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.
5,054 total articles
The Philippine economy expanded 3% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2025, underperforming a median 4% forecast and slowing from a downwardly revised 3.9% growth in the prior quarter. Full-year GDP rose 4.4%, missing the government’s 5.5% to 6.5% target. A corruption scandal that curbed public infrastructure spending last year contributed to th…
Asian stock rallies cooled as mixed technology results and anticipation of Apple earnings prompted caution. The Federal Reserve held rates steady and signaled economic improvement, while the dollar softened amid policy uncertainty. Safe-haven metals climbed to record highs and oil pushed to four-month highs on geopolitical risk concerns.
The U.S. dollar remained under pressure as market participants digested mixed signals from monetary authorities, Washington and European officials after a steep selloff earlier in the week. Investors interpreted a more sanguine Federal Reserve commentary on labor and inflation risks as suggesting interest rates may stay on hold, while supportive re…
The Monetary Authority of Singapore left its exchange rate-based monetary stance unchanged, maintaining the current rate of appreciation and the settings of the policy band. MAS warned that upside risks to growth and inflation persist, noting that sustained stronger-than-expected GDP expansion could lift wages and consumer sentiment and intensify d…
Zoopla reports that Britain’s housing market has started to pick up since the November budget lull, with early-2026 buyer demand close to early-2024 levels but about 9% lower than early 2025. Mortgage rates for a five-year fix at 75% loan-to-value are at their lowest since 2022, and house prices have risen 1.2% over the past year. Other indicators,…
Germany’s combined federal and state tax revenues reached 901.8 billion euros in 2025, a 4.7% increase from 2024, but fell short of the council of tax experts’ projection of 903.7 billion euros (a 5.0% rise). December receipts rose 2.0% year-on-year to 115.5 billion euros. The government has lowered growth forecasts for this year and next, citing h…
Brazil's central bank left the Selic rate at 15% and indicated the first reduction in borrowing costs will likely begin at its March policy meeting. Policymakers emphasized a cautious, data-dependent approach to the timing, pace and size of cuts even as inflation cools and activity moderates, with the bank maintaining its inflation projection for t…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell used a 45-minute news conference to explain the decision to keep short-term interest rates unchanged, saying upside inflation risks and downside employment risks have diminished but still exist. He described an improved growth outlook supported by consumer spending and AI-related investment, characterized the lab…
Spot gold climbed above $5,400 an ounce, extending a record-setting rally as investors sought refuge from intensifying geopolitical strains and shifting expectations on U.S. monetary policy. Metals across the board posted gains or held near highs, while traders adjusted bets on the timing of Federal Reserve rate cuts following a decision to keep ra…
The Federal Reserve left its policy rate unchanged on Wednesday, a move widely anticipated by markets. Chair Jerome Powell indicated the central bank is prepared to maintain a hold on policy following 75 basis points of cuts at the end of last year. Powell declined to comment on a White House inquiry into a Fed office renovation, referring reporter…
The S&P 500 rose above 7,000 for the first time even as the Federal Reserve held rates steady and cautioned that inflation risks remain elevated. A stronger dollar, volatile FX swings, mixed tech results in after-hours trade and rising Treasury yields all contributed to a jittery trading session. Market participants continue to weigh the odds of fu…
A bipartisan group of New York and New Jersey Democrats told President Donald Trump that failure to reinstate federal support for a $16 billion tunnel project linking New Jersey and Manhattan risks severe disruption to regional transit, large job losses and broader economic harm. The U.S. Transportation Department has withheld funds while alleging …
Norway’s $2.2 trillion sovereign wealth fund increased its holdings of U.S. Treasuries in the second half of 2025, raising the value to $199 billion, or 9.4% of total assets, as of Dec. 31. The fund’s overall allocation to U.S. assets climbed to 52.9% at year-end, even as some large Northern European investors have signaled wariness about U.S. asse…
A proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to cap credit-card interest rates at 10% for one year, if put into effect, could substantially reduce profits for banks and in turn diminish the value and cash generation of airline loyalty programmes, advisers and industry officials said at an aviation finance conference in Dublin. The idea's implementatio…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday cautioned that while the present level of U.S. federal debt can be sustained, the ongoing trajectory of debt growth is unsustainable and requires timely policy attention. He emphasized concerns about large deficits occurring amid near-full employment and discussed how longer-term interest rates are i…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell declined on Wednesday to answer questions about whether he will continue as Fed chair after his term ends in May and refused to provide information about Department of Justice subpoenas tied to renovation work at the central bank. Powell also would not expand on a January 11 statement and reiterated the Fed's lon…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said he attended recent Supreme Court arguments tied to President Trump's effort to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook because of the case's exceptional significance to the U.S. central bank. Powell described the matter as possibly the most important legal case in the Fed's 113-year history and noted that previous cha…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell confirmed he attended Supreme Court arguments about President Trump’s attempt to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook, calling the case "perhaps the most important legal case in the Fed’s 113-year history." At a news conference, Powell cited precedent for attending and emphasized his continued objectivity. On economic d…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said December inflation likely remained above the Fed's 2% target, with the core personal consumption expenditures index estimated at 3%. He attributed most of the excess inflation to goods prices affected by tariffs, while services inflation continues to ease. The Fed left its policy rate unchanged at 3.50%-3.75…
Jersey Mike’s Subs is advancing plans for an initial public offering with Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase & Co. advising, aiming for a potential launch as early as the third quarter of 2026. The chain, which operates more than 3,000 restaurants, is reportedly seeking a valuation of at least $12 billion and expects the sale to raise in excess of $…
The White House will host a meeting on Monday bringing together senior figures from the banking and cryptocurrency sectors to explore a way forward on major crypto legislation stalled by disagreements between the two industries, according to three people familiar with the discussions. The session, organized by the White House's crypto council, will…
The Federal Reserve voted 10-2 to maintain its benchmark policy rate at 3.50%-3.75%, citing continued inflationary pressure and steady economic activity while noting signs of stabilization in the labor market. The statement gave no timetable for further reductions and reflected persistent divisions among policymakers about the pace and scale of fut…
Unions representing federal employees have filed in federal court to stop the Trump administration from ending temporary contracts and on-call reservist agreements at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a move they say will affect more than 10,000 personnel and breaches statutory protections enacted after the recent government shutdown.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he and President Donald Trump held an extended discussion about who should succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, with four candidates still under consideration. Bessent, speaking to CNBC after traveling with Trump, declined to name the finalists or to say whether he recommended a pick, and said the timin…
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said the growing threat to the independence of the U.S. Federal Reserve is contributing to heightened global economic uncertainty. Macklem made the remarks after holding Canadian interest rates steady, stressing the Fed's outsized role in global markets and warning that any loss of its autonomy would have broad …
