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.
7,112 total articles
Labour market indicators for March show employers pulling back after the start of the Iran war, with job vacancies dropping to their lowest three-month total since April 2021 and a modest slowdown in regular pay growth. At the same time, unemployment fell unexpectedly, driven in part by a rise in inactivity among students. The data complicate the B…
U.S. stock futures ticked higher as markets balanced a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire and uncertainty about renewed negotiations with focus on upcoming corporate reports and a pivotal Federal Reserve confirmation hearing. Oil prices eased on hopes talks could extend the truce, while Apple announced a surprise CEO succession. Kevin Warsh is set to test…
Annual growth in regular UK pay excluding bonuses slowed to 3.6% in the three months to February, a smaller deceleration than economists had anticipated. The reading came amid recent energy-driven inflation pressures following the outbreak of the Iran war at the end of February, prompting analysts to delay expectations for when the Bank of England …
Markets are discounting near-term geopolitical risk from a fraying U.S.-Iran ceasefire while rotating capital back into AI-related equities after fresh tech commitments. At the same time, attention shifts to Kevin Warsh's Senate confirmation hearing for the Federal Reserve leadership, where his pledge of monetary-policy independence will be scrutin…
The dollar and yen softened as investors rotated toward higher-risk currencies amid hopes a U.S.-Iran agreement could reopen Gulf shipping lanes. A persistent inflation print in New Zealand lifted the kiwi, while traders watched for central bank cues including a likely Bank of Japan pause and a U.S. Fed nominee’s testimony. Market participants rema…
Newly sworn-in Bank of Korea governor Shin Hyun-song said monetary policy should be cautious and adaptable in response to increased uncertainty over inflation and economic growth stemming from the Middle East conflict. He cited oil price rises tied to the Iran war as simultaneously boosting inflationary pressure and dampening growth prospects, whil…
A Reuters poll of economists points to a Q1 rebound for South Korea, driven by a sharp jump in semiconductor exports and resilient private demand. Forecasters estimate a seasonally adjusted expansion of 1.0% in January-March and 2.7% year-on-year, though concerns persist that the Middle East war could raise energy costs and weigh on growth later in…
President Donald Trump said the naval blockade against Iran will remain active until an agreement is secured, repeating claims that Iran's military capabilities have been neutralized. The announcement comes with a ceasefire set to expire this week and mixed signals over whether new peace talks will take place before that deadline.
Germany's combined federal and state tax revenues rose 3.6% in March from a year earlier to 89.3 billion euros, the finance ministry said. Officials cautioned that the yearly uptick was influenced by one-off factors such as import VAT effects and non-assessed taxes on earnings, and that without those distortions tax receipts would likely have edged…
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving the cabinet to take a private-sector position, the White House said Monday. Keith Sonderling will step in as acting secretary. Chavez-DeRemer has been under investigation by the Department of Labor's inspector general over allegations that include an improper relationship with a staffer, travel fraud a…
Clarifai said it deleted 3 million OkCupid user photos and associated facial-recognition models after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement with OkCupid over a 2014 transfer of images and demographic data. The deletion was certified to the FTC and confirmed to a congresswoman's office; the episode has drawn criticism from some Demo…
Oil prices jumped sharply while major U.S. equity indices slipped after renewed U.S.-Iran tensions and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Market reactions were relatively muted, reflecting investor optimism that talks will resume. Big Tech’s comeback raises renewed attention to AI-era concentration and energy costs. An LSEG webinar on April 23 wi…
Democratic senators on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee have flagged concerns about Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh's plan to sell millions of dollars in assets if confirmed. In a report released ahead of his confirmation hearing, minority committee members said Warsh has not supplied sufficient detail on how he wo…
The White House on Monday issued a presidential determination invoking the Defense Production Act to accelerate expansion of natural gas transmission, processing, storage and liquefied natural gas facilities across the United States. The memorandum, addressed to the Secretary of Energy, designates a broad set of gas and LNG assets as essential to n…
President Donald Trump on Monday signed a presidential determination invoking section 303 of the Defense Production Act to accelerate the development, manufacturing and deployment of large-scale energy infrastructure. The memorandum, addressed to the Secretary of Energy, cites an earlier executive order that declared a national energy emergency and…
The Bank of Canada named Marc-André Gosselin and Nicolas Vincent as deputy governors on its rate-setting governing council, with Gosselin joining May 25, 2026 and Vincent on August 3, 2026. Gosselin will be responsible for domestic economic analysis; Vincent will take charge of international economic analysis and act as the bank's G7 and G20 deputy…
Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc. has proposed offering an equity stake to the U.S. government as part of efforts to secure a cash injection and avoid potential liquidation. The discussions, described by people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity, come as jet fuel prices climb. The proposal echoes a prior White House investment…
Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf said lowering interest rates before there is a clear end in sight to the Iran conflict would be the wrong move. Speaking at the Economic Club of Washington on April 20 in New York, Scharf described the U.S. economy as still strong despite market volatility, highlighted continued consumer spending growth of 5 to 7% com…
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said the bank requires additional information before making firm monetary policy decisions on the economic fallout from the war in Iran. While energy prices rose last month, they have not yet produced the second-round price effects that would push the ECB into its adverse scenario. With the April 30…
ECB President Christine Lagarde said the economic effects of the war in Iran have not reached the central bank's adverse scenario and more data is needed before making firm monetary policy decisions. While oil prices are higher than the ECB's baseline assumptions, natural gas is below baseline and there are limited signs of wider supply disruptions…
Fitch Ratings says the outlook for U.S. credit risk has worsened entering the second quarter of 2026, citing two primary threats: the war involving Iran and a software-related disruption. The agency highlights potential stress transmission into business development companies (BDCs) and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), though it notes that cu…
Portuguese authorities say they are monitoring jet fuel availability closely and are confident that airports will not experience shortages in the coming months. The Infrastructure Minister said the government is in contact with oil firms and is aware of stock levels at national airports, while energy company Galp stated current production, inventor…
Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s pick for the next Federal Reserve chair, said at his confirmation hearing Tuesday that he would defend the central bank’s independence and keep its focus on its core mandate. In prepared testimony, Warsh warned that the Fed’s autonomy is most endangered when it ventures into fiscal or social policy areas beyond…
Wells Fargo Chief Executive Charlie Scharf cautioned that cutting interest rates ahead of clear resolution in the Iran conflict would be ill-advised. He highlighted continued U.S. consumer spending despite rising gasoline costs, defended the resilience of private credit markets, and emphasized the importance of Federal Reserve independence.
The rapid uptake of GLP-1 class weight-loss medications is altering consumer behavior in the roughly $40 billion U.S. cannabis market, industry participants and experts say. Retailers are adjusting recommendations on edibles and inhalable products as users on GLP-1 therapies report reduced appetite and uncertainty around altered effects, while rese…
