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.
2,682 total articles
A prominent economist cautions that a rise in Japan's short-term policy rate to 1.0% could prompt substantial reallocation of household cash into interest-bearing bank accounts. That flow may increase the reserves financial institutions hold at the Bank of Japan and make it harder for the central bank to control short-term money market rates as it …
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde privately reassured colleagues that she remains focused on her ECB duties and would inform them directly if she intended to step down. The reassurance followed media reports that she planned to leave her post ahead of next year’s French presidential election to allow the outgoing French president a …
Bank Indonesia held its benchmark policy rate at 4.75% for the fifth consecutive review, citing persistent pressure on the rupiah despite economic fundamentals. The central bank called the currency 'undervalued,' pledged increased intervention in onshore and offshore markets and said future rate cuts would wait until exchange-rate stress subsides.
Bank Indonesia left its policy rate unchanged at 4.75% at its latest meeting, marking the fifth straight gathering without a change. The outcome matched the expectations of most market participants, and the session was the first to include Thomas Djiwandono as Deputy Governor. While the board kept a clear easing bias, analysts said a resumption of …
U.S. equity futures rose modestly as investors digested Federal Reserve minutes from January that included hawkish language, while strength in semiconductor and storage names led tech gains. Oil moved higher amid reports of increased military activity in the Middle East and tighter U.S. crude inventories. Retail giant Walmart and farm-equipment mak…
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas lowered its reverse repo rate by 25 basis points to 4.25%, bringing the current easing cycle's total reduction to 225 basis points. The move, widely forecast by market analysts, comes as Philippine economic growth slows and a corruption scandal suppresses public investment, prompting monetary support despite earlier …
France can no longer rely on further tax increases to correct its public finances and must instead pursue spending reductions, the national audit office said, after lawmakers removed several savings measures and the government’s planned revenues hinge on roughly 12 billion euros of extra levies. The watchdog also flagged risks on the spending side …
The International Monetary Fund has left its projection for China's 2026 economic growth unchanged at 4.5% in its annual review for 2025. While the headline forecast was maintained, the Fund warned of key vulnerabilities including weak domestic demand and a slowing global economy, and said it had urged Chinese policymakers to accelerate structural …
An internal directive from the Department of Homeland Security has instructed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to suspend DHS-funded travel, including deployments to disaster sites, after a partial DHS shutdown began. More than 300 FEMA disaster responders who were preparing for assignments have been told to stand down. The freeze comes as t…
A Reuters poll of economists finds a majority expect the Bank of Japan to lift its policy rate to 1% by the end of June, with a substantial minority forecasting a hike as soon as April. The survey - conducted after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's decisive Feb. 8 election victory - indicates a quicker timeline for additional tightening than previous…
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is preparing to argue that her so-called "responsible, proactive fiscal policy" is not as expansionary as critics fear, as lawmakers begin deliberations on her signature spending and consumption tax suspension next week. Despite assurances of fiscal sustainability, investors remain alert to potential increases in bond …
President Donald Trump said his 2025 tariff program has driven a steep contraction in the U.S. trade deficit and that the United States is on track to post a trade surplus in 2026. Official monthly trade figures through late 2025 show dramatic swings - with the goods and services deficit falling sharply from a March peak and then widening again in …
The Institute for Fiscal Studies recommends the UK abandon rigid numerical fiscal targets driven by 'fiscal headroom' and instead adopt a traffic-light style set of indicators assessed by the Office for Budget Responsibility. The IFS argues the change would reduce incentives for dysfunctional policymaking, even though it may make it easier for gove…
The dollar recovered from recent lows after Federal Reserve minutes indicated policymakers are not hurried to lower interest rates and remain open to further increases if inflation persists. U.S. yields rose and early Asian trading consolidated gains for the dollar against the euro and yen. Market attention is shifting to global purchasing managers…
U.S. equities initially followed a rally in Europe but gave back ground later in the session as investors digested central bank developments and geopolitical risks. Reports that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde may depart her post early, alongside minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting, kept central bank policy expectati…
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand held its official cash rate at 2.25% and expects headline inflation, driven largely by volatile tradable items, to fall back into the 1%-3% target band this quarter. Governor Anna Breman said the bank will not move on rates unless inflationary pressures and economic growth warrant it, but remains prepared to act soon…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury reported a $44.9 billion net inflow in Treasury International Capital (TIC) for December 2025, with private foreign investors accounting for the majority of the inflow. Foreign residents increased their holdings of long-term U.S. securities and short-term dollar assets, while U.S. residents bought long-term forei…
The United States is removing its roughly 1,000 troops from Syria, ending a military presence that stretched about a decade. U.S. officials say key positions including the Al Tanf garrison and the Al-Shaddadi base have already been vacated, and the rest of the force will be pulled out within two months. Officials also emphasize that the withdrawal …
The federal government plans to ease emissions restrictions for coal-burning power plants, a policy shift that would allow increased releases of hazardous pollutants including mercury. Senior Environmental Protection Agency officials are expected to unveil the adjustment during a visit to Louisville, Kentucky, with agency documents saying the step …
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's January 27-28 meeting report that the Trump administration's plan to buy mortgage-backed securities has pushed down MBS yields relative to Treasuries, but that decline is unlikely to trigger substantial refinancing because prevailing mortgage rates remain above the weighted average of existing loans. Fed officials…
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he will seek "strategic partnerships" with China on a trip next week, framing economic and foreign policy as inseparable and rejecting the U.S. tariff strategy as Germany charts a dual approach of outreach and European unity to defend its interests if needed. Merz spoke at his party's Ash Wednesday event in Pas…
Copper rebounded on Wednesday after a recent trough, supported by investors buying the dip and a rebound in technology shares. The metal climbed over 2% on the London Metal Exchange as inventories continued to rise, with flows into U.S. sheds and ports contributing to growing stocks and a cash discount to forward prices.
European Central Bank Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel has declared she intends to remain in office until the scheduled end of her eight-year term in late 2027, responding to wider speculation about changes at the bank's top. Her statement comes as reports suggest President Christine Lagarde may leave before her term ends in October 2027, and…
Leslie Wexner told a U.S. House panel that he visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private island once with family members 'for a few hours' while they were in the area on their boat. In testimony to congressional investigators, the 88-year-old former L Brands chief said he did not know about Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation and denied any participation or…
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's January policy meeting revealed that nearly all participants supported the committee's choice to keep the target interest rate unchanged. The FOMC left the federal funds rate at 3.50%-3.75% after three consecutive 25 basis point reductions, and recent economic data - including a strong nonfarm payrolls report and …
