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
A poll of 27 foreign exchange analysts conducted May 1-6 finds the Canadian dollar may relinquish some recent gains against the U.S. dollar over the next three months but could resume appreciation over a year if geopolitical pressure linked to the Middle East and U.S. tariff uncertainty subsides. Median forecasts show a small weakening in three mon…
U.S. S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures traded close to record levels on Thursday as oil prices fell further on optimism that a limited, temporary U.S.-Iran agreement could reduce disruptions to crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz. The move higher in equity futures has been driven largely by gains in technology and artificial intelligence-related stoc…
Moody's Ratings says South Africa’s government debt will level off in 2026 and then slowly fall, supported by improved revenue collection, fiscal restraint and easing funding costs. The agency keeps South Africa at Ba2 with a stable outlook but warns that debt above 80% of GDP limits the government's ability to absorb shocks.
Compensation consultancy Johnson Associates forecasts that Wall Street bonuses for 2026 will be broadly flat to modestly higher, constrained by geopolitical pressures stemming from the Iran war and disruptions in the private credit market. While advisory and trading businesses could outperform, buoyed by M&A and IPO momentum, areas tied to illiquid…
Norway’s central bank increased its key policy rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.25% on Thursday. Governor Ida Wolden Bache said inflation has been too high and above target for several years; the bank's preferred underlying inflation measure was 3.0% in March. Norges Bank highlighted significant uncertainty about future economic developments and…
U.S. equity futures moved higher early Thursday as reports circulated that Washington and Tehran are negotiating a compact framework that could kick-start peace talks next week in Pakistan. Oil prices slipped from recent peaks yet stayed close to $100 a barrel amid lingering concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, while energy and chip sectors reacted …
Japan appears to have stepped into currency markets during the Golden Week holidays to prevent the yen slipping beyond the psychologically important 160-per-dollar level, a former central bank official who previously took part in Tokyo interventions said. Authorities are likely to act again if the yen renews its slide below that threshold, and offi…
The European Central Bank says the euro zone has seen measurable advances in financial integration across debt markets and banking since 2022, but equity markets remain fragmented, with cross-border investment at unusually low levels. The ECB supports European Commission measures to deepen integration but cautions that entrenched national barriers …
Asian equity markets extended their runaway gains as Japan's Nikkei returned from a holiday to join record-setting rallies across South Korea and Taiwan, fueled by strong tech earnings and renewed enthusiasm for artificial intelligence. Oil prices remained around $100 per barrel amid hopes for a deal to end the Middle East conflict, while the yen's…
According to reports from Bloomberg News citing sources familiar with the matter, China's financial regulator has directed its largest banking institutions to temporarily suspend the issuance of new loans to five specific refineries. These entities were recently placed under sanctions by the United States due to their perceived connections to Irani…
The United States has implemented an abrupt suspension of its maritime escort initiative, known as "Project Freedom," following significant diplomatic pushback from Saudi Arabia. According to reports citing U.S. officials, the decision to halt the operation in the Strait of Hormuz came after the Kingdom expressed anger over the Sunday afternoon ann…
The OECD says New Zealand is emerging from over two years of economic weakness but the recovery is fragile and vulnerable to renewed inflation, high energy prices, persistent low productivity and ageing-related fiscal pressures. The report projects modest growth through 2027, notes the impact of recent Reserve Bank cuts on domestic demand, and urge…
U.S. and Chinese officials are exploring the launch of formal discussions on artificial intelligence ahead of a planned summit in Beijing next week between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping. The talks would focus on risks such as unpredictable model behavior, autonomous military applications and AI-enabled attacks by non-state actors.…
A quarterly survey by Incomes Data Research found the median annual pay award among major British private sector employers held at 3.5% in the January to March period. The report noted a possible uptick in higher-value pay awards in April following a 4.1% rise in the National Living Wage to 12.71 pounds an hour.
Chinese exporters say President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to Beijing this month is unlikely to upend their operations. After a turbulent 2025 when tariffs spiked briefly to triple-digit levels, many firms report steady U.S. demand, expanding sales into new regions and stronger domestic supply chains. Beijing's export controls on key inputs such…
A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Department of Justice may keep possession of ballots and records seized during an FBI search of Fulton County's election hub in January. The decision denies Fulton County's request for the return of original materials and permits the FBI to retain over 600 boxes of 2020 ballots while a criminal inquiry contin…
Global stocks climbed to fresh highs on optimism that a U.S.-Iran peace agreement could be near, while a burst of AI-related spending plans and robust U.S. corporate profits fueled gains in technology shares. Energy markets fell sharply, driving oil down and lifting precious metals, even as emerging markets demonstrated unusual resilience to the en…
Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee warned that the U.S.-backed war against Iran is behaving predominantly as an inflationary shock so far, with limited observable effects on employment and economic growth. Speaking on a video call with journalists after attending a conference in Los Angeles, Goolsbee said rising supply-chain complica…
A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York finds that lower-income American households reduced gasoline spending in March after adjusting for higher prices, while higher-income households sustained their fuel outlays. The pattern resembles the K-shaped consumption response seen after the 2022 surge in fuel costs, and gasoline prices have co…
The International Monetary Fund has advised Angola to apply higher oil revenues toward rebuilding fiscal buffers and cutting debt rather than boosting public spending in the run-up to the 2027 elections. IMF resident representative Victor Lledo told reporters in Luanda that extraordinary oil receipts should be used to lower domestic financing needs…
Clorox Co completed a $1.5 billion debt offering split into three SEC-registered senior unsecured tranches with maturities of five, seven and 10 years. Coupon rates range from 4.700% to 5.250% and the notes are expected to carry Baa1 and BBB ratings from Moody's and S&P respectively. Proceeds will repay outstanding borrowings under a delayed draw t…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned that shortages of sterile pads, sponges and strips used in neurosurgery could last until the end of 2026. The agency added these neurosurgical patties, sponges and strips to its medical device shortages list after a recall of Medline Industries' neuro sponge line in March for elevated endotoxin levels. T…
U.S. military units fired on and disabled an Iranian-flagged oil tanker identified as M/T Hasna on Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel attempted to breach a blockade on Iranian ports, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X. The tanker, which was not carrying cargo, was prevented from reaching its intended Iranian destination.
South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago told investors that policymakers must keep interest-rate options open as geopolitical shocks push fuel prices higher and inflation expectations stay above the 3% target. Although headline inflation has edged down in recent months and debt dynamics appear to be stabilising, the governor said suppl…
Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee cautioned that rising productivity does not guarantee lower inflation. If households and firms expect higher productivity in the future, their present-day spending could accelerate, potentially overheating the economy and prompting higher interest rates. The debate over productivity's net effect on …
