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
U.S. stock futures gained after global markets rallied on comments from President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggesting the Iran conflict could be nearing an end. Boosted by hopes of restored shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, major European and Asian indices climbed, oil prices fell about 3%, and risk-sensitive assets rall…
Newly appointed Bank of Japan board member Toichiro Asada cautioned that the war in Iran and the associated jump in crude oil prices could create stagflationary conditions in Japan. Speaking at his inaugural news conference after joining the nine-member board, Asada said inflation has replaced deflation as the immediate concern and that relying sol…
British manufacturers reported a marked rise in input costs and lengthening delivery delays in March, linked to elevated oil and gas prices and shipping routes avoiding the Strait of Hormuz. The final S&P Global UK Manufacturing PMI fell to 51.0, with the output gauge slipping into contraction at 49.2. Employment readings weakened further and firms…
U.S. equity futures rose as markets parsed signals that the United States may be preparing to step back from its campaign in Iran. Oil retreated below $100 a barrel, easing from the spike seen after the conflict began, while gold extended gains and select corporate earnings and energy deal talk drew investor attention. The trading day reflected a m…
Euro zone manufacturing registered its most robust monthly expansion in almost four years in March, according to the S&P Global PMI, as delivery delays linked to Middle East hostilities inflated headline growth. Despite gains in production and a stabilisation of export orders, demand indicators remain subdued and input cost inflation has jumped to …
An ECB policymaker warned that the euro zone economy may already be following the central bank’s outlined 'adverse' path, with energy-driven inflation potentially becoming entrenched faster than during the 2022 spike. Officials will monitor incoming data ahead of the April 30 meeting, but if high energy costs spread through the broader economy and …
Global markets rallied as comments from U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting a possible end to U.S. military strikes on Iran within two to three weeks boosted risk sentiment. Asia-Pacific equities led gains, with MSCI's index outside Japan jumping 4.3% and South Korea's Kospi surging as much as 7.7% after strong export and manufacturing data. Inv…
A private survey found that new-home prices across 100 Chinese cities rose modestly in March, reversing a small downturn in February. The China Index Academy attributed the uptick to a seasonal pickup in demand in major cities and increased supply of higher-quality projects in core urban markets. Observers warn that weak employment, high inventory …
A private-sector PMI compiled by S&P Global found China's factory sector expanded for a fourth month in March, with continued gains in output and new orders. The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI slipped to 50.8 from 52.1 in February, and firms reported sharply higher input costs and output prices amid supply strains tied to the Middle East…
Arab officials say the United Arab Emirates is preparing to support U.S. and allied efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force and is seeking a U.N. Security Council resolution to authorize such an operation. Emirati diplomats are reported to be urging American, European and Asian partners to form a coalition to restore passage as Tehran has e…
South Korea's manufacturing sector recorded its most robust expansion since February 2022 in March, driven by semiconductor demand and new product releases, the S&P Global purchasing managers index showed. While domestic momentum and product cycles supported output gains, export orders slowed as the Middle East war weighed on overseas demand. Input…
The International Monetary Fund has reached staff-level loan accords that would allow Papua New Guinea to access roughly $216 million once the arrangements receive approval. The package spans reviews under the extended credit facility, the extended fund facility and the resilience and sustainability facility, and follows an IMF mission to Port More…
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission will prioritize enforcement against potential insider trading in prediction markets and manipulative conduct in energy markets, the agency's new enforcement director said in his first public remarks since taking the post. The CFTC will also concentrate on spoofing and willful violations of anti-money-la…
The Low Pay Commission has proposed that Britain’s national minimum wage may need to increase by about 3.7% in 2027 to keep pace with expected average earnings growth, projecting a central rate of 13.18 pounds an hour while opening an annual consultation with employers, unions and the public. The projection is provisional and the commission said th…
The Department of Homeland Security has put on hold plans to repurpose large warehouses for immigrant detention while newly appointed Secretary Markwayne Mullin reviews a controversial program initiated under Kristi Noem. Documents show the prior plan called for $38.3 billion in spending by year-end to establish detention centers to hold and proces…
President Trump told reporters that U.S. military forces will withdraw from Iran within two to three weeks, saying the objective of eliminating the country's nuclear threat has been met. He confirmed ongoing operations, including strikes on missile-making facilities, and said the United States does not require a separate agreement with Iran to depa…
Global equity markets finished the first quarter with a dramatic rally as signs of potential easing in the Middle East conflict drove risk appetite. The upside came despite fresh data showing a fall in U.S. job openings and hiring. Energy markets, megacap performance and pronounced volatility marked a quarter with wide swings across regions and ass…
Brazil's central bank significantly increased its allocation to gold in 2025, raising the metal's share of foreign exchange reserves to 7.19% from 3.55% a year earlier. The dollar's share dropped to a record low of 72.00%. Total reserves reached $358.23 billion at year-end, with returns up 9.18% driven mainly by interest income and currency movemen…
Google and independent cybersecurity firms said hackers linked to North Korea inserted malware into an update for Axios, an open-source software library used widely to connect web services and apps. The injected code, since removed, could have captured credentials and other data and was built to run on macOS, Windows and Linux. Google attributes th…
OpenAI closed a $122 billion funding round that values the company at $852 billion post-money. The financing was anchored by Amazon, NVIDIA and SoftBank, with Microsoft maintaining involvement. The company also expanded its credit facility, drew new infrastructure and chip partnerships, reported robust user and revenue metrics, and said it is assem…
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said U.S. military forces are prepared to counter and curtail attacks by Iran after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced plans to target American companies in the region beginning April 1. The official pointed to a roughly 90% reduction in ballistic missile and drone strikes by …
A U.S. district judge on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction blocking construction of a $400 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the site of the White House’s demolished East Wing. The injunction, granted to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, halts the project while the group’s lawsuit — which argues the demolition and new constr…
Colombia's finance minister announced the government's withdrawal from the central bank board meeting, citing a need for policy decisions to align with the country's economic and social realities. The move follows a majority proposal on the board to raise the policy rate by 100 basis points and comes amid above-target inflation, a large minimum wag…
Monzo announced it will withdraw from the United States to concentrate on scaling operations in the United Kingdom and across Europe. The company highlighted its 15 million UK customer base and the prospects opened by a European banking licence. Reports indicate it will halt new U.S. customer sign-ups, lay off about 50 staff and allow existing U.S.…
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday that he has received direct messages from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, but emphasized these contacts do not amount to negotiations. According to Qatar's Al Jazeera TV, Araqchi described those communications as comprising threats or exchanged views passed via intermediaries he labeled "frie…
