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.
2,681 total articles
China's industry minister Li Lecheng held a roundtable with small- and medium-sized enterprises in the new materials sector, calling for accelerated breakthroughs in core materials and greater self-reliance. The ministry highlighted priorities including advanced basic materials, critical strategic materials, cutting-edge new materials and the inter…
Iranian lawmakers are debating legislation that would permit Tehran to charge tolls and taxes on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz for shipping, energy shipments and food supplies. The proposal comes amid disruptions to maritime traffic by Iran and comments from a senior adviser signaling post-war plans to tighten control over passage for sta…
U.S. equity futures fell after crude oil jumped amid heightened hostilities in the Middle East, intensifying inflation concerns and reinforcing the Federal Reserve's restrained stance on rate cuts this year. Weak premarket moves in memory-chip names followed a strong but costly forecast from Micron Technology, while energy-driven pressure hit trave…
Citi's economic surprise index has recorded 14 consecutive months of positive readings, marking the longest run of upside surprises since the 2008-09 financial crisis. The measure, positive since January 2025, is poised to overtake its post-Covid-19 streak to become the second-longest on record. Analysts warn the recent war in the Middle East and h…
A fresh round of attacks on oil and gas facilities in the Middle East sent crude and LNG prices sharply higher on Thursday, weighing on U.S. equity futures and stoking inflation concerns. The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and kept a possible rate cut later this year on the table, though Chair Jerome Powell urged caution in treating …
Investors are increasingly betting on higher interest rates in Europe after a sharp rise in energy prices tied to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Central bank decisions from the ECB and Bank of England are in focus, while the Fed's revised inflation outlook and several central banks' hold or hikes have reinforced expectations of further tightening.
The Swiss National Bank left its policy rate at 0% on March 19, citing a sharp appreciation of the Swiss franc tied to the conflict in the Middle East and a concurrent rise in global oil prices that has made the inflation outlook less clear. The SNB said it has increased its readiness to intervene in foreign exchange markets to prevent a rapid and …
The Swiss National Bank left its policy rate unchanged at 0% after its March 19 review, maintained its tiered remuneration system for sight deposits and said it stands ready to step up foreign exchange market interventions in response to the Middle East conflict. Short-term inflation forecasts rose following higher energy prices, while medium-term …
ING economists and strategists have updated their outlook following the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has forced tankers and cargo vessels to take alternative routes. The bank has abandoned its March assumptions and set out three distinct scenarios to shape macro and market forecasts ahead of its April Monthly Update. ING views …
Annual pay growth excluding bonuses slowed to 3.8% in the three months to January, below economists' 4.0% expectation. The Bank of England faces competing signals - persistent labour-market inflation versus recent signs of softer hiring - even as a surge in energy costs after the outbreak of war in the Middle East introduces new upside inflation ri…
The Bank of Japan concluded a two-day policy meeting on Thursday and kept its short-term policy rate at 0.75%, while cautioning that higher oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict could make underlying inflation harder to assess. Governor Kazuo Ueda said decisions on further rate increases will hinge on developments in the economy, price tren…
Central banks are keeping policy rates unchanged while cautioning that a spike in energy prices linked to the intensifying U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran could accelerate inflation. Markets are pricing in higher risk aversion, pushing back expectations for U.S. rate cuts, and driving moves in oil, gas and currencies ahead of European central bank m…
Voters in over 50 countries face ballots this year amid heightened economic and geopolitical stress. Key contests in Denmark, Hungary, the UK, Ethiopia, Zambia, Colombia, Peru, Israel, Brazil and the United States carry potential implications for currency, bond and equity markets as investors weigh policy continuity, fiscal discipline and trade-war…
The Federal Reserve kept its policy rate unchanged for a second straight meeting and reiterated its projection for a single rate cut in 2026, but rising oil prices tied to the conflict in Iran elevated near-term inflation forecasts and left investors reassessing expectations for monetary easing. Markets sold off, Treasury yields rose and safe-haven…
A Reuters survey found all 20 market participants expect China to keep its one-year and five-year loan prime rates unchanged at 3.00% and 3.50% respectively for the 10th month running. Beijing's modest 2026 growth target and stronger-than-expected early-year activity have reduced immediate pressure for stimulus, while a roughly 50% jump in global o…
President Donald Trump said Israel would stop further attacks on Iran's South Pars gas field but warned Washington could completely destroy the facility if Iran again targeted Qatar's liquefied natural gas infrastructure. The remarks came after Iran struck parts of Qatar's LNG facilities, which Tehran said followed an earlier attack on South Pars. …
Japan's lower house approved Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's nominations of Toichiro Asada and Ayano Sato to the Bank of Japan's nine-member board, moves that could alter the central bank's deliberations over the timing and pace of future interest-rate increases. The nominations, viewed by markets as dovish, still require upper house approval. The …
The Bank of Japan maintained its short-term policy rate at 0.75% following a two-day meeting, warning that rising oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict could add to underlying inflationary pressures. A lone board dissent in favor of a 1.0% rate was recorded, and market attention has shifted to Governor Kazuo Ueda’s post-meeting briefing for…
A powerful unnamed AI model that appeared anonymously on OpenRouter has been confirmed by Xiaomi's MiMo team to be an early internal test build of MiMo-V2-Pro, ending speculation that it was the long-awaited DeepSeek-V4. The model, labeled Hunter Alpha on the platform, drew attention for its advertised one-trillion-parameter size and a one-million-…
The Bank of Japan kept its overnight call rate at 0.75% in a near-unanimous decision, warning that higher oil prices tied to the U.S.-Israel war on Iran pose upside risks to inflation. Policymakers expect near-term cooling in consumer price inflation but anticipate underlying inflation will reach the 2% target later in 2026. Markets broadly expecte…
Australia added a larger-than-expected 48,900 jobs in February, powered by a sharp increase in part-time positions, particularly among those aged 65 and over. Despite the headline employment gain, the unemployment rate rose to 4.3% as more people entered the labour force and overall hours worked declined.
The yen hovered close to a two-year low as a firmer dollar and rising oil prices fed currency pressure ahead of the Bank of Japan's policy decision. Markets digested the Federal Reserve's decision to hold rates and its outlook for inflation and employment, while participants weighed the potential economic and inflationary effects of the escalating …
Global equities fell and oil prices climbed after a marked escalation in the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States. Attacks on energy facilities and strikes beyond the Strait of Hormuz lifted crude and natural gas, while the Federal Reserve's hawkish outlook supported the U.S. dollar as investors awaited policy guidance from other m…
European Union leaders plan to press Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to withdraw his obstruction of a 90-billion-euro EU loan to Ukraine that was approved in December. Orban has withheld implementation since last month, citing a disagreement over the war-damaged Druzhba oil pipeline. Kyiv faces a funding crunch within weeks if the loan is not…
U.S. officials and people familiar with planning say the administration is considering sending thousands of troops to the Middle East as part of expanded operations against Iran. Options under review include securing passage through the Strait of Hormuz and a possible ground operation on Kharg Island, a key hub for Iran's oil exports. The deliberat…
