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.
5,069 total articles
The Bank of Israel reduced its benchmark short-term rate to 3.75% from 4% on May 25, marking the third cut in six months. Policymakers pointed to a sharp appreciation of the shekel and steady inflation - 1.9% year-on-year in April, inside the 1-3% target - as justification for easing, while warning that geopolitical risks linked to the Iran conflic…
Speaking at the Vatican during the presentation of Pope Leo's first encyclical on artificial intelligence, Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah argued that responsibility for the trajectory of AI cannot rest solely with technology companies. He warned of the 'real possibility' that AI could displace workers 'at very large scale' and said supporting thos…
Kevin Warsh’s elevation to Federal Reserve chair completes President Donald Trump’s imprint on the top ranks of U.S. economic policy. That alignment alters a dynamic in which Trump previously blamed Jerome Powell for unfavorable economic signals. Warsh’s appointment brings the Fed’s near-term performance into clearer political focus as inflation, m…
According to a Goldman Sachs client note released late on Friday, hedge funds ramped up purchases of technology shares last week at the fastest clip in nearly three months. Stocks tied to artificial intelligence developments, notably semiconductor and chip makers, have largely avoided the economic drag tied to the Iran war, and funds increased long…
Futures tied to the major U.S. indices rose sharply on Monday as reports indicated that Washington and Tehran had reached an agreement in principle to end their conflict. The prospect of a deal - including the potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz - sent oil prices tumbling and lifted equities in Asia, Europe and U.S. futures. Officials from …
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a diplomatic framework that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz appears close, while also warning Washington will pursue other options if talks with Iran fail. The draft deal reportedly would extend a ceasefire, lift restrictions on Iranian oil exports and end a blockade of Iranian ports, though Tehran has yet…
Renewed prospects for a deal to end the Iran conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz encouraged investors to take on more risk, sending stocks in Tokyo and Taipei to record highs while weighing down oil and the U.S. dollar. Skepticism persists after U.S. President Donald Trump urged caution, and market liquidity is thin with public holidays in the…
Huawei Technologies has announced an ambitious roadmap for semiconductor development, aiming to achieve high-end chip designs with transistor densities equivalent to 1.4-nanometre processes by the year 2031. This target comes as the company seeks to navigate the complexities of U.S. sanctions, which have restricted China's ability to manufacture th…
A growing rift has emerged between President Donald Trump and members of his own party in Congress over a proposed $1.776 billion fund intended for individuals the president describes as victims of government weaponization. The conflict surfaced during deliberations on a $72 billion immigration enforcement spending bill, which became a primary site…
New government data released on Monday indicates that Singapore's economy experienced a robust expansion in the first quarter of 2026. The nation's gross domestic product grew by 6.0% compared to the same period last year, significantly exceeding the official advance estimate of 4.6%. This performance was also stronger than anticipated on a quarter…
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's April meeting noted software price increases contributing to higher core inflation, while Citi analysts attribute much of the divergence between core CPI and core PCE to a sharp rise in memory and computer software prices tied to AI demand. The development is seen as a sector-specific supply-demand dislocation tha…
U.S. Treasury yields have climbed sharply amid uncertainty about a negotiated end to the recent U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and persistent inflation pressures, putting pressure on the White House and Congress to respond as borrowing costs filter through the economy. Officials in Washington say the rise may be temporary, but market participants warn …
A recent global bond sell-off that accelerated two weeks ago has cooled slightly, but investors remain cautious on government debt as central banks face pressure to tighten policy amid higher oil-driven inflation. Japan has seen particularly sharp moves: the 10-year government bond yield reached levels last seen in September 1996, the 30-year yield…
After an outsized corporate reporting season that helped lift the S&P 500 to near-record levels, investors are confronting renewed inflation pressures and a rise in Treasury yields that could challenge stock valuations now that company reporting is largely complete. Key data—including the Fed-preferred PCE inflation reading—are due this week and ha…
Riot police used tear gas and forced entry into the Republican People’s Party (CHP) headquarters on Sunday to evict the leadership ousted by a court decision, witnesses said. The court has annulled the CHP's 2023 congress results and reinstated former chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu, while the ousted leadership vows legal appeals and continued occupati…
Rewe is reviewing alternatives for its Penny Market business in Italy, including a potential full withdrawal from the market where the discount chain operates nearly 500 stores and posts close to €2 billion ($2.3 billion) in annual sales. Potential suitors named include Lidl and Aldi, with observers noting such a deal would mark a departure from th…
A member of the ECB Governing Council said officials are increasingly considering a rate hike at the June meeting as energy costs climb amid the Iran conflict, leaving policymakers to choose between holding rates and tightening. Updated ECB forecasts next month will be central to the decision, while uncertainty over the geopolitical situation and r…
JATCO, a subsidiary of Nissan Motor, has abandoned a previously announced plan to manufacture integrated electric vehicle powertrains at the Sunderland facility in the United Kingdom. The decision follows softer-than-expected demand for Nissan's EVs in Europe and comes after Nissan launched a broad restructuring aimed at cutting costs and boosting …
Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun reported that during a summit in Beijing earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping told U.S. President Donald Trump that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te posed risks to regional peace and asked the U.S. not to support them. Trump replied that Takaichi did not merit such criticism. The…
A Bank of America analyst report estimates artificial intelligence could raise global GDP growth by as much as 1 percentage point annually over the next decade, lifting growth from roughly 3.5% to 4.5%. The report highlights large productivity improvements at the task level - notably in software development and writing-related work - while noting l…
U.S. and Iranian officials are reported to be nearing terms for a 60-day extension of the existing ceasefire that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels, permit Iran to resume unrestricted oil sales, and establish a framework for talks on Iran's nuclear activities. The draft would remove mines from the waterway, allow toll-free tra…
Chinese officials revised the number of fatalities from a gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province to 82, down from an earlier reported figure of at least 90. The blast, which occurred late Friday, left hundreds of workers underground at the time and has prompted the shutdown of all mines owned by the operator while investigation…
A Barclays analysis finds humanoid robots could develop into a roughly $200 billion market by 2035 as improvements in AI, robotics, and battery technology push the devices from research into commercial use. Designed to function in spaces made for people, humanoids may be deployed across factories, warehouses, healthcare settings and, over time, in …
China is preparing to launch the Shenzhou-23 mission this Sunday, an undertaking that could redefine the parameters of human presence in low Earth orbit. The mission involves transporting three astronauts to the Tiangong space station via a Long March-2F Y23 rocket. According to the China Manned Space Agency, the flight is scheduled to depart from …
The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, was the target of a significant overnight offensive by Russian forces during the early hours of Sunday. The assault, which involved both missiles and drones, resulted in at least three individuals sustaining injuries. Local authorities reported that residential structures across various districts of the city sustained d…
