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

5,922 total articles

Brazil raises inflation outlook after oil shock, expects a milder easing of rates

Brazil raises inflation outlook after oil shock, expects a milder easing of rates

Brazil's Finance Ministry updated its macro outlook to reflect an abrupt rise in oil prices tied to the Middle East conflict, lifting the 2026 inflation projection to 4.5% from the March estimate of 3.7% and forecasting a less aggressive descent in the central bank's policy rate. The ministry cited a 25% rise in the average oil price estimate since…

Jury Clears OpenAI in Musk's Suit Over Shift From Nonprofit Mission

Jury Clears OpenAI in Musk's Suit Over Shift From Nonprofit Mission

A U.S. jury found OpenAI not liable in a lawsuit brought by Elon Musk, rejecting claims that the company abandoned its founding mission to prioritize profits and insiders. The 11-day trial examined questions about AI's use and who should reap financial benefits, with testimony touching on leadership credibility and the timing and motive of the laws…

White House Ceremony Set for Friday as Warsh Is Sworn In as Federal Reserve Chair

White House Ceremony Set for Friday as Warsh Is Sworn In as Federal Reserve Chair

President Donald Trump will administer the oath to Kevin Warsh at a White House ceremony on Friday, an anonymous official said. Warsh, confirmed by the Senate earlier this month by a 54-45 vote - the narrowest margin on record for a Fed chair - succeeds Jerome Powell, who had been serving in a temporary capacity since his leadership term ended last…

UN Refugee Agency Signals Further Job Cuts as Funding Prospects Deteriorate

UN Refugee Agency Signals Further Job Cuts as Funding Prospects Deteriorate

The U.N. refugee agency says it will need to reduce staff numbers and implement urgent reforms after projecting a lower funding envelope for 2026 and enduring a steep decline in available resources in 2025. In a letter dated May 15, High Commissioner Barham Salih warned that the agency expects just over $3 billion in available funds for 2026 - roug…

Trump Withdraws $10 Billion Lawsuit Against IRS Over Leaked Returns

Trump Withdraws $10 Billion Lawsuit Against IRS Over Leaked Returns

A court filing on Monday shows President Donald Trump has voluntarily dismissed a $10 billion suit brought against the Internal Revenue Service. The filing gives no details on the terms of dismissal and leaves unclear whether the parties reached a settlement. The suit, filed in January by Trump, two of his sons and the Trump family business, accuse…

Poland Extends Deadline to Replace Wibor on Existing Loans to End of 2036

Poland Extends Deadline to Replace Wibor on Existing Loans to End of 2036

Poland's GPW Benchmark and the national financial regulator have delayed the removal of the Wibor interbank reference rate for existing loan agreements until the end of 2036. The move, prompted by lenders' concerns, gives banks ten years to migrate legacy contracts, while requiring new local-currency lending to use the Polstr rate starting at the e…

Iran Rolls Out Bitcoin-Settled Insurance for Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran Rolls Out Bitcoin-Settled Insurance for Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran has introduced a Bitcoin-backed marine insurance product called Hormuz Safe for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent Persian Gulf waterways. State-affiliated reporting says the service could generate more than $10 billion in revenue, though no timeline or operational breakdown was provided. The launch comes amid tightened Irani…

Starmer Rejects Fixed Exit Timeline as Labour Faces Leadership Turmoil

Starmer Rejects Fixed Exit Timeline as Labour Faces Leadership Turmoil

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declined to provide a timetable for leaving office as a leadership crisis deepens within the Labour Party. Nearly 100 lawmakers have demanded his resignation after weak local election outcomes. Senior figures including Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and the resigning Health Secretary Wes Streeting have pressed for clar…

Brazil's Activity Index Shows 1.3% Q1 Expansion After Sharper March Contraction

Brazil's Activity Index Shows 1.3% Q1 Expansion After Sharper March Contraction

Brazil’s central bank activity gauge rose 1.3% in the first quarter relative to the prior three months, despite a steeper-than-anticipated 0.7% month-on-month decline in March. All sectors tracked fell in March, with services - the main engine of the economy - down 0.8%. Policymakers have eased policy with two consecutive 25 basis point cuts, lower…

Under Pressure: How Rising Yields Are Straining G7 Government Debt

Under Pressure: How Rising Yields Are Straining G7 Government Debt

Borrowing costs across the Group of Seven have climbed sharply in recent years as central banks lifted rates and investors demand higher compensation for holding long-term debt. New geopolitical tensions, shifting investor appetite and persistent fiscal needs from ageing populations, climate and defence spending are adding to the strain. This analy…

Hungary’s Central Bank Backs Government Push to Adopt the Euro

Hungary’s Central Bank Backs Government Push to Adopt the Euro

Hungary’s central bank governor, Mihaly Varga, said the institution will be a cooperative partner in the government’s effort to adopt the euro, while emphasizing the need to keep inflation under control. He framed euro membership as a political decision for Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s new administration, and noted that meeting Maastricht criteria…

Mandiri Sekuritas Sees a Small Bank Indonesia Rate Increase on Rupiah Weakness

Mandiri Sekuritas Sees a Small Bank Indonesia Rate Increase on Rupiah Weakness

Mandiri Sekuritas expects Bank Indonesia to raise its policy rate by 25 basis points to 5.00% at the May 20 meeting, citing a prolonged weakening of the Rupiah and a drawdown in foreign exchange reserves. The firm places a 60% probability on a direct policy rate increase, while leaving open a 40% chance that the central bank will instead rely on no…

Bond Market Forces Could Push Fed Toward Hawkish Turn, Analysts Say

Bond Market Forces Could Push Fed Toward Hawkish Turn, Analysts Say

Bond yields jumped on Kevin Warsh's first day as Federal Reserve chair, prompting strategists at Yardeni Research and Bank of America to warn that markets are running out of patience with an easing bias. Both firms argue that mounting market pressure - and stronger oil-related risks - make a hawkish pivot increasingly likely, with Yardeni even leav…

China's solar cell exports surge 60% in April despite end of tax refund

China's solar cell exports surge 60% in April despite end of tax refund

China's outbound shipments of solar cells rose 60% year-on-year in April to 1.34 billion units, valued at $3.12 billion, according to customs data released Monday. Although exports expanded versus the prior year, monthly shipments and tonnage declined from March peaks, a drop analysts link in part to front-loading ahead of the elimination of an exp…

Trump Says Iran Is Eager to Sign Peace Deal, But Sticking Points Remain

Trump Says Iran Is Eager to Sign Peace Deal, But Sticking Points Remain

President Donald Trump told a magazine he believes Iran wants to sign a peace agreement with the United States but is presenting unacceptable terms. The comments come as hostilities in the Middle East pass the 80-day mark, with a weekend drone strike at a UAE nuclear facility and intercepted drones over Saudi Arabia raising doubts about an already …

U.S. Futures Slip as Bond Yields and Oil Rally Pressure Equities

U.S. Futures Slip as Bond Yields and Oil Rally Pressure Equities

U.S. stock index futures opened lower as an upturn in Treasury yields and a jump in oil prices damped investor appetite for equities. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed to its highest level since February 2025 before easing, while Brent crude traded above $110 a barrel after a drone strike raised concerns about conflict in the Middle East. Market p…