Economy

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.

Articles

7,195 total articles

Goldman economist: Three factors limited economic harm from Strait closure so far

Goldman economist: Three factors limited economic harm from Strait closure so far

Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius identifies three channels through which the 10-week closure of the Strait of Hormuz has so far produced only moderate damage to global growth: muted oil price response, demand reallocation that eased physical fuel shortages, and cushioning from fiscal policy, the AI-driven investment cycle, and generally su…

Administration to Temporarily Slash Beef Import Tariffs to Tackle Record Prices

Administration to Temporarily Slash Beef Import Tariffs to Tackle Record Prices

Federal officials plan a temporary rollback of tariffs on imported beef, aiming to ease record-high retail prices. The administration will suspend the annual tariff-rate quota that raises duties after a set import volume, expand Small Business Administration lending to ranchers, and relax select livestock regulations and endangered species protecti…

Peru Clears Petroperu to Seek Private Borrowing to Ease Cash Shortage

Peru Clears Petroperu to Seek Private Borrowing to Ease Cash Shortage

The Peruvian government has authorized state oil company Petroperu to obtain private financing to address a liquidity shortfall. An emergency decree permits the Finance Ministry to assume contingent commitments of up to $2 billion, including $500 million for short-term needs, with arrangements to be channeled through a new Petroperu subsidiary and …

U.S. Existing Home Sales Tick Higher in April as Mortgage Rates Remain Elevated

U.S. Existing Home Sales Tick Higher in April as Mortgage Rates Remain Elevated

U.S. existing home sales rose 0.2% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.02 million units, slightly below economist expectations of 4.05 million. The sales data reflect contracts closed in February and March, a period that saw the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate move from 5.98% to 6.38%. Mortgage rates later climbed further in earl…

Senegalese bonds slide as parliamentary vote clouds restructuring prospects

Senegalese bonds slide as parliamentary vote clouds restructuring prospects

Senegal's sovereign bonds fell for a third straight session after lawmakers approved legislation that could permit Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko to run in the 2029 presidential election. The move has intensified investor concern about the outlook for a planned debt restructuring, pushing bonds across maturities down and leaving some issues at multi-…

Investors Return to Emerging Markets After Iran-Driven Shock, IIF Data Shows

Investors Return to Emerging Markets After Iran-Driven Shock, IIF Data Shows

Global investors made a pronounced return to emerging market assets in April, with portfolio flows swinging back to a net inflow of $58.3 billion after a $66.2 billion outflow in March that followed market turmoil linked to the Iran conflict. The recovery was dominated by fixed income, which attracted $51.9 billion in April, while equities posted s…

Stock market concentration is rising worldwide as AI drives megacap dominance

Stock market concentration is rising worldwide as AI drives megacap dominance

Global equity markets have grown markedly top-heavy as the artificial intelligence boom elevates a small group of large firms. The effect is visible beyond the United States, with single companies in markets such as South Korea and Taiwan representing outsized shares of their benchmarks. While rising concentration has coincided with stronger averag…

Iran Plays Down U.S. Rebuke After Responding to American Peace Proposal

Iran Plays Down U.S. Rebuke After Responding to American Peace Proposal

Iran’s Foreign Ministry dismissed President Donald Trump’s quick rejection of Tehran’s reply to a U.S. plan to end the conflict, saying the country will act to protect its national interests whether through combat or diplomacy. Tehran’s response emphasized halting fighting on all fronts and seeking compensation for war-related damage while undersco…

Brazilian economists lift 2027 Selic forecast amid inflationary pressures

Brazilian economists lift 2027 Selic forecast amid inflationary pressures

Economists in Brazil have raised their projection for the benchmark Selic rate at the end of 2027 to 11.25% from a prior forecast of 11%, citing inflationary pressure driven by robust domestic demand and an energy shock linked to the Iran war. A weekly central bank survey released on Monday also shows analysts expect inflation to remain above the 3…

Three Political Paths for Labour and Their Market Implications

Three Political Paths for Labour and Their Market Implications

A Pepperstone research note dated Monday assigns a 20% chance that Prime Minister Keir Starmer survives current party unrest, and two 40% outcomes that would likely lead to leadership change. The firm warns these outcomes carry direct downside risk for sterling and a persistently higher yield premium on 10-year Gilts versus G7 peers, while options …

Bank of Israel Holds Off on FX Intervention as Shekel Strengthens, Abir Says

Bank of Israel Holds Off on FX Intervention as Shekel Strengthens, Abir Says

The Bank of Israel is not rushing to use foreign exchange intervention to counter the shekel's rally, Deputy Governor Andrew Abir said, adding that the strong currency is helping to restrain inflation. While up to two interest rate cuts by next March are still expected, the central bank remains cautious given lingering geopolitical uncertainty and …

UK Plans Law to Allow Full Nationalization of British Steel

UK Plans Law to Allow Full Nationalization of British Steel

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced legislation to enable full government ownership of British Steel's Scunthorpe plant after efforts to sell the Chinese-owned business were unsuccessful. Any transfer of ownership would require a public interest test weighing national security, critical infrastructure and economic support. The move follows the go…

EU Executive Enters Separate Talks with OpenAI and Anthropic Over Model Access

EU Executive Enters Separate Talks with OpenAI and Anthropic Over Model Access

The European Commission is engaged in separate conversations with US artificial intelligence developers OpenAI and Anthropic. OpenAI has proactively offered to grant the Commission access to its new AI model, while the Commission has held multiple meetings with Anthropic but has not yet reached discussions about model access, a spokesperson said.

Czech central bank ties rate outlook to alternate energy price paths

Czech central bank ties rate outlook to alternate energy price paths

The Czech central bank presented alternative macro scenarios linking potential monetary policy paths to different trajectories for energy prices. Models included higher- and lower-energy-price variants, an elevated-energy scenario tied to a closure of the Hormuz Strait, and a separate economic downturn case. The scenarios map onto three-month PRIBO…

Starmer Calls for Immediate 'Big Leap' in Relations With EU Ahead of Summit

Starmer Calls for Immediate 'Big Leap' in Relations With EU Ahead of Summit

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he wants an immediate, significant advance in the United Kingdom's relationship with the European Union, aiming for concrete progress at this year's EU-UK summit on trade, the economy, defence and security. He urged setting aside past disputes but did not give a direct answer when asked whether he would rule…

Advisory Panel Urges BOJ to Factor Corporate Funding Risks Ahead of June Meeting

Advisory Panel Urges BOJ to Factor Corporate Funding Risks Ahead of June Meeting

A government advisory group asked the Bank of Japan to take corporate funding conditions into account when setting monetary policy, highlighting that goods shortages and rising prices may boost firms' financing needs. The request comes ahead of the BOJ's June 16 meeting after last month's split decision to keep policy unchanged and following a quar…

US Trade Delegation Poised to Visit India as Talks Continue

US Trade Delegation Poised to Visit India as Talks Continue

A New Delhi official said Monday that a US trade delegation is likely to travel to India for negotiations as the two governments continue working toward a bilateral trade agreement. Dates for the visit have not been set. The development follows an exchange of delegations in recent weeks and a preliminary deal reached in February, with negotiators n…