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.
2,692 total articles
Raphael Bostic, outgoing president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, said political and legal disputes surrounding the Fed have weakened public belief in the central bank's independence. In a farewell essay published as he prepares to leave office, Bostic argued that safeguarding the Fed's autonomy is essential to maintaining low inflation, s…
On Feb 25, St. Louis Federal Reserve President Albert Musalem said the current federal funds rate appears to strike an appropriate balance between competing economic risks. He reiterated a baseline view that inflation should move back toward 2% later in the year and that the labor market will stabilize, while noting two principal risks: a potential…
Jeffrey Schmid, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, told an audience that high inflation continues to be the central bank's principal concern even as employment conditions remain favorable. He did not specify how monetary policy should adapt. Schmid also discussed internal Fed deliberations about reserve levels and said the centra…
A draft decree from Colombia's labor ministry proposes shifting 25 trillion pesos managed by private pension funds into the public administrator Colpensiones. The move would affect individual accounts of people who transferred to the public system under a 2024 reform now under constitutional court review, and follows a Finance Ministry proposal to …
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated over 30 individuals, entities and ships in a coordinated action targeting Iran's covert oil shipments and networks that obtain materials and machinery for ballistic missile and advanced conventional weapons production. The measures include sanctions on 12 vessels link…
JPMorgan increased its long-term gold price forecast to $4,500 an ounce while maintaining a year-end 2026 projection of $6,300. Spot gold has climbed roughly 20% this year, reaching a three-week high of $5,248.89 and a record peak of $5,594.82 on January 29, following a 2025 surge of more than 64%. The bank says central bank buying, investor demand…
British finance minister Rachel Reeves will present the Office for Budget Responsibility's latest forecasts in a Spring Budget update that she hopes will be routine. The OBR is expected to pare back short-term growth and inflation projections and will publish public borrowing forecasts, but it will not reassess the remaining fiscal 'headroom' Reeve…
The Treasury Secretary announced that BRB is barred from contracting credit operations backed by federal guarantees amid fiscal concerns at its controlling shareholder, the Federal District government. Caixa Economica Federal is not pursuing acquisition or portfolio deals for BRB, and the bank may face more than 5 billion reais in provisioning afte…
Bank of America Global Research expects the UK Office for Budget Responsibility's Spring forecasts on March 3 to show limited policy change and a modest improvement in fiscal headroom to about £24 billion. Lower Bank Rate and gilt yields since November should cut debt interest costs and help reduce planned gilt sales to £235 billion in 2026-27 - a …
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told a television audience that the administration does not plan to widen its tariff program on China and expects the present tariff regime to remain. He confirmed talks with China have touched on excess capacity and said certain duties will be set at 15%, with the possibility that some could exceed that rat…
In its annual budget, South Africa's National Treasury said it will propose a "principles-led" fiscal anchor at the mid-term budget later this year, prioritizing a guideline-based framework rather than a fixed numerical target to shore up public finances amid a steep rise in debt and modest growth projections.
First Solar's shares fell sharply in premarket trading after the company projected 2026 net sales below analyst expectations, citing uncertainty in the U.S. policy environment, permitting delays and tariff pressures. Management outlined a plan to open a U.S. finishing line in South Carolina to alleviate supply constraints for the Series 6 module an…
China announced it has met obligations tied to the U.S. Section 301 trade statute and urged Washington not to pursue further punitive measures, after the U.S. Trade Representative indicated ongoing investigations that could result in more tariffs. Beijing said it prefers to resolve issues through existing economic and trade consultation channels bu…
U.S. stock index futures ticked higher on Wednesday after a period of volatility as investors digested mixed signals about the economic impact of rapid AI investment and navigated ongoing uncertainty over newly announced tariffs. Nvidia’s quarterly results, due after the close, were the focal point for investors seeking confirmation that surging ca…
JP Morgan raised its long-term gold price forecast by 15% to $4,500 an ounce while maintaining a year-end 2026 projection of $6,300. The bank attributed the revision to stronger-than-expected central bank buying, official statements about U.S. Treasury divestment and a trend of some countries moving revenues from the dollar into the Chinese renminb…
Hong Kong private home prices rose 0.5% in January, marking an eighth consecutive month of gains and reinforcing signs of a market recovery. Analysts at major banks have lifted their 2026 growth forecasts, with forecasts ranging from about 10% to 15%, while developers and the government have exhibited greater activity and policy support for the hou…
U.S. equity futures were modestly positive as the market prepared for quarterly reports from Nvidia and Salesforce, companies at the heart of investor debate over the economic implications of the artificial intelligence surge. Broader market sentiment has been shaped by partnerships and large-scale AI spending, fresh U.S. tariffs and upcoming U.S.-…
The Bank of Thailand unexpectedly reduced its one-day repurchase rate by 25 basis points to 1.00% at its first policy review of the year in a 4-2 vote. The move - the sixth reduction since October 2024 and bringing total easing to 150 basis points - came as policymakers cited a firm baht, U.S. tariff uncertainty and structural headwinds that keep g…
Haruhiko Kuroda, who led the Bank of Japan's unconventional stimulus era, said the economy is in strong shape and called for a continued cycle of interest-rate increases together with tighter fiscal settings. He cautioned that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s expansionary spending and tax measures could aggravate inflationary pressures and elevate g…
Asian equity markets opened strongly after a rebound in U.S. shares, with technology-related names leading gains ahead of Nvidia's quarterly report. The dollar eased slightly, Treasury yields nudged up and oil ticked higher. Markets are also parsing political remarks on data centre power and awaiting a slate of macroeconomic releases and central ba…
The Japanese government has nominated academics Toichiro Asada and Ayano Sato to the nine-member board of the Bank of Japan. Market commentators say both nominees are regarded as reflationists, a development that could alter yield curve dynamics and market expectations for future BOJ rate decisions. Analysts differ on how large a policy impact the …
President Donald Trump described the Supreme Court's decision to overturn elements of his tariff program as "unfortunate," and told lawmakers and the nation that he intends to continue his tariff agenda by relying on other legal statutes rather than seeking Congressional approval. He reiterated that tariffs were a key contributor to U.S. economic a…
Hong Kong’s financial chief signaled confidence in the city’s near-term economic trajectory, forecasting growth of 2.5%-3.5% and an improvement in the government’s fiscal position after years of deficits. He outlined a push to deepen ties with mainland economic planning and to accelerate development in technology and AI, while warning that protecti…
The yen slipped toward a two-week low after reports that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed reservations about further rate increases to the Bank of Japan governor, while a firmer Chinese yuan and a pickup in Australian inflation supported the yuan and Australian dollar. Traders also watched for U.S. signals during the Asia session tied to the…
Australia's consumer prices rose more than expected in January, driven by higher housing and health expenses. The trimmed mean core inflation measure climbed, recording its quickest annual rise since late 2024 and prompting markets to shorten the odds of another interest-rate hike in the near term, including May.
