Economy

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.

Articles

7,188 total articles

Federal Court Halts Executive Mandate on Student Loan Eligibility Criteria

Federal Court Halts Executive Mandate on Student Loan Eligibility Criteria

A United States federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from implementing a recently finalized rule regarding the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. U.S. District Judge Myong Joun ruled in favor of a coalition comprising Democratic-led states, municipal governments, and nonprofit organizations. The …

GOP Hardliners Halt House Defense Bill to Push Voter ID Measure

GOP Hardliners Halt House Defense Bill to Push Voter ID Measure

A group of hardline House Republicans blocked a procedural motion to begin debate on a major defense policy bill, insisting that the chamber advance stricter federal voter identification and citizenship requirements embodied in the SAVE America Act. The move exposed divisions within the GOP and left the defense measure stalled after a 224-198 vote.

FCC to advance 2027 Upper C-Band auction, plans 160 MHz for 5G use

FCC to advance 2027 Upper C-Band auction, plans 160 MHz for 5G use

The Federal Communications Commission will vote on July 22 on an order to hold a 2027 auction of 160 megahertz in the Upper C-Band, a mid-band slice prized for 5G. Legislation mandated at least 100 megahertz be auctioned; the FCC says it intends to free significantly more and expects the sale to generate billions of dollars. Proposed rules include …

ECB could pause rate hikes in July if Mideast tensions subside, says Dolenc

ECB could pause rate hikes in July if Mideast tensions subside, says Dolenc

ECB Governing Council member Primoz Dolenc said the bank could hold interest rates at its July meeting provided the situation in the Middle East does not deteriorate further and energy costs stay near current levels. He emphasized that a pause would be appropriate only if commodity market shocks do not spread and second-round inflation effects do n…

Mercosur Opens Trade Negotiations with Japan, Signals Interest in China

Mercosur Opens Trade Negotiations with Japan, Signals Interest in China

Mercosur announced the start of formal negotiations with Japan for an economic partnership agreement during a leaders summit in Asuncion, aiming to deepen market access, investment and value-chain integration. The bloc — comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay — said the pact would create a free-trade area covering about 400 million peop…

Brazil Rolls Back Emergency Diesel Support as Fiscal Pressure Builds

Brazil Rolls Back Emergency Diesel Support as Fiscal Pressure Builds

The Brazilian government has begun scaling back emergency fuel subsidies, starting with diesel, as part of a move to signal tighter fiscal management. The change partially reverses temporary tax cuts and subsidy measures introduced after an oil price surge tied to the Iran conflict. The decision comes as Brazil records a large nominal budget defici…

ECB Weighs Raising Unpaid Reserve Requirement to Ease Its Interest Burden

ECB Weighs Raising Unpaid Reserve Requirement to Ease Its Interest Burden

European Central Bank policymakers are discussing a proposal to raise the share of customer deposits banks must hold as non-remunerated minimum reserves from 1% to 2%. The measure, described by six sources, would trim the Eurosystem's interest bill tied to excess liquidity built up during past stimulus programmes, while also removing some of the su…

ECB rate move could wait until September if energy prices stay low, says Dolenc

ECB rate move could wait until September if energy prices stay low, says Dolenc

Slovenian central bank governor Primoz Dolenc said at the ECB Forum on Central Banking in Sintra that a quicker-than-expected fall in energy prices could allow the European Central Bank to postpone its next interest rate decision until the September projections. He stressed the bank will follow incoming data, noting inflation has not yet shown clea…

Fed’s Hammack Says Higher Rates Remain an Option if Inflation Persists

Fed’s Hammack Says Higher Rates Remain an Option if Inflation Persists

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack said on June 30 that she could support additional interest-rate increases if elevated inflation does not ease. Speaking on CNBC, Hammack emphasized that inflation has been too high for five years and said she remains open-minded heading into each Federal Open Market Committee meeting. The com…

Cleveland Fed’s Hammack Signals Possible Rate Hikes if Inflation Persists

Cleveland Fed’s Hammack Signals Possible Rate Hikes if Inflation Persists

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack said Tuesday she remains prepared to support higher interest rates if elevated inflation persists. Speaking to CNBC, Hammack described core inflation and services inflation as particular concerns, noted upward pressure from investment in artificial intelligence, and said the labor market and …

Bailey Says Bank of England Will Wait on Reacting to Higher Oil Costs

Bailey Says Bank of England Will Wait on Reacting to Higher Oil Costs

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey told CNBC in Sintra that the central bank is not in a hurry to counter recent increases in oil prices. He said inflation is projected to rise to about 3.2% later this year but remains on course to return to the 2% target, albeit later than desired. Bailey pointed to tightening already present in the bond yield…

Australian Dwelling Values Post Largest Monthly Fall Since Late 2022

Australian Dwelling Values Post Largest Monthly Fall Since Late 2022

Australian home values fell 0.4% in June compared with May, the sharpest single-month drop since December 2022, according to Cotality. The decline reflects weaker buyer demand driven by higher borrowing costs and recent property tax measures, though national prices are still 7.3% higher over the past year.

US Consumer Confidence Inches Up in June as Gasoline Prices Ease

US Consumer Confidence Inches Up in June as Gasoline Prices Ease

US consumer confidence recorded a modest rise in June, climbing 0.6 point to 91.2, as falling gasoline costs helped alleviate inflation worries. The Conference Board reported that while the component tracking present business conditions fell, the expectations gauge for the next six months registered gains. Labor-market sentiment showed signs of sof…

Global Markets Swing Between Iran War Shock and AI Frenzy

Global Markets Swing Between Iran War Shock and AI Frenzy

Global equity markets have recorded a net gain of roughly $7 trillion in the first half of the year despite a severe March sell-off tied to the Iran war. A powerful rally in AI-related assets, outsized gains in select Asian markets and extreme currency moves - especially in the yen - have created a volatile environment for investors as yields, comm…

U.S. Job Openings Rise Slightly in May as Hiring Slows

U.S. Job Openings Rise Slightly in May as Hiring Slows

Job openings in the United States increased modestly in May to 7.594 million, while hiring fell, suggesting the labor market remained range-bound despite three months of solid payroll gains. Revisions showed April openings were slightly lower than previously reported. Layoffs ticked up and markets continue to anticipate further Federal Reserve rate…

BCA Flags Rising Market Risk as Russia-Ukraine Conflict Reenters Spotlight

BCA Flags Rising Market Risk as Russia-Ukraine Conflict Reenters Spotlight

BCA Research says geopolitical risk is likely to shift from the Middle East to the Russia-Ukraine theater in the third quarter, arguing that markets are underpricing the chance of a meaningful escalation. The firm highlights mounting strains on Russia’s war effort, possible political pressure for a ceasefire, and a range of escalation scenarios tha…

Canadian GDP Climbs 0.5% in April, Outpacing Expectations

Canadian GDP Climbs 0.5% in April, Outpacing Expectations

Statistics Canada reported a 0.5% month-on-month rise in real GDP for April, the largest monthly gain in nine months and above economist forecasts. The increase follows a small contraction in March and comes amid continued uncertainty tied to U.S. tariffs and an impending review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.