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
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced he will remain a member of the central bank's Board of Governors after his term as chair ends on May 15. Speaking at a press conference after the latest Federal Open Market Committee meeting, Powell said he will continue as a governor for an undetermined period, intends to keep a low profile, will not a…
Summary: Russia's economy contracted by 0.3% in the first quarter, the first quarterly decline since early 2023, according to preliminary Economy Ministry data. Officials and analysts attributed the drop to a mix of tight monetary conditions, higher taxes, adverse weather for construction, labour shortages and a strong rouble. The performance promp…
Traders continued to price in no interest-rate cuts this year and likely not until well into the next year after the Federal Reserve kept its policy rate unchanged at the April policy meeting. The decision included three public dissents opposing the central bank's signaling of an 'easing bias,' while market-implied odds of cuts were largely erased …
On April 29 the Federal Reserve elected to keep its policy rate at 3.50%-3.75% in an 8-4 vote. The statement shifted its language to note that inflation is elevated in part because of higher global energy prices and flagged heightened uncertainty stemming from developments in the Middle East. Three regional presidents opposed inclusion of an easing…
The Federal Reserve left its policy rate at 3.50%-3.75% for the third consecutive meeting. The decision featured four dissenting votes - the most since September 1992 - as officials wrestled with higher headline inflation linked to surging oil prices and a labor market described as 'low hire, low fire.' Attention now turns to Chair Jerome Powell's …
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is set to leave the Middle East in the coming days to return to the United States, ending a roughly 10-month deployment that involved about 4,500 sailors. Its exit will reduce the U.S. carrier force in the region while two other carriers continue operations, including enforcement of a blockade aimed at vessel…
Peter Magyar, Hungary’s incoming prime minister, said he will sign a political agreement at the end of May intended to free roughly €10 billion in European Union recovery money. Magyar described discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as "extremely productive and successful," and von der Leyen said the commission stands …
Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Trump held a phone conversation on Wednesday that lasted more than 1.5 hours, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. The aide characterized the exchange as friendly and businesslike and said the leaders discussed Iran's nuclear program, a proposed Ukraine ceasefire and potential economic and ener…
Orders for core U.S. manufactured capital goods climbed sharply in March, registering the largest monthly gain in nearly six years, while shipments also rose solidly. The boost in business spending on equipment - supported by an AI-driven data center investment cycle - could help lift first-quarter economic growth, even as the goods trade deficit w…
Kevin Warsh, President Trump’s nominee for Federal Reserve chair, has formally denied any personal or financial ties to Jeffrey Epstein after his name appeared in Department of Justice documents. In written answers to Senator Elizabeth Warren, Warsh said he does not know Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, did not attend events associated with them, and …
Cuba's foreign minister accused the United States of attempting to manufacture a justification for toppling the Cuban government after U.S. officials and senators debated expanding authority for the use of force. Washington has asserted that Cuba is allowing Chinese and Russian forces to operate near U.S. territory, a claim rejected by Havana. The …
China has told EU authorities it will respond with countermeasures if the European Union adopts a proposal to bar Huawei and other Chinese suppliers from telecom infrastructure. The Chinese mission asked the European Commission to delete language that brands Chinese equipment a cybersecurity concern and to drop plans to designate Chinese companies …
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told Chinese officials that uninterrupted shipments of commodities and food rely on continued imports of petrol, jet fuel and fertilizer. Speaking after meetings in Beijing, Wong stressed that inputs supplied by China underpin Australia's resources sector and help maintain bilateral trade in liquefied natural …
Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Federal Reserve chair, was advanced by the Senate Banking Committee to the full Senate after winning unanimous Republican support on the panel. The committee vote coincided with Jerome Powell presiding over what officials expect to be his final Federal Open Market Committee meeting, at which the pol…
The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran could access a stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium located at sites struck by US forces, and that satellite imagery indicates much of the material remains where it was last observed near Isfahan. IAEA inspections of those sites have not taken place for 10 months, and negotiations between Washingt…
The Bank of Canada held its policy rate at 2.25% on Wednesday, choosing policy stability while monitoring higher energy prices and shifting U.S. trade policies. Officials said headline inflation has risen following a jump in gasoline prices but core measures remain close to target, and growth is projected to strengthen gradually through 2028 provid…
The Bank of Canada left its policy rate unchanged and signalled that future adjustments would likely be small if the economy unfolds as projected. Governor Tiff Macklem cautioned that persistent high oil prices, compounded by uncertainty from the Middle East war and U.S. tariffs, could push inflation higher and necessitate consecutive rate increase…
The Bank of Canada left its key policy rate unchanged at a target overnight rate of 2.25%, citing heightened global volatility driven by the conflict in the Middle East and ongoing shifts in US trade policy. The institution's April projections assume tariffs are unchanged and that the global benchmark oil price falls to US$75 per barrel by mid-2027…
The Bank of Canada kept its policy interest rate at 2.25% and outlined a baseline outlook in which the economy grows modestly while inflation, temporarily pushed higher by rising gasoline and food prices, is expected to return to the 2% target if oil prices decline as markets currently expect. The Governing Council said policy adjustments may be sm…
The Bank of Canada modestly raised its forecasts for real GDP growth in 2026 and 2027 in its quarterly monetary policy outlook, citing a baseline that assumes U.S. tariffs stay unchanged and oil prices gradually fall to $75 a barrel by mid-2027. The central bank projects 2026 growth at 1.2% (up from 1.1%) and 2027 growth at 1.6% (up from 1.5%). On …
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) says the UK economy will be roughly a335 billion smaller across 2026 and 2027 combined than it previously expected, even assuming a rapid resolution to the recent Middle East conflict. The institute has downgraded GDP growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027 and flagged higher inflation, a sl…
Iran’s currency fell to a record low of 1,810,000 rials per U.S. dollar as demand built up during six weeks of fighting suddenly entered the open market. Economic strains from export suspensions, a Gulf shipping blockade and rising inflation are tightening pressure on foreign-currency supplies, increasing the risk of further price instability and r…
Mortgage applications declined 1.6% last week as interest rates nudged higher, with the average 30-year fixed rate rising to 6.37% from 6.35%. Refinancing activity dropped 4% for the week but remains substantially above year-ago levels, while purchase applications posted a small weekly increase and were higher year over year amid greater housing in…
A government monthly economic report says India’s economy remains resilient after 7.6% real GDP growth in the prior fiscal year, but that the West Asia conflict is creating significant headwinds. The report highlights rising crude oil prices, accelerating wholesale inflation, weaker merchandise exports and potential stress on remittances and labour…
The Democratic Republic of Congo is forecast to expand by 6.2% this year, up from 5.8% last year, Central Bank Governor Andre Wameso said in Kinshasa. With $7.7 billion in foreign reserves and annual inflation at 2.36%, the bank is monitoring external risks tied to the Strait of Hormuz and global demand for raw materials. The central bank plans to …
