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.
2,066 total articles
Facing intensified scrutiny from populist and unconventional political forces, central bankers in the United States, Europe and Japan are taking steps to defend institutional independence. Those efforts range from public resistance to early resignations designed to limit political influence. The push-back aims to protect anti-inflation credibility …
A poll of a dozen economists conducted between February 23 and February 27 indicates Indonesia's trade surplus likely widened to a median $2.76 billion in January, up from $2.52 billion in December. Exports grew by an estimated 11.07% year-on-year while imports rose 13.23%, and headline inflation is forecast to accelerate to 4.31% in February.
A risk-averse tone gripped global markets as lofty technology valuations collided with a series of geopolitical flashpoints. Nvidia posted results that, while impressive on the surface, fell short of the expectations baked into industry valuations. Traditional havens such as the Japanese yen and U.S. Treasuries strengthened, crude oil ticked higher…
A Reuters poll of nine economists indicated South Korea's exports likely rose for a ninth consecutive month in February, led by a sharp jump in semiconductor shipments driven by global AI-related investment. The median forecast predicted a 24.0% year-on-year increase, with imports also expected to accelerate and the trade surplus widening to about …
Economists say a surge in productivity from artificial intelligence could slow the pace of government debt accumulation in major economies, but it is unlikely to resolve underlying fiscal pressures. High debt-to-GDP ratios, ageing populations and growing expenditure needs mean AI is more likely to buy time than deliver a definitive fix. Outcomes hi…
Currency markets in February were dominated by expectations about central bank policy rather than broader market volatility. The Australian dollar is set for one of the strongest monthly gains among G10 peers as investors price a more hawkish Reserve Bank of Australia. The Japanese yen slipped amid political developments that cloud the Bank of Japa…
China's central bank said it will eliminate the foreign exchange risk reserve applied to certain currency forwards, lowering the effective cost for institutions that buy U.S. dollars via these instruments. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) will reduce the requirement from 20% to zero for financial institutions purchasing foreign exchange through fo…
Tokyo's annual core consumer price inflation slowed to 1.8% in February from 2.0% in January, falling beneath the Bank of Japan's 2% target for the first time since October 2024. A narrower measure that excludes fresh food and fuel rose 2.5%. The slowdown aligns with BOJ projections that fuel subsidies and last year's base effects will temporarily …
A federal judge in San Francisco has enjoined the U.S. Department of Agriculture from cutting off administrative funding to 22 Democratic-led states unless they turn over detailed recipient data for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The order follows state challenges to USDA letters requesting names, addresses and immigration status of…
Royal Bank of Canada reported first-quarter results that exceeded analysts' expectations, driven by a surge in wealth management fees and stronger performance in its personal banking division. The bank's capital markets business posted a smaller gain, tempered by rising compensation and increased provisions for credit losses. Adjusted earnings per …
Mexico's culture ministry has launched legal proceedings and engaged diplomatic channels to stop a Paris auction house from selling 40 pre-Colombian items that its anthropology institute says are protected under Mexican law and thus the property of the nation. The auction house Millon had scheduled an in-person sale of the collection "Les Empires d…
Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee told Fox News on Thursday that he expects several interest-rate cuts later in 2026 and described himself as relatively optimistic compared with many Fed colleagues. At the same time, he urged the Federal Reserve to avoid front-loading cuts until there is clear evidence that inflation is moving back …
The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said there are significant concerns about data and pathogen-sharing provisions in recent U.S. bilateral health agreements with African countries. Zimbabwe has withdrawn from negotiations over a $367 million, five-year pact citing privacy and equity worries, and Zambia has pushed back…
The U.S. comptroller of the currency indicated he would consider allowing senior members of Congress to see an unredacted application from World Liberty Financial to become a national trust bank. Democratic senators raised conflict-of-interest concerns during a Senate Banking Committee hearing and urged the regulator to withhold or delay review, wh…
The average U.S. 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 5.98% this week, its lowest reading since September 2022, driven by a retreat in the 10-year Treasury yield amid legal and policy developments. Economists warn the move is likely transitory and insufficient on its own to rekindle broad housing demand without an increase in for-sale inventory. Per…
Canada’s minister overseeing trade with the United States described private conversations among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico about the upcoming USMCA review as not discouraging. Ottawa is readying formal negotiations with Washington ahead of the treaty’s renewal deadline of July 1, 2026. The minister noted the existence of bilateral arrangements wit…
U.S. negotiators in Geneva presented stringent conditions to Iranian counterparts, calling for the destruction of principal nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, the transfer of remaining enriched uranium to the United States, and permanent, non-expiring limits on Iran's nuclear program. Iran refused those demands and declined to halt e…
A federal judge refused to freeze construction of a $400 million White House ballroom intended to replace the demolished East Wing, concluding preservationists failed to satisfy the legal threshold for a preliminary injunction. The ruling clears the way for the administration to continue work while a broader lawsuit by the National Trust for Histor…
Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey reports the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.98% as of Thursday, the first reading in roughly three and a half years to fall into the 5% range. The survey also shows the 15-year fixed-rate averaged 5.44%, slightly above last week. Freddie Mac’s chief economist said the lower rate alongside i…
Preparations for a potential meeting in Beijing between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are behind schedule, according to analysts and former government officials familiar with the planning process. Sources point to limited bilateral contacts, a small inexperienced organizing team on the US side, and contrasting US and Chine…
The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed rescinding a 2024 rule that broadened the scope for treating workers as employees when they are financially dependent on a company. The administration says the rule was legally flawed and reduced workers' flexibility. The proposal would instead revive a standard emphasizing the level of control employers ex…
China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee has revoked the delegate status of nine senior military officers, including Ground Force Commander Li Qiaoming and Information Support Force Political Commissar Li Wei, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. The committee took the action during a two-day session this week; the official notic…
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel declared the island will defend itself against what he described as 'terrorist and mercenary aggression' following a clash in which Havana says four exiles were killed and six wounded after arriving by a Florida-registered speedboat and opening fire on a Cuban patrol. The episode unfolded amid strained ties with th…
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran told a television interview audience that the central bank should lower interest rates by roughly one percentage point in 2026, pointing to stable price trends and the disinflationary influence of artificial intelligence. He warned it is premature to conclude the labor market is fully stable, criticized excess…
An ING Consumer Research survey of households in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain finds that nearly three quarters of respondents believe higher government expenditure on defense and infrastructure will harm their personal finances, mainly via inflation, higher taxes or cuts to existing programmes. Fewer than a third see…
