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
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…
Australia's Treasurer will prioritise fiscal savings, productivity measures and tax reform in the May budget to prepare for an inflation shock and a potential drag on growth linked to a prolonged Middle East conflict, according to excerpts of his pre-budget remarks. A Treasury scenario warns the conflict could add 1.25 percentage points to inflatio…
Bank of America continues to forecast Mexico's policy rate falling to 6% by the end of 2026 and expects a 25 basis point reduction as early as March. The bank maintains this out-of-consensus view despite identifying upside inflation pressures from energy, fertilizer, shipping and commodity markets. BofA says Banxico is likely to justify a March cut…
Switzerland's government has trimmed its 2026 GDP growth forecast to 1% from 1.1% amid uncertainty tied to the Middle East conflict and a rise in energy costs. The forecast for 2027 remains 1.7%. An expert group at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs raised its 2026 inflation projection to 0.4% and flagged slightly weaker private consumption…
The Bank of Canada is widely expected to keep its policy rate at 2.25% when it announces its decision on Wednesday, with inflation hovering near the midpoint of the bank's 1% to 3% target range. Economists say the central bank is likely to flag the inflationary risks posed by a recent spike in oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict, while ci…
The Federal Open Market Committee is widely expected to leave its policy rate unchanged at 3.50%-3.75% when it concludes a two-day meeting on Wednesday. A recent jump in oil prices and the onset of the Iran conflict have elevated inflation concerns, prompting some economists to warn that the Fed could signal a 'symmetric policy bias' that leaves bo…
U.S. stock index futures advanced after oil prices slipped, while market participants awaited the Federal Reserve's policy update and commentary on how the Middle East conflict, tariffs and a cooling labor market may shape future monetary decisions. Strength in AI-related chip demand supported technology names, and data on producer prices for Febru…
U.S. equity futures moved higher as markets awaited a Federal Reserve interest rate decision that arrives while fighting in Iran continues to unsettle energy markets. Brent crude eased but remained above $100 a barrel amid concerns that disrupted supplies will sustain inflationary pressures and could delay prospective Fed rate cuts. Memory-chip mak…
European stocks rose for a third consecutive session as a pullback in crude oil prices eased pressure on markets and boosted sentiment ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve policy decision. The STOXX 600 advanced, with financials leading gains while energy names slipped amid lower oil. Investors also awaited euro zone inflation data due later in the day.
Two senior executives at Thailand’s $88 billion Social Security Office fund say structural reforms are urgently needed after a recent market rout pushed the fund’s value-at-risk metric past its internal limit. They called for greater diversification, reduced reliance on low-yield domestic assets and a move toward professional, independent governanc…
Citi economists anticipate the Riksbank will maintain its policy rate at 1.75% and signal an extended pause, treating the recent rise in inflation linked to energy prices as largely external and potentially temporary. With core inflation surprising to the downside, a stronger krona and fiscal measures already in play, policymakers are expected to k…
Citi economists say a fresh energy price surge tied to events in the Middle East complicates the European Central Bank's task, increasing the likelihood that policymakers will feel pressure to act if inflation trends higher. Despite hawkish rhetoric and markets pricing in tighter policy, Citi expects rates to remain around 2% through 2026 and predi…
Australia's Treasury released fresh modelling showing the ongoing Middle East conflict could push consumer prices higher and shave growth from the economy. Officials evaluated two paths for oil and commodity prices - a shorter disruption and a more protracted shock - and quantified the differing impacts on inflation and GDP.
A retreat in oil prices sparked a broad risk-on move across Asian and European markets, but attention now turns to the Federal Reserve's policy decision and updated dot plot. The meeting, along with Bank of Canada commentary and U.S. data, will shape whether markets keep pricing in rate cuts or reprice a hawkish pivot.
Federal Reserve officials are widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at their upcoming meeting but will use the policy statement and updated projections to reflect how the new, open-ended conflict with Iran has altered the outlook for growth, inflation and monetary policy. Rising oil and fuel costs, supply concerns and a weaker labor pri…
The Bank of Japan is broadly expected to hold its policy rate at the March 19 meeting, but officials are likely to deliver a firmer, more hawkish outlook amid lingering inflationary pressures and recent yen depreciation. Policymakers face a trade-off between mounting signs of economic strength and near-term uncertainty over wage growth, while polit…
