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
European equity markets opened marginally higher, supported by optimism over a preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement that could ease oil supply concerns via the Strait of Hormuz. Gains were led by industrial goods and services, while energy-linked price relief pressured inflation worries and expectations for further policy tightening. Central bank decisi…
Ten years after the 2016 referendum, brothers Nigel and Ian Baxter, both Nottingham-based business owners who took opposing positions on Brexit, report parallel disappointment. Nigel, 63, who campaigned to leave, says the deregulation and investment he expected have not materialised. Ian, 60, who favoured remain, acknowledges no 'catastrophic conse…
The Bank of Japan increased its policy rate to a 31-year high on Tuesday, the first hike since December, as it shifts toward normalising monetary policy to address inflationary pressure from an energy shock tied to the Iran war. Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida noted a recent memorandum between the U.S. and Iran but warned that uncertainty remains o…
President Lai Ching-te said he will continue efforts to raise Taiwan's defence budget and find alternative legislative and budgetary routes after an opposition-led parliament approved only two-thirds of a $40 billion supplementary defence package, trimming funding for domestically produced drones and missiles. Lai stressed the need to sharpen comba…
A World Gold Council survey of 74 central banks conducted Feb. 5-May 19 finds a record 45% of reserve managers expect to raise their institutions' gold holdings in the next 12 months, with 54% planning no change and 1% anticipating a reduction. Most replies came after the late-February Middle East conflict, which affected oil and gold prices. The s…
The Reserve Bank of Australia left the cash rate at 4.35% at its June meeting, citing a slowing economy and tighter financial conditions but reiterating it will tighten further if inflation remains elevated. The unanimous pause followed softer domestic data and reduced near-term oil-price risk after a Middle East peace initiative, yet the RBA empha…
AmCham Taiwan's president said a long-pursued dual taxation agreement with the United States may see renewed momentum now that Taipei and Washington have settled a post-tariffs trade deal. The business group is sending a delegation to press officials in Washington, arguing the pact would remove a key barrier to investment and strengthen cooperation…
The Reserve Bank of Australia left its cash rate target unchanged at 4.35% after implementing three increases earlier in the year. While the central bank noted signs of slowing growth and consumer spending, it warned that elevated headline and underlying inflation - partly driven by higher energy costs from global oil supply disruptions - remained …
Central bank actions in Asia kept to the script on Tuesday as Japan raised its short-term policy rate to 1% - the highest level since 1995 - and Australia left its cash rate unchanged at 4.35%. Currency moves were muted immediately after the announcements. Market focus shifts to upcoming press conferences in Sydney and Tokyo, and to economic releas…
The Reserve Bank of Australia left its cash rate unchanged at 4.35% after its June policy meeting, saying the economy was slowing amid tighter financial conditions. The RBA reiterated that inflation remains too high and warned it could raise the cash rate further if required to control inflation. The bank has increased rates by 75 basis points sinc…
The Bank of Japan advanced its monetary policy stance on Tuesday, implementing a widely anticipated 25-basis-point increase in the benchmark overnight call rate to 1.0%. This adjustment marks the highest interest rate level achieved by the central bank in three decades. Alongside the rate hike, the institution detailed a systematic approach to redu…
The World Bank has revised its economic forecast for Myanmar downward, citing a severe fuel price shock that has intensified pressure on the civil-war-torn nation. The downgrade to a 2.0% real GDP growth projection for the 2026/27 fiscal year reflects deep structural flaws and ongoing instability that continue to hamper recovery efforts despite rec…
The Bank of Japan has increased its short-term policy rate to 1.0%, marking the first hike since December and bringing monetary conditions to their tightest level in 31 years. The decision reflects the central bank's priority of managing inflationary risks stemming from ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. Governor Kazuo Ueda was absent due to med…
China's economic landscape in May revealed a stark divergence between robust industrial output and weakening domestic consumption. Retail sales fell by 0.6%, marking the first monthly decline since December 2022, while industrial production accelerated to a 4.5% year-on-year increase. This two-speed growth pattern highlights the ongoing challenges …
Asian equity markets advanced cautiously on Tuesday, tempering earlier enthusiasm following the announcement of a preliminary peace agreement between the United States and Iran. While diplomatic progress initially buoyed risk sentiment, the initial optimism has given way to a more measured approach as market participants shift their focus toward im…
The U.S. dollar traded near 10-day lows on Tuesday, supported by a tentative Middle East peace agreement that improved risk sentiment and pushed oil prices lower. However, currency gains were tempered as investors awaited key central bank announcements from Japan and Australia, which will provide insights into near-term inflation and interest rate …
The Bank of Japan is widely anticipated to finalize a monetary policy shift on Tuesday that will elevate its short-term interest rate to a 31-year high. This move represents a decisive break from the radical stimulus era and aligns the central bank with global peers fighting inflation. The decision will be driven by heightened price pressures from …
U.S. Treasury yields dropped to the lowest levels in a month following an announcement of a preliminary agreement to end hostilities between the U.S. and Iran. The 10-year yield fell to 4.4197% before settling slightly higher, while the two-year yield retreated to 4.031%. The Strait of Hormuz is set to reopen and oil prices fell sharply, reflecting…
A weekend agreement to end hostilities between the U.S. and Iran and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz sent oil prices down and lifted U.S. equities, raising the prospect that cyclical and consumer-exposed stocks, small caps and non-U.S. markets could catch up to tech-driven gains. Strategists caution that interest-rate expectations and the ongoing do…
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that President Donald Trump directed the Department of Justice to open an investigation into him and his wife. Newsom said investigators have not found criminal activity but are searching for wrongdoing, and he described the move as politically motivated and tied to his potential presidential plans.
Euro zone sovereign yields fell on Monday after U.S. and Iranian officials said they reached a preliminary agreement to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The move pushed oil prices lower and eased immediate inflationary pressure, driving German 10-year and two-year yields to multi-week lows and prompting declines in bond markets glob…
Syrian state-owned telecom operator reported damage to an international undersea cable linking Tartous, Syria, to Alexandria, Egypt. The operator described the incident as sabotage near the coast of Tartous and said the outage affected internet service for a large number of subscribers across Syria. Restoring full service will require time, and the…
The International Monetary Fund says it remains on high alert for lingering economic fallout from the Middle East conflict even after a US-Iran interim agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva highlighted that energy supplies will need time to recover, that commodity prices and inflation expectations have…
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the world economy is managing the fallout from the Middle East war so far, despite higher commodity prices, rising inflation and tighter financial conditions. She welcomed a U.S.-Iran agreement to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz but cautioned that an escalation or supply disruptions wo…
US homebuilder sentiment fell in June, with the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index dropping two points to 35. The index has remained below 40 for 14 months, the longest stretch since the 2011-2012 foreclosure crisis. Industry pressure reflects higher mortgage rates, rising building-material costs and ongoing affordability challenges; residential…
