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.
908 total articles
A Reuters poll of 17 economists indicates Japan's nationwide core consumer price index - which includes energy but excludes fresh food - likely rose 2.0% year-on-year in January, easing for a second consecutive month from December's 2.4% increase. Analysts attribute the moderation chiefly to lower gasoline costs after a provisional tax cut and a de…
A federal judge in Chicago has issued a 14-day temporary order preventing the Trump administration from implementing $600 million in reductions to public health grants allocated to California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota. The states contend the cuts were motivated by retaliation for their stance on federal immigration enforcement; the funds at…
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran warned that the central bank’s monetary stance may be tighter than widely believed and repeated his call for further interest-rate reductions. Miran said he does not view inflation as a pressing problem, citing low shelter inflation, and said looser policy should be used to support the labor market. Dallas Fed…
An economic adviser to Japan's premier indicated that successors to outgoing Bank of Japan board members do not have to be proponents of aggressive reflationary easing, saying Japan has left deflation behind and that the central bank may have room to raise rates this year as inflation and bond yields climb.
Taylor Swift’s company has lodged an opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office seeking to prevent Cathay Home Inc from registering a federal trademark for "Swift Home" on bedding products, contending the cursive "Swift" in Cathay’s logo closely mirrors the singer’s trademarked signature and could lead consumers to believe she endorses th…
State-owned enterprises and local government bodies in China have begun acquiring foreclosed residential projects at substantial discounts, according to tender records and analysts. The activity, visible in a handful of publicly listed auction results, aligns with a 2024 policy push to use state firms to convert distressed assets into affordable ho…
The United States and Taiwan signed a reciprocal trade agreement in Washington that reduces Taiwanese tariffs on U.S. goods and establishes multi-billion-dollar purchase commitments in energy, aircraft, and power equipment. The pact, executed under the auspices of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Represent…
A New York Fed official said the central bank will keep sizable Treasury bill and short-term government bond purchases in place through mid-April to rebuild reserves and manage liquidity around the annual tax filing date. The purchases, described as technical reserve management operations, total about $40 billion per month and sit alongside other g…
Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel said that if political influence over the U.S. Federal Reserve grows, it could set a precedent that encourages politicians in other countries to exert similar pressure on their central banks, potentially raising inflation worldwide. Nagel noted that while the European Central Bank's independence is well protected,…
Citigroup's rates desk warns market expectations for US inflation are too low and recommends inflation-linked positions. Benjamin Wiltshire says investors may be overlooking ongoing consumer resilience and that inflation is structurally higher, making five-year five-year inflation forwards an attractive trade given current pricing around 2.5%, belo…
Anthropic announced a $30 billion Series G funding round that places the AI developer behind the Claude chatbot at a $380 billion valuation. The round was co-led by D. E. Shaw Ventures, ICONIQ and MGX and included major venture and institutional investors. Anthropic, backed by Alphabet and Amazon, recently released a new flagship model, Opus 4.6, a…
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated his refusal to back joint European government bonds following a meeting where EU leaders pledged to strengthen the bloc’s border-free internal market. Merz pointed to constraints imposed by Germany’s Constitutional Court and signalled common ground with France on measures to shield European markets from u…
European Council President Antonio Costa said EU leaders unanimously endorsed accelerating the Savings and Investment Union and simplifying related regulations after a leaders' meeting at Alden Biesen castle in Belgium. The group also agreed to press ahead with the 28th regime for companies this year, permit greater consolidation in sectors such as…
The European Commission will publish an action plan in March to strengthen the EU single market of 450 million consumers and advance a long-delayed capital markets union to channel roughly €10 trillion held in bank accounts into more productive investments. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined a June target to complete phase one of th…
Norway’s central bank governor said the bank is resolved to reduce consumer price inflation back to its 2% goal after core inflation unexpectedly rose to 3.4% in January. The reading, higher than both private economists' and the bank’s forecasts, has clouded the outlook for previously announced interest rate cuts and prompted a rally in the Norwegi…
A Federal Reserve Bank of New York study concludes that American consumers and companies carried nearly all of the economic burden from the administration’s recent tariff increases. The paper finds large pass-through of tariffs into import prices and shows the domestic share of the cost shifted somewhat over last year but remained dominant. The New…
Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has called for an Inspector General inquiry into whether Department of Justice personnel monitored members of Congress as they reviewed Jeffrey Epstein-related files on DOJ computers. The request followed photographs from a committee hearing in which Attorney Genera…
Supreme Court Justice Dias Toffoli issued a public denial that he has ever received payments or maintained a relationship with Banco Master controlling shareholder Daniel Vorcaro. The statement follows a police report citing references to Toffoli found in information taken from Vorcaro's cellphone after a court-authorized search. The police dossier…
Egypt’s central bank cut its key policy rates by 100 basis points, reducing the overnight deposit rate to 19% and the overnight lending rate to 20%. The move, consistent with market expectations, follows January data showing headline urban inflation at 11.9% and core inflation at 11.2%, down from 11.8% the prior month.
An internal Kremlin memorandum drafted this year contemplates Moscow rejoining the dollar settlement system as part of a broader economic arrangement with a prospective Trump administration. The document identifies seven areas for U.S.-Russia economic alignment after a possible resolution to the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing fossil fuels, joint ene…
A majority of large U.S. brokerages now anticipate the Federal Reserve's initial interest-rate reduction in June 2026, although several institutions see no cuts next year and one projects a hike in 2027. Stronger-than-expected January payrolls and a decline in the unemployment rate to 4.3% have reinforced expectations that the Fed may hold policy s…
A recent survey of bond strategists shows expectations for stable long-term U.S. Treasury yields in the near term, with a projected rise later this year driven by persistent inflation and concerns about central bank independence. Short-term yields are expected to edge lower on bets for Fed rate cuts, while a majority of respondents judge that heavy…
BCA Research classifies U.S. President Donald Trump's political capital as "moderate" following a wave of aggressive policy moves during the first year of his second term. While unified government control and a conservative-leaning Supreme Court initially amplified his capacity to act, recent political frictions, a historic government shutdown and …
Feb 12 - American Electric Power reported fourth-quarter operating earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations and said it will augment its five-year capital expenditure program beyond $72 billion to accommodate rapidly growing electricity demand driven largely by major cloud and AI-related data center customers.
Anthropic said it will contribute $20 million to Public First Action, a political organization that supports candidates favoring state-level AI regulation and opposes federal limitations on states. The move highlights growing political investment by AI companies ahead of the U.S. midterm elections and a broader contest between groups advocating for…
