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.
6,527 total articles
Barclays expects the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates unchanged until September 2026, citing the March FOMC minutes that highlighted elevated inflation concerns tied to a recent energy price surge. While some participants left the door open to hikes, the predominance of downside employment risks and repeated references to eventual easing unde…
Poland's Monetary Policy Council kept the main interest rate at 3.75%, matching market expectations. The pause follows a 25 basis point cut last month and comes amid concerns that the Middle East conflict and a jump in commodity prices have pushed inflation higher, complicating the path for further easing.
A poll by the Idea Institute finds the centre-right Tisza party leading Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz ahead of a parliamentary election scheduled for Sunday. Tisza commanded 50% of decided voters in the survey, while Fidesz was at 37%. Among all respondents, support measured 39% for Tisza and 30% for Fidesz, with 21% undecided. The po…
Several large North American public pension funds are maintaining or expanding their private credit exposures even as parts of the private credit and BDC complex face heightened redemption pressure and investor concerns. Fund officials emphasize long-term strategies, selective manager selection and targeted allocation plans.
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) and Blackstone Credit and Insurance have launched a joint aircraft leasing investment programme called Equator, targeting roughly $1.6 billion in annual deployments. DAE will source aircraft while its Aircraft Investor Services unit will manage the assets. The investor group will include capital from funds managed b…
Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC), said the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed because Iran is imposing restrictions that prevent normal energy flows. He warned that supervised or conditional transit is equivalent to control, and said roughly 230 oil-laden vessels are ready to sail. ADNOC has loaded cargoes and intends …
Tesla is working on an all-new compact electric SUV intended to be smaller and cheaper than its current offerings, according to four people briefed on the matter. The project remains in early development; Tesla has held supplier discussions about manufacturing processes and components. Plans could include production at the Shanghai factory with pot…
U.S. stock futures pulled back modestly following a sharp rally, after signs emerged that a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East was not holding. Energy markets reacted to continuing uncertainty over flows through the Strait of Hormuz, and traders are turning attention to the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge for the next directional cue.
The Bank of England's Credit Conditions Survey for Q1 2026, published Thursday, shows that availability of secured credit to households increased in the three months to end-February 2026 and is expected to rise further through the three months to end-May 2026. Unsecured household credit availability was unchanged in Q1 but is expected to increase i…
The International Monetary Fund has reached a staff-level agreement with Sri Lanka that, once formally approved, will unlock roughly $700 million in financing. The IMF said the funds come with a call to accelerate policy and structural reforms to protect macroeconomic stability as Sri Lanka continues to recover from its severe economic crisis, a 20…
A recent poll of economists indicates Chinese banks likely issued substantially more net new yuan loans in March than in February, with estimates around 3.4 trillion yuan versus 900 billion yuan in February. The rise is attributed to seasonal post-Chinese New Year lending activity and firmer credit demand, while other measures such as M2 growth and…
Markets are cooling after a brief rally as fresh developments in the Middle East undercut hopes for immediate de-escalation. Asian equities and U.S. futures slipped, while sovereign bonds in Europe outperformed Treasuries. Key data releases due Thursday and cautious commentary from U.S. central bank officials add to the near-term uncertainty. Most …
A government gauge of household sentiment fell to 33.3 in March, sliding 6.4 points from February in the first decline after three months of improvement. Officials pointed to rising fuel costs linked to the Middle East conflict as weighing on the fragile recovery, and said the data complicates the Bank of Japan’s choice over a possible April rate i…
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Congress to enact the Clarity Act to establish a federal regulatory framework for digital assets. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Bessent warned that unclear rules have driven crypto activity to jurisdictions with clearer regimes, and he called on lawmakers to overcome disagreements - notably between bank…
Foreign purchases of Japanese stocks swung to a net inflow of 2.96 trillion yen in the week through April 4, reversing most of the prior week's heavy withdrawals. The shift came as investor sentiment steadied ahead of a ceasefire in the Iran war and as seasonal portfolio reallocation and a rise in long-term government bond yields attracted overseas…
President Donald Trump said U.S. naval, air, and ground forces deployed around Iran will remain in position until Washington secures what he calls a "real agreement" with Tehran. The president warned the "shootin' starts" if no accord is reached, while reiterating demands that Iran abandon nuclear weapons and ensure the Strait of Hormuz is open and…
Analysts overwhelmingly expect the Monetary Authority of Singapore to tighten policy at its April 14 review as the Middle East war drives energy prices higher, raising inflation risks and clouding near-term growth prospects. Policymakers face the trade-off between imported cost pressures and a slowing external outlook while the government rolls out…
During a meeting in Taipei, U.S. Senator Jim Banks called on Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan to approve a previously proposed $40 billion special defence budget, saying passage would signal to China and the international community that Taiwan is committed to 'peace through strength.' The plan remains under debate in a parliament where the opposition hold…
Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Anna Breman said she still expects the economy to grow in 2026, conditional on a sustained ceasefire in the Middle East and easing fuel and supply-chain pressures. The bank left the cash rate at 2.25% to assess the conflict's fallout while warning inflation could rise above the 1%-3% target band.
Global markets rallied sharply and oil prices plunged on April 8 after a ceasefire in the Iran war, propelling equities higher, sending European sovereign yields lower and triggering the largest one-day fall in U.S. oil in five years. Policymakers and investors face renewed uncertainty about whether the move marks a durable shift in sentiment or a …
The U.S. administration is exploring a plan to shift American troops away from NATO members perceived as unsupportive of the Iran war and station them in allied countries that backed the campaign. The measure, reported to be under discussion among senior officials, would not amount to a full withdrawal from NATO, which the president cannot execute …
A temporary two-week ceasefire in the Iran conflict has reduced immediate inflation concerns and prompted traders to partially revive bets on a Federal Reserve rate cut later this year. Still, elevated oil prices, fresh regional incidents and lingering uncertainty about the durability of peace mean monetary easing is not assured.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance told reporters he expects negotiations with Iran to begin in Pakistan on Saturday and sought to downplay Iranian complaints that key clauses of a 10-point ceasefire proposal were breached. Vance reiterated U.S. red lines on nuclear enrichment and said the administration will judge the talks based on what Iran is willing…
Rep. Ritchie Torres has asked federal market regulators to examine a surge of trades in oil and equity futures that took place just before an announced pause in hostilities in Iran. He sent a letter to the heads of the SEC and CFTC drawing attention to the timing of the activity and citing past concerns about trading around geopolitical events.
The United Arab Emirates has requested detailed clarification of the U.S.-Iran two-week ceasefire arrangement to confirm Tehran’s full commitment to halt attacks in the region and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without conditions. A UAE foreign ministry spokesperson, writing on X on Wednesday, said such clarity is necessary to ensure immediate cess…
