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

2,053 total articles

RBI Holds Policy Rate at 5.25%, Revises Up Near-Term Inflation Forecast

RBI Holds Policy Rate at 5.25%, Revises Up Near-Term Inflation Forecast

The Reserve Bank of India kept its policy rate at 5.25% and maintained a Neutral stance, while upgrading near-term inflation projections and pointing to improving export prospects from recent and prospective trade deals. The central bank warned of a sharper pick-up in consumer inflation in the coming months even as GDP growth remains robust.

RBI Keeps Repo Rate at 5.25% as U.S.-India Trade Deal Eases Tariff Pressure

RBI Keeps Repo Rate at 5.25% as U.S.-India Trade Deal Eases Tariff Pressure

The Reserve Bank of India held its policy repo rate at 5.25% following a unanimous decision by its six-member monetary policy committee, retaining a neutral stance. A recent trade agreement with the United States, which cuts U.S. tariffs on Indian imports from nearly 50% to 18%, has reduced a key source of pressure on India’s economy and markets. T…

Poll Sees Japan Returning to Growth in Q4 on Strong Investment and Consumption

Poll Sees Japan Returning to Growth in Q4 on Strong Investment and Consumption

A Reuters poll of 16 economists indicates Japan likely returned to growth in the October-December 2025 quarter, with annualised GDP rising an estimated 1.6% after a sharp contraction in the prior quarter. The pickup is attributed to robust corporate capital expenditure and steady private consumption, while net external demand made a small positive …

Singapore Poised for a Fiscally Cautious Budget as Growth Holds Strong

Singapore Poised for a Fiscally Cautious Budget as Growth Holds Strong

Singapore is set to announce a conservative Budget on February 12 that prioritises fiscal prudence after elevated household support in 2025. Economists from Bank of America, Maybank and DBS expect an overall fiscal surplus of between 0.3% and 1% of GDP. The government is likely to shift focus toward longer-term measures such as technology and innov…

Bitcoin Tests $60,000 Support as Broad Risk-Off Wave Hits Markets

Bitcoin Tests $60,000 Support as Broad Risk-Off Wave Hits Markets

Bitcoin plunged to a 16-month low on Friday and briefly tested the $60,000 level as a rout in technology stocks and other risk assets intensified. The largest cryptocurrency later traded higher in choppy action but remained under pressure, while ether and the wider crypto market also registered steep declines. Market flows into U.S. spot bitcoin ET…

BOJ's Masu Urges Timely Rate Increases to Keep Underlying Inflation Below 2%

BOJ's Masu Urges Timely Rate Increases to Keep Underlying Inflation Below 2%

Bank of Japan board member Kazuyuki Masu said the central bank must raise interest rates in a timely manner to prevent underlying inflation from breaching the 2% target, while taking care not to choke off a nascent wage-price upturn. Speaking in Matsuyama, Masu said underlying inflation remains below 2% but is drawing close, and that further policy…

Banxico Keeps Benchmark Rate at 7% as Core Inflation Stays Elevated

Banxico Keeps Benchmark Rate at 7% as Core Inflation Stays Elevated

Mexico's central bank left its policy rate unchanged at 7%, temporarily halting an easing cycle that began almost two years ago. Officials said the pause was signaled in their recent monetary program and pointed to persistent core inflation that remains above the bank's tolerance band. Policymakers will account for recently imposed tariffs on Asian…

U.S. Environmental Enforcement Falls to Record Low in 2025, Analysis Finds

U.S. Environmental Enforcement Falls to Record Low in 2025, Analysis Finds

Federal enforcement actions brought on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency fell to historic lows in 2025, with just 16 civil complaints filed by the Justice Department. An analysis by the Environmental Integrity Project shows steep declines in both filings and settled cases compared with the opening years of prior administrations.

Lagarde Says AI-Driven Investment Will Take Time to Lift Productivity

Lagarde Says AI-Driven Investment Will Take Time to Lift Productivity

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told reporters that while artificial intelligence is fueling a surge in private-sector investment across information and communications technology, the productivity gains from that spending will take time to materialize. She spoke after the ECB kept interest rates unchanged and described investment …

Senate Democrat Demands End to $20 Billion U.S. Swap Line With Argentina

Senate Democrat Demands End to $20 Billion U.S. Swap Line With Argentina

Senator Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, has asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to terminate a $20 billion currency swap line provided to Argentina last year. In a letter dated Wednesday, Warren reminded Bessent that the Treasury had described the facility as for "acute, short-term and urgent" needs tied to Ar…

ECB Maintains Deposit Rate at 2% as Inflation Falls and Growth Remains Modest

ECB Maintains Deposit Rate at 2% as Inflation Falls and Growth Remains Modest

The European Central Bank held its key deposit rate at 2% on Thursday, signaling a probable policy pause given cooling inflation and moderate economic expansion. Recent data showing inflation at 1.7% and 2025 growth of 1.5% reduce immediate impetus for further easing or tightening, though currency appreciation and external disinflation pressures ke…

Moody's Lowers Indonesia Outlook to Negative Citing Governance and Policy Risks

Moody's Lowers Indonesia Outlook to Negative Citing Governance and Policy Risks

Moody's downgraded its outlook on Indonesia from stable to negative while keeping the nation's Baa2 rating, citing reduced predictability in policymaking and signs of weakening governance following market volatility tied to transparency concerns. The move comes as officials promise reforms and the government stresses economic resilience amid invest…

Rooftop Solar Sector Contracts After Homeowner Tax Credit Expires

Rooftop Solar Sector Contracts After Homeowner Tax Credit Expires

The end of the 30% federal income tax credit for rooftop solar systems has precipitated layoffs, market exits and bankruptcies across the U.S. residential solar industry. Companies are cutting costs and pivoting toward third-party ownership models that retain access to tax incentives, even as analytics firms forecast a sharp fall in installations a…

Bank of England Keeps Bank Rate at 3.75% as Inflation Remains Above Target

Bank of England Keeps Bank Rate at 3.75% as Inflation Remains Above Target

At its first policy meeting of the year, the Bank of England left the Bank Rate unchanged at 3.75%, with the nine-member Monetary Policy Committee split five-to-four in favour of holding rates. Policymakers cited persistent inflation as the reason for a cautious stance despite evidence of weakening hiring and slowing pay growth. External forecasts …

UK Signals Imminent Free-Trade Agreement with Gulf Cooperation Council

UK Signals Imminent Free-Trade Agreement with Gulf Cooperation Council

Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle told delegates at the UK Trade and Export Finance Forum that an announcement on a UK-GCC free-trade agreement is 'imminent.' Talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council, which comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, began in 2022 and have experienced delays; negotiators …

Global cash flows propel Malaysia into regional investment spotlight

Global cash flows propel Malaysia into regional investment spotlight

A surge of foreign capital into Malaysian assets reflects growing investor confidence in the country’s steady growth, policy stability and a strengthening ringgit. Foreign inflows into local-currency debt, a rising stock market, and substantial data centre investment have positioned Malaysia as an attractive middle ground for global investors seeki…

Investors Weigh Bargain Hunting as Software Stocks Plummet Amid AI Anxiety

Investors Weigh Bargain Hunting as Software Stocks Plummet Amid AI Anxiety

A steep fall in software stocks has prompted some portfolio managers to pick at beaten-down names, while others remain wary pending clearer signs of AI-driven revenue and corporate adoption. The sector's declines, driven by concerns over artificial intelligence disruption and weak earnings from major firms, have triggered technical readings that so…