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.
7,187 total articles
U.S. construction spending declined 0.5% in July to $2.158 trillion, the lowest monthly level since October 2023, according to the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. The drop was led by a pullback in single-family residential construction as rising mortgage rates and a glut of unsold homes continue to weigh. Private nonresidential activity showed…
Government borrowing costs across major economies have climbed to levels not seen in decades. A mix of higher inflation expectations, renewed oil-price pressure tied to U.S.-Iran tensions, large corporate bond issuance to fund AI infrastructure and mounting public debt have propelled sovereign yields higher. Central bank rhetoric and policy options…
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told G20 delegates he expects the Strait of Hormuz to lose strategic importance within two years as increased U.S. oil output and new overland infrastructure reduce global reliance on the chokepoint. He also announced an intensified campaign of financial measures against Iran, including threats to sanction aircraft …
Senegal's international debt securities fell to fresh lows as markets braced for an expected statement from the International Monetary Fund following its recent staff visit. The country's June 2031 dollar bond hit a new trough while other foreign-currency bonds also weakened amid ongoing talks aimed at resolving a debt crisis stemming from the 2024…
European markets enter the new season with benchmark gas prices at their highest in three and a half years and equities unusually weak for this time of year. A disrupted Qatar supply has deepened backwardation in gas markets, reducing incentive to build inventories ahead of winter. At the same time, sovereign yields are rising across the continent …
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled a clear demand for Japan to pivot away from loose policy and accelerate interest rate increases after a rare joint intervention to support the yen. His comments, delivered after talks with BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda at the G20, effectively narrow Tokyo’s policy room and increase pressure on both the centr…
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office he has significant respect for Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh and said Warsh "will do what he has to do" on interest rates. Warsh recently warned that the Fed will "have work to do" if policymakers do not gain confidence that inflation is on track to reach 2%. The Fed's preferred inflation…
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has signaled it will consider rescinding Rule 14a-8, which governs shareholder proposals included in public companies' annual proxy statements, effectively returning authority to individual states. The agency also issued a separate notice proposing updates to the proxy solicitation process. The moves have…
At the Kansas City Fed’s annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh moved away from strict non-communication, offering a calibrated description of how he will judge inflation progress. His comments, framed as a 'reaction function' rather than explicit forward guidance, were sufficient to prompt futures, bond and equity mark…
At a two-day G20 finance meeting in Asheville, U.S. officials argued that sustained economic growth is the most viable path to address record global debt. U.S. Treasury officials and the Federal Reserve chair emphasized removing regulatory barriers, rebalancing trade with China, and the role of AI-driven investment in shifting global capital flows,…
The Securities and Exchange Commission has submitted a proposal to the Office of Management and Budget that would eliminate the federal rule governing when and how shareholders may submit proxy proposals. The action, sent for OMB review last week and announced via an OMB notice published Monday, aligns with Chairman Paul Atkins' long-stated concern…
Bank of America analysts warned that expectations for euro-area interest rates and inflation have diverged, with markets currently pricing in more ECB tightening than the bank thinks is justified. The mismatch, driven in part by a recent surge in natural gas to highs not seen since the start of the war in Iran, leaves room for trades that exploit a…
Prediction market Kalshi said it has permanently barred former Congressman George Santos from its platform and imposed a penalty exceeding $71,000 after concluding he placed bets on his own attendance at President Trump's State of the Union address and made false social media statements that benefited those wagers. The disciplinary move comes amid …
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC he believes the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan will take actions that result in a stronger yen. He said he had information markets do not have and indicated the market is already pricing in a potential move by the BOJ. The yen rose against the dollar after his comments as he hosted a Group …
A federal judge in San Jose ruled that a trust replacing Silicon Valley Bank's former holding company may not pursue a $1.71 billion claim against the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, finding that the holding company and its officers bore responsibility for the investment decisions that produced large losses in the bank's securities portfolio.
National dwelling prices in Australia declined for a fifth consecutive month in August, with Cotality data showing a 0.9% drop from July and broader weakness across capital cities and regional markets. Sales activity has weakened materially and policy moves, tax changes and slowing credit growth point to continued pressure on the housing sector.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent opened discussions with G20 finance ministers in Asheville, North Carolina, urging growth as the primary strategy to tackle elevated sovereign and global debt loads that followed the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. He said many attendees at the two-day meeting signaled receptiveness to that a…
Germany's annual inflation rate rose to 2.9% in August from 2.8% a month earlier, driven by a rise in energy prices, while core inflation - excluding food and energy - remained stable at 2.4%. Energy inflation climbed to 10.5% from 8.3%. Analysts had expected a larger EU-harmonised CPI rise. The data precedes an upcoming euro zone inflation release…
Summary: Portugal's economy expanded 0.8% in the second quarter from the prior quarter, up from 0.1% in Q1, the National Statistics Institute said. The upgrade in quarterly growth was confirmed in a second estimate of gross domestic product, with net exports and private consumption cited as the principal contributors. On a year-on-year basis the ec…
Polymarket's newly appointed global head of investigations and intelligence says the prediction market operator has strengthened systems to detect and deter misconduct ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. The company is preparing to publish more detail about its market-integrity practices, while also working to prevent U.S. participants from access…
Barclays reports that euro area economic activity remains resilient, driven by external demand and a pick-up in German momentum despite weak domestic demand and a stagnating French economy. National inflation readings for August and rising producer prices suggest headline inflation will climb, reinforcing ECB communication that points toward an add…
U.S. stock index futures declined early Monday after military strikes between the U.S. and Iran restarted, driving oil prices higher and amplifying worries about persistent inflation. Comments from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh at Jackson Hole and a marked rise in the probability of a September rate hike added to market unease ahead of the U.S. employment …
Andrew Bailey, chair of the Financial Stability Board and Bank of England governor, warned G20 finance and central bank officials that advanced AI models pose a rising threat to global financial stability. In a letter sent on Monday to regulators, Bailey highlighted recent incidents where models from firms including OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta Platf…
Barclays economists say Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole remarks were markedly hawkish, prompting the bank to forecast a 25-basis-point rate increase in September and another in December. Warsh highlighted a stronger economy, labor markets consistent with full employment, healthy consumption and easy credit conditions, and placed…
Official figures show the Turkish economy expanded 2.3% year-on-year in the second quarter, with quarter-on-quarter growth of 1.1% after seasonal and calendar adjustment. The reading was below estimates from a recent poll and marks the fourth consecutive quarter of slowing growth. Agriculture, forestry and fishing, and information and communication…
