool of investable securities, alongside incentives to attract foreign currency deposits and overseas corporate borrowing. The measures have prompted immediate purchases of government bonds, lowered yields across the curve, and are seen by marke…
U.S. equity futures declined as fresh military action in the Middle East undermined hopes for a quick de-escalation. Investors are awaiting U.S. consumer price index data that could clarify whether energy-driven inflationary pressures will force central banks to tighten policy. In tech, Anthropic rolled out a more restricted version of its Mythos-c…
European equities opened marginally higher as market participants maintained hopes for a diplomatic easing in the Middle East while awaiting the European Central Bank's two-day policy meeting. The STOXX 600 inched up 0.1% to 619.88 by 0710 GMT. Oil hovered near $90 a barrel after new exchanges of strikes between the U.S. and Iran, even as remarks f…
Norway's annual core inflation climbed to 3.4% in May from 3.2% in April, surprising analysts and slightly exceeding Norges Bank's expectation. The rise, driven in part by wage growth and elevated energy costs, has coincided with a firmer krone and follows a recent policy rate increase to 4.25%. Headline inflation eased to 3.1% in May.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched missiles and drones against U.S. bases and other Gulf targets in retaliation for recent American strikes, including targets the U.S. said it had hit near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media reported that attacks struck bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Most of the Iranian-launched weapons were re…
Fresh U.S. strikes on Iranian air defences and radar installations following the downing of an Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz pushed risk assets lower and oil prices higher, but Brent futures remained under $100 per barrel. The episode has revived risk-off flows, weighed on technology shares and supported the U.S. dollar, while markets…
A Reuters poll of economists conducted June 2-8 indicates the Bank of Japan will lift its policy rate to 1.0% at the June meeting and advance to 1.25% by the fourth quarter, reflecting a growing emphasis on inflation control. The shift in tone from BOJ leadership and concern over the yen's weakness around the 160-per-dollar threshold are cited as f…
Copper prices slipped on Wednesday as renewed strikes in the Middle East and worries about U.S. monetary policy muted demand prospects, even as tariff expectations and falling London Metal Exchange inventories offered price support. Broader base metals also fell on both the LME and Shanghai bourses, while Chinese producer prices climbed for a third…
U.S. consumer inflation likely accelerated in May, driven largely by a surge in gasoline prices tied to Middle East tensions. Economists expect the Consumer Price Index to have risen 4.2% year-on-year, the fastest pace since April 2023, with monthly gains also projected. The persistence of inflation outpacing wages and a resilient labor market comp…
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) is navigating a complex economic environment where the pursuit of inflation targets may exacerbate an already fragile labor market. With policymakers anticipating inflation to reach 4.3% due to energy shocks from the Iran war, the central bank's single-minded focus on price stability stands in contrast to unem…
In a significant move toward modernizing the domestic payment landscape, the three largest banking entities in Japan have announced plans to collaborate on the issuance of stablecoins. The initiative is slated to occur within the current fiscal year, which concludes in March 2027. This collaborative effort represents an intensifying momentum for di…
Heightened conflict in the Middle East has triggered a downturn across Asian equity markets while driving energy prices higher. Following U.S. strikes against Iran after reports of a downed Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz, market participants are navigating increased geopolitical risk alongside looming inflation reports and shifting centr…
The United States dollar remained largely unchanged against a basket of major global currencies on Wednesday. This period of stability comes as markets react to recent military actions involving Iran and prepare for the release of critical U.S. inflation figures, which will likely influence future Federal Reserve policy decisions.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) is outlining a new strategic approach to deposit insurance assessments that could result in lower costs for banking institutions. Under a plan proposed by FDIC Chair Travis Hill, large banks may be able to reduce their quarterly insurance fees by demonstrating improved 'resolution readiness.' This initiati…
