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
Goldman Sachs has reduced its short-term price targets for Japan’s TOPIX index, pointing to heightened geopolitical tensions and the prospect of higher oil prices. The bank cut its three- and six-month targets while leaving the 12-month forecast unchanged, and lowered earnings and growth projections for Japan amid expectations that elevated energy …
A series of retaliatory drone and missile strikes across the Persian Gulf has followed U.S. action on Kharg Island, targeting major population centers and American military sites. Iran said it carried out precise strikes on U.S. refueling aircraft and bases in Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE after the U.S. struck Iranian military targets on Kharg Islan…
President Donald Trump has dismissed Iran's ceasefire proposals, saying they fall short of U.S. demands that Tehran fully abandon its nuclear program. The administration is pressing ahead with Operation Epic Fury and is prepared to escalate strikes on energy infrastructure if attacks on commercial shipping persist. The conflict has pushed the regio…
The U.S. Export-Import Bank has issued letters of interest for a combined $4.2 billion in financing to help Japanese and South Korean nuclear operators source low-enriched uranium (LEU) from California-based General Matter, a move announced at the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial in Tokyo. The package - plus parallel support for LNG and rec…
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi faces significant political and legal constraints in responding to calls for naval protection of merchant shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. LDP officials say armed dispatches face "high hurdles," with minesweeper deployments off the table until active hostilities end. To blunt an immediate energy shock, To…
A Bernstein analysis warns that the recent escalation of hostilities in the Middle East will cause a concentrated but limited decline in luxury goods sales, driven by travel disruption and reduced tourist traffic. The region now represents about 6% of total sector sales; major groups such as LVMH, Richemont and Kering have the highest exposure at r…
Kazakh voters are casting ballots in a constitutional referendum that would replace the bicameral legislature with a unicameral parliament and revive the vice-president role, a position that would automatically assume the presidency in case of an early vacancy. The measures come as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, 72, manages a succession timeline …
A UBS strategy note warns that emerging market equities have reversed recent gains as the Middle East conflict enters its third week, exposing the asset class to supply-driven energy shocks. Asia's heavy dependence on Middle Eastern fuels, thin valuation cushions and a reversal of recent trades have intensified downside risk. UBS identifies sustain…
Four of the Iranian women’s national soccer players who accepted humanitarian visas in Australia last week have chosen to return to Iran, Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said. The players' initial refusal to sing the national anthem at the Women’s Asian Cup sparked hostile coverage in Iranian state media. Tehran's subsequent statements …
A Morgan Stanley 'Tech Bytes' note highlights two linked supply risks stemming from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz: Taiwan's limited liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage - roughly an 11-day onshore buffer supplemented by vessels at sea - which creates a near-term energy vulnerability for semiconductor fabs, and a secondary shortfall in sulfur-d…
Goldman Sachs has lowered its forecast for global personal computer shipments in 2026, projecting a 10% year-on-year decline to 257 million units amid higher component costs and a flattening replacement cycle after late-2025 upgrades. The bank expects a modest 2% rebound in 2027, while forecasting rapid penetration of AI-capable machines that shoul…
Asian equity markets fell sharply as institutional analysts revised down growth and earnings projections following a larger-than-expected disruption to oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz. The MSCI All Country Asia Pacific ex Japan index dropped 2.1% and foreign investors withdrew $15 billion from emerging Asian markets, prompting emergency me…
Israel has notified the United States that its supply of ballistic missile interceptors is at a 'critically low' point as the conflict with Iran escalates, a development that is amplifying pressure on production lines for high-end defensive munitions and concentrating attention on major defense contractors. U.S. officials say the volume of Iranian …
Bernstein research finds that artificial intelligence is increasingly integrated into pharmaceutical clinical development, driving faster trial design, improved patient recruitment and streamlined regulatory work. These efficiencies could shorten drug development by roughly 18 months, reduce R&D spending by about 5% over the coming years and lift o…
Analysts at Bernstein say a spike in crude above $100 a barrel driven by the Iran war raises immediate cost pressures for airlines, chiefly through higher jet fuel and refining margins. The impact will differ by carrier business model, hedging coverage and route exposure, while aircraft manufacturers may be insulated by long order backlogs. The big…
Mediators from several Middle Eastern countries sought to open talks between Washington and Tehran aimed at initiating ceasefire negotiations, but U.S. officials rejected the outreach. Iran has said it will not agree to a truce until U.S. and Israeli strikes stop. The confrontation, which began roughly two weeks ago following major airstrikes on Ir…
Iran's foreign minister dismissed U.S. assertions that the country's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was wounded in recent strikes, saying there is no problem with his condition. The comments, made in an interview on MS Now, counter statements from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and come as Khamenei has not made public appearances since …
Bank of America has upgraded its outlook for the global memory market, saying that the ongoing conflict involving Iran is unlikely to force memory chipmakers to cut production. The bank cites several factors - inventories of critical inputs, supplier diversification toward the U.S. and Japan, and manageable energy risks - while also raising forecas…
Israeli and Lebanese officials are anticipated to meet directly in the coming days for the first talks since Lebanon became more deeply involved in the regional conflict sparked by the Iran war. Sources indicate the discussions could take place in Paris or Cyprus and will likely concentrate on ending hostilities in Lebanon and addressing Hezbollah'…
Since the onset of the Iran conflict, energy equities have diverged sharply. Companies tied to refining margins and liquefied natural gas exports have led gains, supported by higher oil and gas prices and shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. By contrast, several oilfield services and infrastructure-related firms have underperformed as…
Analysts at BCA Research say the market consequences of the Iran conflict are evolving from an early, concentrated shock into a more dispersed phase of ripple effects. What began as price moves in oil, refined fuels and natural gas tied to shipping risks through the Strait of Hormuz is spreading as logistical bottlenecks, filling storage and domest…
Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that the United States would use force, if needed, against Iranian coastal targets to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and keep global shipping lanes accessible. He stated U.S. forces will continue striking Iranian boats and coastal positions to prevent threats to the waterway and warned Tehran could seek to disr…
Brazil’s finance minister Fernando Haddad estimates first-quarter GDP growth of roughly 0.8% to 1% quarter-on-quarter, attributing the pickup to government measures that have supported credit and domestic demand. He stressed that whether annual growth exceeds 2% will depend on the future course of interest rates, as oil-price volatility tied to the…
President Donald Trump pushed back on reports that U.S. refueling tankers were destroyed at a Saudi air base, posting on Truth Social that four of five aircraft sustained virtually no damage and are already back in service, while a fifth suffered limited damage and is expected to return to operation soon. His comments criticized media headlines and…
Morgan Stanley warns that risks around the Federal Reserve's policy path favor rate reductions arriving later than currently expected and possibly at greater magnitude. The bank expects elevated core PCE readings early in the year but anticipates a slowdown in inflation from the second quarter as tariff effects and seasonal distortions diminish.
