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.
7,116 total articles
The U.S. dollar remained steady while the Japanese yen hovered close to the psychologically important 160-per-dollar mark as traders digested a new ultimatum from U.S. President Donald Trump demanding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Thin holiday liquidity in Asia and Europe coincided with risk-off sentiment after Trump threatened targeted st…
Agilian Technology, a $30 million-a-year electronics maker based in Dongguan, weathered a tumultuous 2025 in which U.S. tariffs froze orders and pushed clients to demand production outside China. The company pursued alternative sites in Malaysia and India, but found those options slower and less complete than its China base. A combination of Beijin…
The White House submitted a fiscal 2027 budget request calling for a $500 billion increase in military spending and a 10% reduction in non-defense federal programs. The plan would raise defense outlays to $1.5 trillion, fund pay raises for service members, and back large investments in shipbuilding and missile defense while proposing steep cuts to …
Iran rejected U.S. threats to strike its infrastructure and set a new condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz: part of transit revenues must go toward compensating Iran for war-related damages. Tehran also warned the conflict could spread to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, a chokepoint handling roughly 12% of global trade, raising fur…
Japan’s equity market is drawing renewed investor interest as corporate governance reforms, improvements in earnings quality, supportive currency dynamics and strong links to global industrial and technology cycles combine to create a more durable investment case. While risks from softer external demand and policy shifts remain, these structural sh…
Europe has established a robust research ecosystem for quantum computing, supported by academic institutions, public funding and a vibrant startup scene. Analysts at Bernstein say the region’s collaborative strengths could propel it into a major role in the technology’s commercialization, but substantial obstacles remain - notably the move from lab…
A Barclays analysis finds that surging demand for AI workloads is boosting prices for advanced memory, notably high-bandwidth memory (HBM), creating an opportunity for South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The report cautions, however, that durable gains will require both firms to pivot their product mixes toward AI-optimized memory and t…
Investors are closely watching next week’s inflation readings and the start of earnings season for signs of how the Middle East war is affecting the U.S. economy and corporate profits. Rising oil prices, concerns over supply through the Strait of Hormuz and a jump in gasoline costs have pushed inflation expectations higher and made markets cautious…
Bank of America assesses that the postponement of U.S. President Donald Trump’s state visit to China is unlikely to change the long-term direction of bilateral ties, but it may reshape immediate negotiation incentives. The visit, now expected in mid-May, is anticipated to occur after tensions tied to the Iran conflict subside, enabling both governm…
In meetings with foreign investors in London, Turkey's central bank governor and finance minister presented a measured defense of recent currency and reserve-management actions, while leaving open the possibility of raising the main policy rate at the April 22 meeting if geopolitical tensions and high energy prices continue to strain the lira.
Goldman Sachs' latest analysis concludes that disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have created pronounced strains on fuel flows — particularly in Asia — yet global oil supplies have not reached a structural shortage. Countries have relied on alternative suppliers, inventories and export curbs to avoid outright shortages, but pressures are mount…
Serbian security services discovered explosives, including live fuses, placed alongside a main natural gas pipeline near the Hungarian border and say they prevented a major act of sabotage. President Aleksandar Vucic announced the find and briefed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as both capitals launched a joint investigation. The pipeline su…
Foxconn reported a 29.7% year-on-year rise in first-quarter revenue to T2.13 trillion ($66.60 billion), driven primarily by demand for AI data-center equipment and stronger iPhone-related sales. The company said growth may continue into the second quarter but cautioned that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and related disruptions to logistic…
A Bernstein analysis argues that the Iran War is changing how policymakers and investors view energy security, highlighting uranium's logistical advantages over oil and LNG. With about 20% of global oil and LNG flows exposed to disruption at chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, the report says nuclear fuel's compactness - roughly 0.6 million p…
Egypt has intensified diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the Middle East conflict, holding high-level calls with U.S. and Iranian officials while data show the country’s non-oil private sector contracting at its steepest pace in nearly two years. Rising fuel costs and a stronger U.S. dollar have driven a sharp increase in input prices, and business …
A sudden change at the Department of Justice after the president announced Attorney General Pam Bondi's departure has created a confirmation pathway that could allow individual Senate Republicans to influence whether the investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell proceeds, according to a public policy note from Barclays. With Deputy Att…
Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector recorded its first contraction in nearly six years in March, driven by a sharp fall in new orders and a collapse in export activity linked to an ongoing regional maritime blockade. The Riyad Bank PMI tumbled to 48.8 from 56.1 in February, while the 12-month business outlook slid to its weakest since June 2020. …
A Deutsche Bank research note argues that a major global energy price shock presents a "non-linear" threat to the United Kingdom, increasing the chances of a rapid economic contraction. The bank has cut its UK GDP growth forecast to between 0.7% and 0.35% and highlights the fragile starting point of the economy after a near 1 percentage point rise …
President Trump's declaration of overwhelming military control is at odds with developments on the ground after Iranian forces shot down two U.S. warplanes. The incident, coming amid a 48-hour ultimatum over the Strait of Hormuz and after five weeks of bombardment, underscores Iran's ability to wage an asymmetric, sustained campaign. Markets are re…
Planet Labs PBC will indefinitely suspend the public release of satellite imagery covering Iran and the wider Middle Eastern conflict area following a U.S. government request for commercial providers to withhold data. The policy expands a prior 14-day delay, freezes imagery back to March 9, and moves the company to a managed, case-by-case distribut…
BCA Research's latest quarterly outlook argues that the ongoing energy disruption emanating from the Middle East is becoming a more significant constraint on markets than inflation. The firm warns that current market stability rests on temporary measures and that, if supply disruptions last into mid-April, investors should expect a rapid re-pricing…
An Iranian drone strike early Sunday ignited a fire at the Kuwait Petroleum Corp. headquarters in Kuwait City, a building that also houses Kuwait's Ministry of Oil. The site was evacuated and emergency teams fought the blaze as officials assess damage. The strike follows recent aerial attacks on refineries and the nation's main international airpor…
Private comments from President Trump and recent restrictions by European governments on U.S. military access have intensified a rift over the U.S.-led campaign in Iran. The dispute is pushing debate beyond diplomacy to operational limits, with analysts warning that doubts about U.S. commitment could erode NATO’s deterrent credibility and impose la…
A Bank of America Global Research note reports oil and refined products transiting the Strait of Hormuz have plunged from about 20 million barrels per day to below 2 mb/d. BofA says sustained disruption could produce a 4 mb/d supply deficit in Q2 2026, push Brent averages higher and force demand rationing as inventories in consuming nations are dra…
Goldman Sachs assesses that China is comparatively well placed to absorb the economic effects of the recent oil shock driven by Middle East tensions. Key buffers include a lower reliance on oil and gas within primary energy use, a rising share of nuclear and renewables in electricity generation, substantial reserves of crude oil, and a widened set …
