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.
5,108 total articles
Asian share markets dropped on Friday as a resurgence in geopolitical tensions involving Iran kept crude near $100 a barrel, amplifying inflation concerns and dampening hopes for monetary easing. The U.S. dollar strengthened as investors sought safety, while bond yields rose and markets prepared for a busy week of central bank meetings.
Chinese lenders are reallocating credit to technology and innovation-focused firms in response to recent government commitments to expand artificial intelligence, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing. Banks report prioritizing tech lending, setting higher growth targets and exploring cheaper credit options for startups. Data show outstanding l…
President Donald Trump called on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates immediately, posting "He should be dropping Interest Rates, IMMEDIATELY," on Truth Social. Yet markets have moved in the opposite direction since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, pricing fewer rate cuts as oil jumps and inflation expectations …
Global equities slid sharply as oil surged 10%, U.S. and European bond yields rose and the dollar strengthened, signaling increased pressure on consumers and companies. The move has erased investors' expectations for Fed rate cuts in 2026 and accelerated a global fixed-income selloff. Central banks face a packed schedule of meetings next week as po…
The executive director of the Port of Los Angeles said the nation's busiest container gateway has so far avoided the supply chain disruptions and congestion seen in Middle Eastern shipping lanes following U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran. February import volumes rose 5% year-on-year and the port recorded its second-highest monthly throughput on record, …
Argentina recorded a 2.9% monthly inflation rate in February, the same rate as January 2026 and slightly above analysts' 2.7% forecast. Over the 12 months through February, consumer prices were up 33.1%, higher than both the previous month's 32.4% and analysts' 32.7% expectation. Rent and utilities led monthly increases, while food and non-alcoholi…
Bond markets have reduced expectations for Federal Reserve interest-rate reductions this year amid rising oil prices and renewed inflation worries. On Thursday swaps tied to Fed meetings priced in only 20 basis points of easing by year-end, and U.S. Treasury yields moved higher. President Donald Trump urged an immediate rate cut, criticizing Fed Ch…
U.S. banking regulators under President Donald Trump are preparing to release a revised draft of the Basel III 'endgame' capital rule this month, restarting a heated debate over how to measure risk and how much capital large banks must retain. The rule, first proposed in 2023 under the Biden administration, drew intense opposition from Wall Street …
U.S. and Western intelligence sources told reporters that Russian services have been supplying Iran with satellite imagery and guidance on drone targeting to assist strikes on American forces and regional allies. Officials say the degree to which the material is actionable or regularly supplied is uncertain. Observers note parallels between Iranian…
Anthropic has launched the Claude Partner Network and pledged $100 million in 2026 to back organizations that help enterprises deploy its Claude AI model. The initiative includes training, technical support, co-marketing funds, a new certification for architects, a code modernization starter kit, and plans to expand the partner-facing team fivefold…
On March 12, Senate Democrats failed to secure separate funding for the Transportation Security Administration after Republicans insisted on funding the entire Department of Homeland Security. A planned procedural vote on a GOP proposal to fund all of DHS is expected to fail. TSA staffing shortfalls have already created long security lines and prom…
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said the United States wants to renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement but is encountering resistance from Canada as a mandatory July 1 review approaches. Speaking in Toronto, Hoekstra said there have been no substantive talks with Canada since October and urged Canadian interests to press for lower tariff tr…
Kevin Warsh met with senators as questions persisted about whether his nomination will advance after a Republican senator vowed to block any Fed nominees while a Department of Justice criminal investigation into current Chair Jerome Powell remains open. The Banking Committee, the initial gatekeeper for Fed nominations, faces a standoff that could d…
Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced that the Senate will vote next week on the SAVE America Act, a voter identification bill supported by former President Donald Trump. The legislation would mandate proof of citizenship to register and require photo identification to cast a ballot. With Republicans holding a 53-47 advantage in the Senate bu…
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet Vice Premier He Lifeng of the People’s Republic of China in Paris on Sunday and Monday. The encounter is described by the Treasury as a continuation of ongoing trade and economic discussions between the United States and China. Bessent said the talks are progressing thanks to mutual respect between Preside…
Operations at HSBC and Standard Chartered in the Gulf have been directly affected by the recent strikes on Iran, with HSBC closing branches in Qatar and Standard Chartered evacuating its Dubai office. The moves come as both banks, which have grown their footprint around trade between Asia and the Middle East, face market repricing and heightened un…
Bank of Canada policy is expected to remain unchanged at 2.25% through 2026, according to BofA Securities economist Carlos Capistran. Recent military activity in Iran and the resulting jump in oil prices have introduced upside risks for Canadian growth and inflation, complicating the central bank’s decision-making even as core inflation trends down…
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has initiated a public comment period as it prepares a regulatory proposal for events contracts and prediction markets. The notice highlights concerns about market manipulation, margin trading and whether certain types of wagers - such as those tied to terrorism or military action - should be banned in …
Singapore's ministry of trade and industry said it will engage with the Office of the United States Trade Representative to obtain further clarification on trade data and details of a Section 301 investigation. The ministry disputed USTR figures that characterized Singapore as having a $27 billion surplus with the U.S. in 2024, saying instead the c…
The administration intends to grant 30-day exemptions to the Jones Act, allowing foreign-flagged tankers to move fuel between U.S. ports. The temporary measure is aimed at bolstering East Coast supply by permitting deliveries from the Gulf Coast and other domestic locations, part of a broader set of options being reviewed to address rising oil and …
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission's Division of Market Oversight released an advisory aimed at operators listing event contracts in prediction markets. The guidance reiterates legal obligations for designated contract markets under the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission regulations, highlights specific references including CEA section 5(d…
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to collect public input on potential regulatory changes for event contracts traded on prediction markets. The notice asks stakeholders to weigh in on how core statutory principles and Commission rules should apply, which types of contracts might be contrar…
Brazil's 12-month inflation rate eased to 3.81% in February, the lowest reading since April 2024, while monthly consumer prices rose 0.70%. The data arrives days before the central bank's March 17-18 policy meeting and complicates deliberations over whether to begin interest-rate cuts and whether the move should be 25 or 50 basis points amid recent…
Economists surveyed in the Reuters March 6-12 poll largely expect the Federal Reserve to begin easing policy in June, despite a sharp rise in global oil prices tied to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that has pushed short-term yields higher and shifted market expectations for the first cut. All respondents foresee the Fed holding its policy range at 3…
Goldman Sachs moved its projected first U.S. interest-rate reduction in 2026 from June to September after rising oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict stoked inflation worries. Ahead of the escalation, many brokerages were forecasting a June cut, but forecasts now range from multiple cuts beginning midyear to no cuts at all, with one firm c…
