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.
2,645 total articles
Gold and silver continued to weaken on Monday after the CME Group raised margin requirements on metal futures following last week’s steep selloff triggered by President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh for Federal Reserve chair. Spot gold and silver posted further losses as leveraged positions were squeezed and equity futures slid.
Keidanren has invited Elliott Investment Management to a private meeting on March 5 to discuss corporate governance. The move reflects mounting shareholder activism in Japan, where activists have escalated stakes in major firms. Keidanren says the session will help both sides understand each other’s governance priorities.
Vice President Sara Duterte is facing a fresh set of impeachment complaints lodged by civil society and leftist organizations, accusing her of betraying public trust, corruption and other crimes. The new filings echo last year’s unsuccessful impeachment effort, which the Supreme Court found to have violated constitutional safeguards. The complaints…
A dramatic drop in precious metals prices on Monday set off widespread selling across Asian markets, hitting last year’s leaders and dragging futures lower. Silver plunged about 11.25% to $75.10 and gold fell roughly 5.34% to $4,604.47. South Korea’s Kospi, noted for its strong performance in the previous year, slipped as much as 5.6%, while S&P 50…
The Reserve Bank of Australia is widely anticipated to increase its cash rate by 25 basis points at the end of a two-day meeting on February 3, moving the benchmark to 3.85% from 3.60%. The expected move follows stronger-than-expected inflation readings driven by rising rents, food costs, a firm labour market and higher import prices. While a near-…
Finance Secretary Frederick Go said the Philippines will return to at least 5% GDP growth in 2026, pointing to intact fundamentals, controlled inflation and steady credit ratings after growth cooled to 4.4% in 2025 amid a corruption scandal that hit public spending and confidence. The government is targeting 5% to 6% growth for the year and highlig…
On the eve of the Singapore Airshow, aviation executives warned that persistent supply chain disruptions and shifting geopolitical forces - notably U.S. import tariffs - are weighing on carriers and air cargo volumes. Leaders also reiterated efforts to reduce emissions, while the head of the UN aviation governing council cautioned that existing inf…
The Australian and New Zealand dollars weakened on Monday after the nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next U.S. central bank chief bolstered the U.S. dollar and prompted declines in gold and silver. The Australian dollar fell to a one-week low before stabilizing, while the kiwi also slipped. Markets now focus on an imminent Reserve Bank of Australia…
A survey by the Asahi newspaper indicates Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party is poised to win far more seats than its current tally in next week’s lower house election. A decisive result would consolidate her control of the party and provide a mandate for expansionary fiscal measures, a prospect flagged as likely to i…
House Speaker Mike Johnson told NBC’s Meet the Press that he believes he has enough Republican votes to end a partial federal shutdown by at least Tuesday, while acknowledging logistical hurdles arising from travel disruptions after a southeastern U.S. snowstorm. The Senate has already approved a spending measure that would fund agencies outside th…
Moody's Ratings described India's latest federal budget as tactical rather than transformative, saying planned fiscal consolidation that reduces the budget gap to 4.3% from 4.4% of GDP will not change the country's credit profile. The assessment reflects concerns that fiscal metrics have not recovered to pre-Covid levels despite a longer track reco…
The euro's rapid appreciation to $1.20 has renewed attention on the European Central Bank, but economists see limited near-term impact on inflation and little chance of immediate currency intervention. Analysis from Capital Economics suggests the move would shave a small amount off headline inflation next year; sustained, larger gains over several …
Bank of America analysts say South Korea’s semiconductor industry will be the dominant force in the country’s economic expansion in 2026, with chips projected to represent roughly 30% of total exports as a prolonged, price-driven upcycle continues. Strong DRAM price gains and outsized export growth have boosted tax revenue and supported the won, bu…
Markets in Japan are on edge amid concerns that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party may expand sales tax relief to bolster voter support ahead of a snap election, raising the risk of renewed pressure on long-dated government bonds and the yen. Former vice finance minister for international affairs Hiroshi Watanabe said the situation is fragile and …
India’s annual budget, to be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, is set to prioritize structural reforms aimed at bolstering private investment and shielding the economy from external shocks. At the same time, the government faces pressure to limit spending as a share of GDP following tax reductions that are forecast to lower revenue …
Japan's prime ministerial hopeful Sanae Takaichi lauded the advantages a softer yen provides to exporters in a campaign speech, then clarified she had no directional preference. Her remarks come as the finance ministry has repeatedly warned it will act to support the currency if needed, and markets watch yen weakness, rising bond yields and inflati…
Goldman Sachs projects Switzerland will experience modest economic growth in 2026, with subdued inflation and a steady policy rate. The outlook reflects last year’s trade disruptions and a November trade agreement with the United States that caps tariffs at 15%, while the Swiss National Bank is expected to maintain a 0% policy rate.
China's official manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 49.3 in January from 50.1 in December, slipping below the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction and signaling cooling production. New orders and new export orders both declined, while the non-manufacturing PMI - covering services and construction - dropped to 49.4, …
SpaceX's Starlink updated its Global Privacy Policy on January 15 to permit the use of customer data for training machine learning and artificial intelligence models unless users actively opt out. The change coincides with talks to merge Starlink's parent with the AI company xAI ahead of a planned SpaceX IPO, and has drawn scrutiny from privacy adv…
President Donald Trump has nominated former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh to take over as chair from Jerome Powell. Warsh, who served on the Fed’s Board of Governors from 2006 to 2011, played a key intermediary role during the financial crisis. Markets moved quickly on the news, with equities sliding, the dollar strengthening, and sharp reve…
Kevin Warsh, President Trump's nominee for Federal Reserve chair, has earned over $1 million since 2020 serving on the board of e-commerce firm Coupang, which is at the center of a South Korean regulatory probe and wider U.S.-South Korea trade disputes. Warsh's corporate ties, including a long-standing UPS board seat, raise compliance questions und…
The U.S. Transportation Department announced plans to propose scaling back fuel economy requirements for heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans that were finalized under the previous administration. Regulators argued the earlier targets were unattainable for larger vehicles and that the prior administration lacked authority to set civil penalties. The m…
Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle W. Bowman said the Fed is pivoting attention to protecting the labor market after payroll growth slowed sharply late last year. While the central bank paused on interest rates, Bowman warned the labor market is vulnerable and outlined her Summary of Economic Projections, which includes three cuts …
U.S. Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman reiterated that she expects interest rates to be lowered this year, but she voted to hold policy steady at the Fed's most recent meeting in order to gather additional data. Bowman said she anticipates three quarter-percentage-point rate cuts this year and described the pause as a timin…
President Donald Trump has nominated Brett Matsumoto, a career economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, to serve as the agency's next commissioner. The move is intended to end a vacancy that has persisted since the August dismissal of Erika McEntarfer. Matsumoto has worked at the BLS since 2015, recently completed a temporary assignment with th…
