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.
2,654 total articles
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) expects the UK unemployment rate to average 5.4% this year, its highest level since 2015. Rising labour costs - driven by an elevated minimum wage and a jump in employers' social security contributions - are cited as a key factor, alongside a return of previously inactive people to the …
Josh Harris, a veteran private equity executive who co-founded Apollo and now runs 26North Partners, warned at a finance conference in West Palm Beach that efforts to direct retail retirement capital into private markets carry significant risks. He argued that retail investors may not appreciate liquidity constraints in some private structures and …
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is leaning toward endorsing Finance Minister Fernando Haddad's proposed nominees for two open directorships at the central bank: Guilherme Mello and Tiago Cavalcanti, according to people familiar with the matter. The choices, if confirmed, would fill vacancies on the bank's nine-member interest-rate-set…
Kaiser Permanente has urged patients to complete urgent laboratory testing this week as unions representing pharmacy and lab staff in Southern California filed for a strike set to begin next week. The move comes as an open-ended strike by more than 31,000 nurses and health workers across California and Hawaii proceeds into a second week. Kaiser war…
A Bank of Canada analysis attributes the sharp rise in grocery prices in 2025 mainly to higher costs for imported foodstuffs and processed goods, compounded by a weaker Canadian dollar and specific supply shortages. Food inflation reached 5% in December 2025, driven by large increases in certain categories and by domestic pressures in livestock and…
At the Cisco AI Summit in San Francisco, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman characterized the trending social experiment Moltbook as potentially short-lived while underscoring the lasting value of the underlying OpenClaw technology. He addressed the platform's rapid rise, described the capabilities supporters attribute to its bot, and noted that security flaws …
Argentina's financial markets reacted negatively after the head of the national statistics agency resigned and the implementation of a revised consumer price index (CPI) methodology was delayed. Authorities and market participants are at odds over the timing of the methodological change, a dispute that has revived concerns about statistical indepen…
At a financial conference on Tuesday, Citadel CEO Ken Griffin warned that rhetoric from the current administration has reduced the attractiveness of the U.S. dollar, urged greater fiscal discipline with bipartisan support to tackle the national debt, and endorsed Kevin Warsh as a solid choice for the Federal Reserve. He also commented that Democrat…
The White House convened representatives from major banking trade groups and crypto industry organizations to try to bridge a months-long impasse over proposed federal digital-asset legislation. The meeting ended without an agreement, with fundamental differences persisting over whether interest and other rewards on stablecoins should be permitted.…
Wolfe Research says Kevin Warsh's arrival at the Federal Reserve creates a complex balance-sheet outlook in which both further easing and quantitative tightening (QT) are conceivable. Analyst Tobin Marcus highlights President Trump's mortgage-driven intervention and the Powell Fed's reserve management shift, while noting Warsh's history of advocati…
The U.S. dollar has swung sharply in response to policy developments and questions about Federal Reserve independence, unsettling commodity markets, lifting currency volatility and prompting investors to reassess exposures to U.S. assets. Sudden rebounds after a steep weekly decline have driven dramatic moves in gold, silver, copper and oil while a…
Mexico announced a 5.6 trillion-peso ($323.41 billion) public-private investment program targeting infrastructure and other major projects between 2026 and 2030. The plan centers on state-led joint ventures, with the government retaining majority ownership and oversight while using private capital to reduce risk. Eight sectors are designated as pri…
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC that the U.S. Supreme Court is taking a deliberate approach to a legal challenge to presidential tariffs, citing the large sums already collected and describing the issue as one of "extreme national interest." Greer also suggested the plaintiffs do not have "an open and shut case," which may be pro…
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC that the Supreme Court is proceeding cautiously in a case testing the lawfulness of President Donald Trump’s broad tariffs. Greer cited substantial revenues collected under the tariffs, said plaintiffs do not have an "open and shut case," and described the matter as involving an "extreme national i…
Richmond Federal Reserve President Tom Barkin said the rate cuts enacted since fall 2024 have provided insurance for the labor market as the Fed works to finish the ‘last mile’ of returning inflation to its 2% goal. Barkin noted that unemployment remains low by historical measures and inflation is about one percentage point above target but is expe…
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran told Fox Business Network he expects more than a percentage point of interest rate reductions this year, arguing current policy is too restrictive even though headline inflation remains above the 2% target. Miran, whose term technically ended at the close of January but who remains in office until a successor …
Minutes from the central bank's January 28 meeting show the board left the Selic rate at 15% and said it will determine the magnitude and duration of any easing cycle based on evolving economic data. Policymakers stressed maintaining restrictive policy until disinflation is consolidated and inflation expectations align with targets, while noting th…
President Trump has nominated former Fed governor Kevin Warsh to replace Jerome Powell as chair, prompting analysts to assess when and whether Powell will formally resign. Barclays strategists say Powell must notify the White House if he intends to leave the Fed when his chair term ends in May, though his governor term runs until January 31, 2028. …
Bank of America has increased its projection for Mexico's 2026 GDP growth to 1.5% from 1.2%, pointing to a firmer end to 2025 and potential upside from the FIFA World Cup. The bank also forecasts U.S. growth at 2.8%, nudging its view for Mexico higher, while expecting Banxico to cut policy rates by a total of 100 basis points in 2026 to a year-end …
The pound was largely unchanged on Tuesday as traders awaited the Bank of England’s rate decision on Thursday. With a sparse UK economic calendar until mid-to-late February, recent upside surprises in GDP, retail sales and business activity have bolstered sterling this year. Markets expect the BoE to keep rates at 3.75% on Thursday before implement…
French prosecutors in Paris said they have broadened a criminal investigation into the social media service X and will question Elon Musk in April. The probe, started in January 2025 into alleged misuse of algorithms and fraudulent data extraction, has been extended following complaints tied to X's AI chatbot Grok. Prosecutors listed a range of pos…
A survey conducted by CBRE and released in early February found that net buying intentions for Asia Pacific real estate have climbed to a four-year high for 2026. The measure - the share of investors planning to buy more than sell - rose to 17% from 13% a year earlier, driven by a brighter rental outlook, smaller supply pipelines and gradually easi…
A quarterly Bank Lending Survey from the European Central Bank shows euro-area banks tightened credit access for businesses last quarter and expect further restriction as economic uncertainty, including trade policy concerns, erodes risk tolerance and demand. Mortgage standards were eased in some markets, notably France, while loan demand rose mode…
U.S. equity futures rose ahead of a busy week of corporate earnings as markets digested a landmark private deal combining SpaceX and xAI, better-than-expected results from Palantir and shifts in commodities. Gold recovered from steep losses while oil retreated as reports suggested a thaw in U.S.-Iran tensions. Investors are also watching tariff mov…
Australia's four largest banks raised their variable home loan interest rates by 25 basis points on Feb 3, matching the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision the same day to increase the cash rate to 3.85% in a unanimous vote. The banks announced effective dates for the changes and flagged adjustments to certain business lending rates and ongoing re…
