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.
4,096 total articles
Absences among Transportation Security Administration officers dipped slightly to 9.9% on Tuesday as the partial government shutdown reached its 33rd day, the Department of Homeland Security said. The funding lapse has forced roughly 50,000 TSA airport security officers to work without pay for a month, producing spot shortages at several major airp…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told reporters that despite a recent spike in energy prices tied to the Iran conflict, the U.S. economy is far from the stagflation experienced in the 1970s. With inflation about one percentage point above the Fed's target and unemployment remaining low, Powell described the present environment as a difficult bal…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said at a post-meeting press conference that he will remain in the role if a successor is not confirmed by the end of his current chair term in May. Powell stated this continuation is prescribed by law and noted the Fed has followed the same procedure on multiple occasions, including previously in his own case.
A banking group led by JPMorgan Chase is running back-to-back debt offerings tied to the take-private of Electronic Arts and Qualtrics' purchase of Press Ganey Forsta. The closely sequenced sales are being watched by bankers as a measure of demand for leveraged loans and high-yield bonds in a technology sector facing heightened volatility due to co…
Federal Reserve projections released on March 18 reveal a split among policymakers: most still expect the next move on interest rates to be a cut this year, but one official now predicts a rate increase next year. Median forecasts for headline and core inflation were revised up, while unemployment and GDP outlooks held steady or edged higher.
One Federal Reserve official has shifted to forecasting a rate increase next year, the first such projection in two-and-a-half years, as the Iran war and higher oil prices persist into a third week. Most Fed policymakers still expect the next move will be a rate cut this year. The central bank held the policy rate at 3.5%-3.75% and raised its infla…
The Federal Reserve left the target range for the federal funds rate unchanged at 3.50%-3.75% at its latest meeting, maintaining projections for at least one rate cut this year in its updated Summary of Economic Projections. The committee flagged elevated uncertainty around the economic outlook and noted the unclear implications of the ongoing Midd…
A new equality study by the Rita Levi-Montalcini SVIMEZ - W20 Observatory shows Italy trailing major peers on female employment, a shortfall that researchers and the Bank of Italy say threatens economic growth and the nation’s demographic outlook. Female employment in 2024 was 53.2%, leaving a 17.8 percentage point gap with men; closing that gap co…
Rep. Jamie Raskin has written to USPTO Director John Squires seeking details about the agency’s decision to file trademark applications for the Board of Peace. Raskin said the move appeared to hide who controls and benefits from the board and raised the prospect of trademarks being used to silence critics.
Chile's economy expanded 2.5% in 2025, central bank data showed, easing from a revised 2.8% in 2024. Activity returned to growth in the fourth quarter, but the full-year result disappointed authorities who said it fell short of household expectations. The new administration plans nearly $4 billion in spending cuts while targeting stronger growth in…
The administration has temporarily waived Jones Act restrictions for 60 days to permit foreign-flagged vessels to move oil, natural gas, fertilizer and coal between U.S. ports. Officials framed the move as a short-term measure to address supply interruptions and rising energy costs linked to recent attacks on Iran and strained passage through the S…
The Bank of Canada left its target for the overnight rate unchanged at 2.25%, citing heightened uncertainty from geopolitical developments in the Middle East and ongoing trade risks. Governor Tiff Macklem highlighted recent energy price volatility following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, an unexpected inventory drawdown that weighed on fourth…
The Bank of Canada left its policy rate at 2.25% and signaled readiness to raise interest rates if rising energy prices feed through to broader, persistent inflation. Governor Tiff Macklem flagged the short-term inflationary effect of the Middle East conflict on gasoline prices, said near-term growth is likely weaker than the bank forecast in Janua…
White House Press Secretary Leavitt made a series of public remarks Wednesday on Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. position on Iran's nuclear fuel, and a delayed presidential trip to China. Speaking on Fox News and in briefings with reporters, he described the death of Iran’s Khatib as "a good thing for the US," said the president retains full c…
The Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan left its policy rate unchanged at 14.00% in March while shifting to a firmer tone. Officials said headline inflation has stopped falling, core inflation has picked up, and external developments are now viewed as more pro-inflationary, leading the bank to note the potential need for further tightening i…
Macquarie Asset Management has stepped away from the process to acquire a stake in Kuwait's oil pipeline network, a transaction valued at as much as $7 billion, citing the Iran conflict and an unclear outlook. The withdrawal underscores growing investor caution over Gulf energy assets after disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Desp…
A poll of 17 housing analysts conducted between Feb. 27 and March 18 found that British house prices are now forecast to rise more slowly than previously expected, with average prices projected to increase 2.5% this year and 3% in each of the following two years. The recalibration in outlook comes as expectations for near-term Bank of England rate …
Producer prices in February rose more than economists had predicted, sending U.S. equity futures lower and reducing market expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates within the year. Core measures excluding food and energy also exceeded forecasts on both annual and monthly bases, reinforcing concerns about persistent inflation pr…
U.S. producer prices rose 0.7% in February, driven by services, outpacing economists' expectations. A 12-month increase of 3.4% and a more than 40% jump in oil prices after the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran are intensifying inflation pressures that policymakers will weigh at the Federal Reserve meeting.
European Central Bank supervisory chief Claudia Buch warned that financial markets are not fully pricing in geopolitical threats, increasing the chance of sudden sell-offs. She cautioned against loosening bank regulations despite pressure from recent U.S. regulatory easing and said fragmentation or weakening of standards could undercut banks' resil…
The Federal Reserve has largely achieved its objectives in restoring money-market liquidity and is poised to slow the pace of its Treasury bill purchases after a mid-April tax date, while continuing efforts to shorten the average maturity of its bond holdings and reduce the relative share of mortgage-backed securities on its balance sheet.
An International Monetary Fund mission opened discussions with Ukrainian officials on March 18 as the government seeks to secure additional funding contingent on implementing fiscal measures. Central items on the table include higher taxes for individual entrepreneurs and small businesses, steps to shrink the shadow economy, and tax changes for dig…
U.S. stock futures moved higher Wednesday morning as investors awaited the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision and monitored continuing conflict involving Iran that has kept oil prices elevated. Gains in futures followed advances on Wall Street in the prior session, while developments in the Middle East - including reported deaths of two senio…
The UK government said it will examine whether AI-generated material should carry labels to help guard against deepfakes and disinformation, while pursuing further copyright reforms to protect creators and smaller cultural organisations. Technology minister Liz Kendall said policymakers must balance protection for creative industries with space for…
Bank of America has rescinded its forecast for a March rate cut by the Bank of England, now anticipating that policymakers will keep the Bank Rate at 3.75% amid a near-term energy price shock. The bank's strategists, led by Mark Capleton, expect a 7-2 vote to hold at the upcoming meeting but warn that outcomes remain sensitive to the size and persi…
