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 February poll of economists indicates the European Central Bank will keep its deposit rate at 2.00% at least through the end of this year, extending the central bank's longest continuous period of unchanged rates since its negative-rate era. The survey, conducted Feb. 9-12, shows broad expectations for steady borrowing costs, inflation near targe…
China's commercial banks posted a non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of 1.5% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, a modest decline of 0.02 percentage points from the prior quarter, the National Financial Regulatory Administration reported. The regulator also disclosed that banks earned 2.4 trillion yuan ($348 billion) in net profit for the year, …
The dollar has declined sharply against both the euro and the yuan as officials in Europe and China publicly press for a larger international role for their currencies. Those shifts, combined with investor reassessments of dollar dominance and reports of Chinese regulators nudging domestic holders of U.S. Treasuries, are altering comparative return…
U.S. equity futures rose modestly after data showing stronger jobs growth and a lower unemployment rate eased immediate economic concerns. Traders reduced expectations for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts, shifting odds toward policymakers holding rates steady, while focus turns to Friday's Consumer Price Index for January and a slate of corpora…
ByteDance on Thursday introduced Seedance 2.0, a multimodal AI model capable of processing text, images, audio and video together to generate high-quality cinematic footage. The system, aimed at film, e-commerce and advertising production, has gone viral on Chinese social media, elicited public praise including a comment from Elon Musk and drawing …
Official GDP figures show the UK economy finished 2025 with subdued growth, driven by weakness in construction and a drop in business investment. ING links part of the investment fall to a cyberattack on a major carmaker late in Q3, and expects the Bank of England to cut rates in March and June if labour-market and wage trends remain soft. EUR/GBP …
Russia's economy is set to slow further through the first half of the year, with an economic rebound delayed until at best late 2026 and more likely 2027, Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said. The ministry has revised its outlook from an earlier projection of recovery in the second half of 2026. Rapid growth in 2023-24 driven by heavy state war …
Singapore's government forecasts a S$8.5 billion budget surplus for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2026 - roughly 1% of GDP - down from a larger surplus expected in the current year. Officials signalled continued growth in both revenues and expenditures, a push to accelerate AI adoption across key industries, and a commitment to maintaining def…
U.S. equity futures pointed higher on Thursday as investors looked past a stronger-than-forecast January nonfarm payrolls report and turned attention to upcoming corporate results and inflation data. The jobs report, which showed a 130,000 increase in payrolls and a decline in the unemployment rate to 4.3%, pushed back market expectations for the f…
European shares rose to a fresh record high on Thursday as better-than-expected corporate updates and a major takeover in asset management supported sentiment. The STOXX 600 climbed, led by a strong performance in French stocks after Legrand and Hermès posted encouraging results, while Schroders surged following a proposed acquisition by Nuveen. In…
China's commerce ministry said it expects more Chinese electric-vehicle manufacturers to secure minimum-price arrangements with the European Union and expressed willingness to keep communications open with the bloc. The statement followed the EU's approval of an exemption for Volkswagen's Cupra Tavascan, granted in return for an agreed minimum pric…
Mizuho Financial Group's markets co-head Kenya Koshimizu said the Bank of Japan could move again on interest rates as soon as March or April and deliver up to three rate increases this year given ongoing inflation above target and yen weakness. He noted solid nominal growth and clearer fiscal policy signals as factors that will shape BOJ decisions,…
A stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs headline has encouraged investors to pare back bets on an imminent Federal Reserve rate cut, shifting attention to upcoming inflation data and a heavy slate of European earnings. Currency moves, a record European equity close, and uneven corporate earnings forecasts frame a cautious market mood ahead of key data a…
Financial markets are adjusting to a world where U.S. policy under President Donald Trump is prompting allied nations to pursue closer cooperation and independent trade and industrial strategies. Investors are responding by tilting portfolios toward non-U.S. equities, energy stocks and currencies such as the euro and Canadian dollar, while European…
Senior Chinese trade official Li Chenggang met with Mexico’s Deputy Economy Minister Vidal Llerenas in Beijing for the first in-person discussions since Mexico enacted steep tariffs on imports from China and other countries without free trade agreements. The talks covered bilateral economic and trade relations, amid Chinese warnings of potential re…
A senior Reserve Bank of Australia official said the labour market has stabilised after a slowdown and remains somewhat tight, a development that aligns with persistent inflationary pressures. The comment came as the RBA raised its cash rate to 3.85% and highlighted expectations that inflation will remain above the target band for an extended perio…
Four Democratic-led states have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt the Trump administration's termination of roughly $600 million in public health grants. The complaint alleges the funding cuts are politically motivated and threaten core programs administered through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including HIV prevention and …
A rebound in the Japanese yen, gains in the Australian dollar and steady appreciation of the Chinese yuan put downward pressure on the U.S. dollar, pushing it toward a weekly decline as investors brace for upcoming U.S. labour and inflation releases. Market moves reflect shifting expectations about global growth and are reshaping flows into Japanes…
Japan's top currency diplomat reiterated that Tokyo has not relaxed its monitoring of foreign exchange markets after a recent yen rally. The vice finance minister for currency affairs said policy has not changed and that Japanese authorities are maintaining close communication with markets and with U.S. counterparts, even as the dollar traded aroun…
Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock told a Senate committee that the RBA stands ready to raise interest rates further if inflation becomes entrenched. Speaking to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee, Bullock said it remains unclear whether additional hikes will be necessary, after the RBA raised the cash rate by 25 basis point…
Japan's corporate goods price index (CGPI) rose 2.3% year-on-year in January, easing from December's 2.4% increase, while an index of yen-based import prices advanced 0.5% year-on-year after December's revised 0.2% rise. The figures underline how a softer yen continues to feed cost pressures and will be part of the Bank of Japan's deliberations on …
Australia’s central bank has signalled it will raise interest rates again if inflation becomes entrenched, though the governor said it is not yet clear further tightening is necessary. The Reserve Bank increased the cash rate by 25 basis points last week to 3.85%, reversing one of three cuts from the prior year, while underlying inflation has accel…
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 219 to 211 to approve a resolution aimed at rescinding the national emergency declaration that underpinned tariffs on Canada. Six Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure. The resolution now advances to the Senate where it is unlikely to secure the two-thirds majority needed to override a presid…
U.S. employment data for January topped forecasts, prompting a rise in Treasury yields and a muted reaction from equity indexes, while the Japanese yen continued a multi-day rally after recent political developments. Market attention also centered on differing sector moves and fresh analysis of where artificial intelligence is reshaping corporate e…
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s decisive electoral victory has amplified her ability to pursue a reflationary economic agenda focused on higher investment and lower taxes. That policy tilt increases political pressure to keep interest rates low, and may shape nominations to the Bank of Japan board. Still, persistent downside in the yen and…
