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
Japan's coincident indicator index declined 1.6 points month-on-month in February to 116.3, the first fall in two months, driven largely by reduced shipments of semiconductor chips and chip-making equipment and lower auto production. The data calls into question the Bank of Japan's view that strong global demand will continue to underpin exports, a…
Bankers expect India's central bank to allow overnight interbank rates to linger close to the lower bound of the policy corridor and to refrain from active liquidity-draining operations in April. The shift reflects a desire to avoid unsettling already fragile government bond sentiment amid higher oil prices and rupee volatility tied to the Iran con…
China's State Council published supply chain security regulations that took effect immediately, authorizing Chinese authorities to investigate and impose countermeasures on foreign entities judged to threaten national supply chains. The rules, reported by Xinhua, seek to shore up security in industrial and supply chains across key sectors, address …
The Kremlin reported a significant increase in inquiries for Russian energy supplies as it characterizes the international situation as a mounting economic and energy crisis. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that market conditions have shifted dramatically and that Russia is negotiating sales from alternative buyers while seeking term…
UBS has reduced its economic growth forecasts for the Eurozone, cutting its 2026 GDP outlook by 0.5 percentage points to 0.8% and trimming 2027 by 0.2 points to 1.2%, while keeping the 2028 projection at 1.0%. The bank points to the ongoing Iran conflict as a central factor that could push inflation higher, prompt tighter monetary policy, and furth…
Government data show Japan's coincident economic indicator slipped in February, driven by weaker semiconductor and auto shipments. Private research reports a sharp rise in bankruptcies among small painting firms as fuel and naphtha disruptions push input costs sharply higher, flagging early signs of damage from the Iran war.
Annual consumer price growth in the Philippines accelerated to 4.1% in March, surpassing the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' 2% to 4% goal. The rise was led by a sharp rebound in transport costs tied to global energy prices amid heightened Middle East tensions. Core inflation also ticked up, prompting the central bank to signal close monitoring ahead …
Greater Toronto Area home transactions rose in March for the first time since September, as seasonally adjusted sales increased 1.4% to 4,546 units. The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board reported that the board’s home price index fell 0.6% month-over-month to C$928,000, marking the 10th straight monthly decline. Year-over-year, sales were up 1.7% …
British services companies reported a steep month-on-month increase in input costs in March and a slowdown in activity, according to S&P Global data. The services PMI fell to 50.5 from 53.9, while the composite PMI was revised down to 50.3. Firms attributed higher costs to energy, raw materials and shipping, and expressed growing concern about dema…
U.S. equity futures slipped and oil prices held above $110 a barrel as President Donald Trump set a firm deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on infrastructure. Investors weighed geopolitical risk alongside mixed U.S. services data and private credit concerns. In corporate news, Broadcom surged after announcing a long-te…
Kenya's private-sector activity dipped into contraction in March, with the Stanbic Bank Kenya Purchasing Managers' Index falling to 47.7 from 50.4 in February. The decline, the first below the 50 growth threshold since August 2025, was driven by weaker customer spending, reduced cash circulation and higher transport costs linked to the war in the M…
South Africa’s S&P Global PMI climbed to 50.8 in March from 50.0 in February, signaling a return to private-sector growth driven by faster output and the strongest hiring since May 2024. The recovery was muted by a second consecutive monthly decline in new orders and a sharp fall in export sales, while business confidence slipped to its weakest lev…
Seiji Adachi, a former member of the Bank of Japan board, told Reuters that the central bank will likely raise its short-term policy rate by July as rising oil prices tied to the Middle East conflict increase inflationary pressure. Adachi noted underlying inflation has met the BOJ's 2% goal and cited corporate five-year inflation expectations of 2.…
European Central Bank policymaker Dimitar Radev warned that euro zone inflation expectations may respond faster than in previous episodes, driven by a recent energy shock tied to the Iran war. He said the ECB should be ready to raise interest rates swiftly if persistent second-round effects appear, while monitoring a range of indicators ahead of up…
Markets are subdued as investors weigh a looming U.S. deadline for a potential agreement with Iran against signs that negotiations could falter and lead to further violence. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, crude has surged, and risk appetite is muted ahead of key European PMI releases for March.
U.S. President Donald Trump could postpone planned military strikes on Iran if indications emerge that a diplomatic settlement is attainable, according to media accounts citing U.S. officials. While Tehran's response to the latest proposal has been described as tough, U.S. officials view it as bargaining behavior rather than outright refusal. At th…
Global equity markets that were open ticked higher on Easter Monday as investors largely shrugged off escalating U.S. rhetoric toward Iran and a further jump in oil prices. Market participants cited resilience in early March U.S. data, modest moves in bond yields, and selective sector strength even as energy costs and regional tensions remain sourc…
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund said the conflict in the Middle East will produce higher inflation and slower global growth, derailing a small upward revision the fund had anticipated for 2026-27. Even a quick end to hostilities would still leave the IMF revising growth downward and inflation upward, while a prolonged war w…
Budget documents released by the White House lay out a plan to reduce the Transportation Security Administration's headcount by over 9,400 employees and to remove just over $1.5 billion from the agency's budget. The proposal would require smaller airports to replace TSA personnel with private security contractors and would further shrink staff thro…
Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack and Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee signaled that inflation is a larger immediate concern than the labor market, endorsing tighter monetary policy as energy prices climb due to the Iran war. Using a four-color assessment scale in a joint interview, both officials placed inflation in the orange-to-red zone …
Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack described inflation as a more acute problem than employment in a joint interview, using a four-color risk scale to convey that inflation is at least 'orange' and possibly shifting toward 'red' amid rising gasoline prices and other price pressures. Both signaled preferenc…
Most Latin American currencies strengthened on Monday as reports of a proposed ceasefire framework between the U.S. and Iran briefly lifted global risk sentiment following a holiday lull. The initial optimism weakened after Iran’s official news agency said Tehran rejected the ceasefire proposal, demanding a permanent end to hostilities. Regional eq…
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported a rise in its Global Supply Chain Pressure Index for March, climbing to 0.68 from February's 0.54. The bank did not provide an explanation for the increase, though the release notes a likely connection to disruptions tied to the war in the Middle East that was started by the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran…
Barings has restricted redemptions at one of its private credit vehicles to 5% of outstanding shares after investors sought to withdraw 11.3% in the first quarter, according to a regulatory filing. The asset manager accepted about 44.3% of the shares tendered on a pro-rata basis. The move comes amid broader elevated redemption activity in private c…
A political analyst at Wolfe Research expressed doubt that a diplomatic settlement with Iran is near, suggesting President Trump’s public confidence may be rooted more in a theory that sustained military pressure will compel Tehran to capitulate than in concrete progress at the negotiating table. The comments arrive as the U.S. again approached a d…
