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.
5,089 total articles
The federal government plans to ease emissions restrictions for coal-burning power plants, a policy shift that would allow increased releases of hazardous pollutants including mercury. Senior Environmental Protection Agency officials are expected to unveil the adjustment during a visit to Louisville, Kentucky, with agency documents saying the step …
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's January 27-28 meeting report that the Trump administration's plan to buy mortgage-backed securities has pushed down MBS yields relative to Treasuries, but that decline is unlikely to trigger substantial refinancing because prevailing mortgage rates remain above the weighted average of existing loans. Fed officials…
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he will seek "strategic partnerships" with China on a trip next week, framing economic and foreign policy as inseparable and rejecting the U.S. tariff strategy as Germany charts a dual approach of outreach and European unity to defend its interests if needed. Merz spoke at his party's Ash Wednesday event in Pas…
Copper rebounded on Wednesday after a recent trough, supported by investors buying the dip and a rebound in technology shares. The metal climbed over 2% on the London Metal Exchange as inventories continued to rise, with flows into U.S. sheds and ports contributing to growing stocks and a cash discount to forward prices.
European Central Bank Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel has declared she intends to remain in office until the scheduled end of her eight-year term in late 2027, responding to wider speculation about changes at the bank's top. Her statement comes as reports suggest President Christine Lagarde may leave before her term ends in October 2027, and…
Leslie Wexner told a U.S. House panel that he visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private island once with family members 'for a few hours' while they were in the area on their boat. In testimony to congressional investigators, the 88-year-old former L Brands chief said he did not know about Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation and denied any participation or…
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's January policy meeting revealed that nearly all participants supported the committee's choice to keep the target interest rate unchanged. The FOMC left the federal funds rate at 3.50%-3.75% after three consecutive 25 basis point reductions, and recent economic data - including a strong nonfarm payrolls report and …
U.S. consideration of a new arms-sales package for Taiwan has been postponed after Chinese President Xi Jinping urged caution during a Feb. 4 phone call with President Trump. The pause reflects internal division among Trump advisers and concern about the timing of any approval as the president prepares for a trip to Beijing in the first week of Apr…
CIBC economist Avery Shenfeld contends that Canadian exports are likely to remain duty-free even as Washington intensifies trade rhetoric. The bank’s outlook rests on legal safeguards in the USMCA and market signals that do not reflect an imminent broad tariff escalation. Still, Shenfeld cautions that ongoing threats to the agreement are eroding cr…
A new survey by the American Chamber of Commerce and Bain & Company finds a steep fall in US investor optimism toward France, with only 17% expecting improvement over the next two to three years and a majority reporting deterioration over the past year. The findings reflect growing economic policy uncertainty following snap legislative elections an…
U.S. factory production rebounded in January, rising 0.6% — the largest monthly gain since February 2025 — with gains recorded across durable and nondurable goods. Overall industrial output increased 0.7% as utilities and manufacturing led the advance, while mining declined. Capacity utilization and the manufacturing operating rate both inched high…
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council and a senior economic adviser to President Donald Trump, sharply criticized a New York Federal Reserve research paper that concluded Americans primarily bear the costs of tariffs. Hassett called the study an "embarrassment," labeled it the "worst paper" he had seen in the Fed's hi…
Reports that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde may leave before her term ends have intensified attention on who could replace her, but markets have so far largely shrugged off the news. Investors continue to expect policy to remain on hold at 2% for the foreseeable future, while analysts say most likely successors would pursue simil…
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett sharply rebuked a New York Federal Reserve study on the incidence of U.S. tariffs, calling the research 'an embarrassment' and urging disciplinary action for its authors. The study had found that U.S. companies and consumers bore a substantial share of the economic burden from tariffs. Hassett delive…
A YouGov survey conducted with BVNK, Coinbase and Artemis finds Nigeria and South Africa leading growth in stablecoin holdings and optimism, with users seeking wider acceptance and integration into existing financial tools. Stablecoins remain primarily used for crypto trading, while central banks worry about dollarisation and capital flight.
European political leaders are expected to negotiate a package for the next set of European Central Bank appointments if Christine Lagarde leaves before her term ends, with former central bank chiefs Klaas Knot and Pablo Hernández de Cos emerging as principal contenders for senior roles. The potential arrangement would likely allocate top positions…
Sweden's inflation is expected to fall significantly in the year ahead, driven in part by a temporary reduction in the value-added tax on food and signs of weaker inflationary pressures even when that measure is excluded, First Deputy Governor Aino Bunge said. While some cyclical indicators are mixed, the central bank finds overall real-economy dev…
UK consumer price inflation eased to 3.0% from 3.4%, driven by seasonal factors such as lower air fares, reduced fuel costs and base effects from prior tax changes. Economists describe the print as mixed: goods and food inflation are easing, while services inflation remains relatively stubborn. Most forecasters still expect central bank rate cuts b…
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's January 16-17 policy meeting, to be published Wednesday at 2 p.m. EST, are expected to shed light on why officials chose to keep the target federal funds rate at 3.5% to 3.75% and what evidence would be required to justify further reductions. The record will likely illuminate how policymakers are balancing a job m…
U.S. stock futures climbed Wednesday as technology shares rebounded and investors prepared for release of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January policy meeting. Strong premarket moves in megacap names, a multi-year Nvidia agreement with Meta, and mixed corporate results shaped trading, while markets remained alert to inflation data and evolving…
U.S. stock futures rose modestly as investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s January meeting minutes and digested corporate results. Technology names provided mixed signals, with gains in some mega-caps offset by weakness elsewhere and fresh concerns about the payback from large AI investments. Oil ticked higher on reports of progress in U.S.-Iran t…
At her first Reserve Bank of New Zealand policy meeting, Governor Anna Breman opted for continuity in monetary policy, holding the official cash rate steady and signalling no plans to raise rates absent stronger inflation and economic momentum. Her opening press conference emphasised clearer messaging and featured a longer slide-led presentation, w…
Geopolitical diplomacy in Geneva, mixed signals from the technology sector and fresh inflation-related data are keeping markets subdued as many Asian bourses observe Lunar New Year holidays. Tokyo-focused tech optimism lifted Japan’s Nikkei, while central bank commentary and upcoming data releases, including Fed minutes, UK and French CPI reports, …
Asian share markets moved higher on Wednesday even as investor anxiety over artificial intelligence persisted. Oil prices recovered modestly after Tehran and Washington reported progress in nuclear discussions, while safe-haven assets and government bond yields saw modest shifts. The New Zealand dollar weakened following the Reserve Bank of New Zea…
Asian equities opened higher on Wednesday even as lingering uncertainty about the economic impact of artificial intelligence continued to unsettle investors. Oil prices eased after Iran and the United States reported progress on guiding principles in nuclear negotiations, reducing near-term risk of supply disruption. Currency moves reflected centra…
