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.
2,702 total articles
Asian markets tumbled sharply as traders pared back positions in major technology and cyclical stocks on worries the conflict in the Middle East could trigger an oil shock, stoke inflation and delay rate cuts. The MSCI index for Asia-Pacific ex-Japan plunged 4.2%, Seoul’s KOSPI tripped a circuit breaker after an 11% drop in a single session and Jap…
South Korean equities plunged over 10% and the won fell to its weakest level in 17 years as fighting in the Middle East broadened, triggering circuit breakers, heavy foreign outflows and sharp losses among large-cap exporters and domestic cyclical names. The rout underscores investor sensitivity to higher oil prices and FX volatility for a country …
China’s official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for manufacturing fell to 49.0 in February from 49.3 in January, marking a second consecutive month of contraction. Weak domestic demand and subdued investment are cited as drags that offset resilient exports. Non-manufacturing PMI edged up slightly to 49.5, remaining below the 50 cutoff for expansi…
China’s manufacturing sector registered its strongest expansion since December 2020 in February, according to the private-sector RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI compiled by S&P Global. The index climbed to 52.1 from 50.3 in January, driven by rising new orders at home and abroad, faster output growth and greater confidence among manufactu…
A private-sector Purchasing Managers Index for China’s services sector climbed to 56.7 in February, the strongest reading in 33 months, driven by firmer domestic and overseas demand. The survey also showed a rise in input costs and output charges, a reinvigorated composite output index, and mixed labour trends as firms sought cost control while bac…
Asian equities fell sharply as traders exited crowded trades in semiconductor stocks and gold, reacting to a broader Mideast conflict that has sent oil and gas prices higher. Seoul led losses after rapid selling by short-term and foreign investors, Japan posted a third consecutive down day, and benchmark crude climbed amid strikes and attacks tied …
Global markets suffered broad losses as escalation in the Middle East sent energy prices sharply higher and triggered a cross-asset selloff. Stocks, commodities and emerging market currencies fell while the dollar strengthened and bond markets repriced the outlook for U.S. rate cuts. Signs of strain in private credit added to the scramble for liqui…
Markets reacted sharply after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran prompted fears of a longer-lasting Middle East conflict. A potential disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly one-fifth of global oil flows, pushed oil higher, pressured equities and altered expectations for Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul announced a state-funded pilot to provide 2,000 free childcare places for two-year-olds starting later this year, expanding to 12,000 spots next year. The initiative is financed through New York State allocations within a broader $1.2 billion commitment to early childcare, but leaders did not …
Since Saturday, Iran has launched large numbers of Shahed-136 drones at U.S. bases and regional oil infrastructure, prompting American and allied forces to respond with expensive Patriot interceptors. The tactic appears designed to exhaust adversaries' high-end missiles rather than to maximize immediate destruction, raising concerns about the durab…
Federal Reserve officials are widely expected to keep the target range for short-term interest rates unchanged at their March 17-18 meeting, repeating the pause policymakers took in January. Public remarks from governors and regional presidents show a range of perspectives - commonly described as "dove" and "hawk" - with some officials emphasizing …
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with employees to respond to concerns about the company's agreement permitting the U.S. Defense Department to use its artificial intelligence tools for classified operations. The deal, disclosed last Friday, drew criticism from researchers and industry observers and led OpenAI to revise the agreement to bar domestic survei…
President Emmanuel Macron announced the deployment of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Mediterranean and said France is working to assemble a coalition to protect commercial shipping after the Middle East conflict began to threaten routes including the Straits of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. Paris has also ta…
Gold remains supported by renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and persistent economic uncertainty, but a swift move into the dollar as a safe haven and forced selling in other asset classes have driven a sharp short-term pullback. Market participants say the recent drop should draw buying interest and that the metal's structural appeal…
Finance minister Rachel Reeves told parliament that Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts support her plans, but the sudden escalation of war in the Middle East and fresh domestic political instability have already put those projections at risk. Market reactions, higher energy costs and potential pressure on public spending and taxes threaten …
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the administration plans to conclude multiple trade probes within five months, allowing President Donald Trump to implement replacement tariffs after a Supreme Court decision invalidated previous duties. The investigations will proceed under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act and follow a global baseline…
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said the United Kingdom will not compromise its principles to secure a more favorable trade arrangement with the United States, defending the government's refusal to back an American-Israeli offensive against Iran. Reeves cited legal judgment on the absence of a basis for offensive action, signaled close mo…
The SEC's Division of Investment Management held a brief call with independent trustees and fund counsel instructing them to tell issuers not to allow a set of proposed leveraged ETFs to go effective. The regulator flagged concerns that a new generation of funds - some designed to deliver as much as five times the daily return of underlying indexes…
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari said the recent U.S.-Israel attack on Iran has increased uncertainty about the U.S. economic outlook and complicated the central bank's path for interest-rate policy. Kashkari, a 2026 Federal Open Market Committee voter, said he entered the year expecting easing inflation pressure to allow…
The U.S. Treasury unveiled plans to overhaul post-2008 bank liquidity regulations to increase lending capacity for priorities such as artificial intelligence infrastructure, domestic supply chains, and defense manufacturing. Under Secretary for Domestic Finance Jonathan McKernan, speaking from remarks prepared by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a…
Senior U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve officials signaled plans for a wide-ranging review of bank liquidity requirements, arguing current rules limit lending and hinder use of the Federal Reserve’s discount window. Proposals include recognizing prepositioned collateral at the discount window as part of banks' liquidity capacity, with caps that co…
President Donald Trump told Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt commercial dealings with Spain after Madrid denied access to its bases for a bombing campaign against Iran. Speaking at a White House meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump threatened sweeping trade measures, suggested the legal authority for an embargo exists and re…
The Inter-American Development Bank projects economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean will slow to 2.1% in 2026, close to the region's long-term average. The IDB highlights rising debt-service costs, limited fiscal space, weak productivity and the need for institutional strengthening and regional integration to translate opportunities fro…
The International Monetary Fund's first deputy managing director warned that the global economic consequences of the Middle East war will be shaped by how long the conflict lasts, the extent of damage to regional infrastructure and industries, and whether any rise in energy prices is temporary or sustained. Speaking at a Washington finance conferen…
Latvian central bank governor Martins Kazaks said the European Central Bank should refrain from changing interest rates for now amid uncertainty over the economic impact of the war in Iran. While disruptions to oil and gas flows and broader trade frictions could lift inflation in the euro zone, Kazaks warned the same shock might also dampen economi…
