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

2,698 total articles

Musk’s X and xAI to Fully Repay $17.5 Billion in Debt, Lenders Told

Musk’s X and xAI to Fully Repay $17.5 Billion in Debt, Lenders Told

Elon Musk’s social network X and AI startup xAI plan to repay roughly $17.5 billion of debt in full, according to people familiar with the matter. Morgan Stanley, which arranged the financings, has informed current lenders that the two firms will retire the outstanding obligations. The origin of the repayment funds has not been revealed. The compan…

White House physician says president is using prescribed preventative skin cream

White House physician says president is using prescribed preventative skin cream

The White House physician confirmed that President Donald Trump is applying a prescribed topical cream to the right side of his neck as a preventative skin treatment. The regimen is expected to last one week, though the physician warned that the visible redness may linger for a few weeks. No additional details about the specific medication or the u…

Yellen: Iran Tensions Raise Inflation Risk, Likely Keeps Fed from Cutting Rates

Yellen: Iran Tensions Raise Inflation Risk, Likely Keeps Fed from Cutting Rates

Janet Yellen said the conflict involving Iran will slow U.S. growth and add upward pressure on prices, reducing the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will ease policy soon. She noted inflation currently sits about one percentage point above the Fed's 2% goal, with tariffs accounting for roughly half a point of the 3% pace, and highlighted the ris…

Middle East escalation tests U.S. economic momentum

Middle East escalation tests U.S. economic momentum

The U.S. economy, which had shown signs of renewed business confidence and resilient labor markets, now confronts heightened uncertainty after President Donald Trump ordered open-ended military action against Iran aimed at toppling its long-standing Islamist leadership. Immediate effects included a weekend jump in oil from $70 to nearly $80 a barre…

U.S. Treasury Halts Use of Anthropic Tools After Presidential Directive

U.S. Treasury Halts Use of Anthropic Tools After Presidential Directive

The U.S. Treasury Department said it will stop using Anthropic’s products, including the Claude platform, following a directive from President Donald Trump. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the decision was made at the president’s direction and emphasized that government tools must serve the public interest. The president ordered all federal a…

BoE policymaker: Too early to gauge Middle East fallout on UK economy

BoE policymaker: Too early to gauge Middle East fallout on UK economy

Bank of England policymaker Alan Taylor said it is premature to determine how the recent escalation in the Middle East will affect Britain’s weak economy. With a surge in oil prices and renewed geopolitical risks, markets have reduced expectations for near-term BoE rate cuts while Taylor reiterated concerns about rising downside growth risks and th…

Brazil Treasury Says Iran Conflict Could Compress Expected Rate-Cut Cycle

Brazil Treasury Says Iran Conflict Could Compress Expected Rate-Cut Cycle

Brazil’s Treasury secretary warned that a prolonged conflict involving Iran could push oil prices higher and lead to a shorter-than-expected interest rate cutting cycle, even as he maintained that the central bank’s immediate plan for a March policy meeting remains intact. He noted fiscal benefits from higher crude through royalties and Petrobras p…

Supreme Court Passes on Case Testing Copyright for AI-Created Art

Supreme Court Passes on Case Testing Copyright for AI-Created Art

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal over whether visual art produced by an artificial intelligence system can receive federal copyright protection. The decision leaves in place prior rulings that the U.S. Copyright Office and federal courts will not register works unless they have human authorship, extending uncertainty for creators a…

Four Possible Paths for Iran After Khamenei’s Death and the Market Stakes

Four Possible Paths for Iran After Khamenei’s Death and the Market Stakes

Capital Economics says the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader by U.S. and Israeli air strikes has created "enormous uncertainty about Iran's political future," with consequences for the country's economic policy, regional security and global energy markets. Under the constitution, an 88-member Assembly of Experts will choose a successor while a trans…

U.S. General Says Military Objectives in Iran Will Take Time; Casualties Expected

U.S. General Says Military Objectives in Iran Will Take Time; Casualties Expected

Senior U.S. military leaders warned that operations against Iran will be protracted and could produce further American casualties. The U.S.-Israeli air campaign expanded with no clear timeline for completion, and the U.S. reported that Kuwait’s air defenses mistakenly shot down three American F-15E fighter jets during an Iranian attack. Officials s…

BoE policymaker warns of weakening demand as inflation disappoints

BoE policymaker warns of weakening demand as inflation disappoints

Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member Alan Taylor said in Oslo that weakening inflation, higher unemployment and slower wage growth mean the Bank may shortly be operating outside the usual trade-off between growth and inflation, raising the prospect of demand shortfalls. Taylor, who joined three colleagues last month in pressing for a ra…

UK equities slide as Middle East escalation lifts oil and spooks markets

UK equities slide as Middle East escalation lifts oil and spooks markets

UK stock markets fell on Monday amid a global risk-off move triggered by heightened conflict in the Middle East. Oil surged almost 8% after retaliatory Iranian attacks disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz following a weekend bombing that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While energy and defence names advanced, domesticall…

Kremlin Reaffirms Preference for Diplomatic Resolution in Ukraine Talks

Kremlin Reaffirms Preference for Diplomatic Resolution in Ukraine Talks

The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia continues to view ongoing negotiations with Ukraine as aligned with its interests and that a political and diplomatic settlement remains Moscow's preferred means of ending the conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia's openness to talks, while recent reporting has highlighted an impasse over…

Air Cargo Demand Climbs 5.6% in January as Regions Diverge

Air Cargo Demand Climbs 5.6% in January as Regions Diverge

Global air freight demand rose 5.6% year-on-year in January 2026, driven by international moves and notable gains on several trade corridors, according to data published by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Monday. Capacity also expanded, though performance varied sharply by region with carriers in the Americas recording an over…