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.
7,195 total articles
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday approved Kevin Warsh as chair of the Federal Reserve, clearing the way for him to assume leadership as inflation trends upward and markets reassess likely policy trajectories. Warsh was also confirmed to a 14-year term as a Fed governor on Tuesday; his formal swearing-in awaits final White House paperwork. His stated in…
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement division, led by newly appointed director David Woodcock, is prioritizing stress in private credit portfolios and frauds that target retail investors. Speaking at the Managed Funds Association’s Legal & Compliance 2026 Conference in New York, Woodcock said the division will concentrate on cases t…
At its April meeting the Bank of Canada kept the policy rate at 2.25% while officials outlined a range of views on where interest rates may head next. In a summary of deliberations released Wednesday, policymakers said they saw unusually high uncertainty, discussed scenarios tied to potential U.S. tariffs and the Middle East conflict, and signaled …
Prime Minister Peter Magyar said his cabinet will temporarily suspend non-essential expenditures for about one to two weeks while the new government conducts a review of the state budget it inherited. He reiterated plans to secure an agreement with the European Union this month to free more than €10 billion in withheld funds, which he says could ad…
U.S. intelligence indicates that Chinese commercial entities have been in discussions with Iranian officials about transferring weapons and arranging shipments via third countries to obscure their origin. It is unclear whether any arms have actually been moved, and U.S. officials differ on whether shipments have taken place. Intelligence has highli…
Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said the Iran war has intensified already-elevated inflation and warned that closure of the Strait of Hormuz adds a major unknown to price pressures. Speaking at a St. Paul Area Chamber event, Kashkari said the Fed must bring inflation back to its 2% target and described the labor market as ‘lukew…
The Bank of Canada’s Governing Council decided it could keep its policy rate unchanged at 2.25% at the time of its April 29 announcement, according to minutes released Wednesday. While headline inflation was near the 2% target and GDP growth remained subdued, members warned that rising energy costs tied to the Iran conflict and other trade uncertai…
The U.S. Senate is set to confirm Kevin Warsh as chair of the Federal Reserve, placing him in charge as the central bank contends with rising inflation that could complicate efforts to deliver the rate cuts urged by the president. Warsh will step into a policy environment marked by faster-than-expected producer and consumer price growth, an active …
Honeywell Chief Executive Vimal Kapur told Bloomberg Television that rising defense-related demand tied to the Iran conflict and growing adoption of artificial intelligence in industrial settings are boosting near-term demand for the company’s products. Kapur said these developments did not drive the company’s decision to split its automation and a…
A recent poll of economists finds the Bank of England is likely to keep its policy rate at 3.75% this year, but an increasing share of respondents now anticipate at least one rate hike as energy-price pressures tied to the Iran conflict lift inflation projections. Financial markets are more aggressive, pricing in two hikes. Growth forecasts remain …
Credit Agricole's emerging-markets research team projects two quarter-point increases from the South African Reserve Bank in May and July that would lift the policy rate to 7.25%. In a note from Sebastien Barbe, the bank says rising energy costs are accelerating inflation and that improving economic growth should help South Africa absorb tighter po…
A Federal Reserve survey of 13,099 adults conducted last October found that 73% of respondents described their personal finances as at least acceptable, while concerns about inflation remained widespread and anxiety about job security increased. Opinions on the national economy were weaker than in recent years, and several demographic groups report…
Boston Federal Reserve President Susan Collins warned that the Federal Reserve may need to raise interest rates if inflationary pressures do not subside. Collins tied a significant portion of the outlook for monetary policy to how long the war in the Middle East endures, saying longer conflict increases inflation risks and strains global supply cha…
An annual Federal Reserve survey of 13,099 U.S. adults conducted last October finds that about three-quarters of respondents considered their personal finances to be in reasonable shape, even as inflation stayed the dominant concern and worry about finding or keeping a job rose. The poll also captured first-time questions on generative AI, with rou…
Boston Federal Reserve President Susan Collins said the Fed may need to raise interest rates if recent inflationary pressures do not ease. Speaking to the Boston Economic Club, Collins emphasized the role of the Middle East conflict in amplifying inflation risks, described the U.S. economy as resilient, and said she expects to keep a slightly restr…
A federal appeals court in Manhattan unanimously rejected an appeal by Banco San Juan Internacional (BSJI) after the New York Federal Reserve moved to close the lender’s master account amid concerns about compliance with U.S. sanctions and anti-money-laundering rules. The 3-0 decision affirmed that regional Reserve Banks have discretion to grant or…
Prime Minister Keir Starmer sought to use the State Opening of Parliament and the King's ceremonial address to reassert authority after Labour's poor local and regional election results. Reports that Health Secretary Wes Streeting was poised to resign, potentially triggering a leadership contest, surfaced as the King approached Parliament in full c…
UBS has pushed back its projection for the Federal Reserve's first interest rate cut to December 2026 from September, pointing to persistent core goods inflation, rising supply-chain pressures and resilient domestic demand. The bank now foresees two reductions - in December 2026 and March 2027 - taking the federal funds rate to 3.00%-3.25% by the f…
Bank of England policymaker Catherine Mann warned that the growing share of price-sensitive foreign investors buying UK government debt in place of domestic pension funds could elevate volatility in gilt yields. She noted that while such investors can help keep interest rates lower, they may also withdraw quickly in response to shocks, potentially …
Bank of England policymaker Catherine Mann told an LSE audience that the increasing role of international, price-elastic investors in the UK gilt market could amplify volatility in borrowing costs. Her remarks followed a day of market turmoil that pushed 30-year and 10-year British yields to multi-decade highs and came amid political pressure on th…
The U.S. dollar firmed following a larger-than-expected rise in producer prices for April, a report that intensified market bets on prolonged tight U.S. monetary policy. The move coincides with the start of a two-day meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where trade and business access are key topi…
Retail sales volumes in Brazil rose 0.5% in March from February, marking a record high and the third consecutive monthly increase, with five of eight retail sectors posting gains. Annual sales climbed 4.0%, well above Reuters poll expectations, even as economists warn that high interest rates and tight credit are restraining large discretionary pur…
The Producer Price Index for final demand climbed 1.4% in April, the largest monthly increase since March 2022, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The gain followed an upward revision to March's 0.7% advance and was broad-based across goods and services. On a 12-month basis, producer prices rose 6.0%, reflecting both strong…
Producer prices rose more than economists forecast in April, with headline and core PPI readings exceeding Reuters poll estimates. The data pushed S&P 500 futures into negative territory and saw Dow E-minis move notably lower while Nasdaq 100 E-minis rose. The report reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchange…
UBS analysts report that global crude inventories have fallen sharply since February and may reach record lows by the end of May. Temporary cushions - including demand destruction, strategic reserve releases and transit waivers for Iranian and Russian cargoes - have delayed the descent, but those offsets are fading. The bank flags heightened price …
