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.
7,197 total articles
A coalition of historic preservation and architectural organizations filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the Kennedy Center’s board, arguing that a sweeping renovation of the Washington performing arts complex proceeded without congressional authorization and avoided mandatory federal review processes. The suit contends the p…
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said additional withdrawals from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) remain an option to stabilize markets amid the war with Iran, but described such a move as "highly unlikely." The administration recently carried out a coordinated 172 million barrel exchange with International Energy Agency partners and is exp…
The Kremlin said it is closely tracking a range of conflicting statements about developments in Iran and expressed a desire for the situation to be resolved peacefully and quickly. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted officials have observed many differing accounts, some of which contradict one another. The remarks coincided with U.S. President Do…
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran said it is too soon to determine how the recent spike in oil prices will affect the U.S. economy over the 12-month horizon that matters for monetary policy. He maintained his stance that softer job market conditions justify additional rate cuts, noting he dissented at the Fed's recent meeting and now expects f…
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran said policymakers should refrain from altering monetary policy in response to near-term disruptions tied to the conflict involving the US and Israel in Iran. While acknowledging that higher oil prices raise inflationary risks and weigh on growth and the labor market, Miran said his pre-conflict forecast of fou…
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee warned that the central bank's next steps on interest rates could go in either direction depending on how the war in the Middle East influences inflation and the broader economy. He said the Fed might resume multiple rate cuts this year if inflation moderates, but also signaled the possibili…
Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said inflation currently represents the greater risk to the U.S. economy as unemployment holds relatively steady. He warned that rising gasoline prices risk embedding higher inflation expectations and described the current moment as intense. Goolsbee added that a swift end to the Iran conflict could still creat…
Senior officials from Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan conveyed messages between the United States and Iran over a two-day period, sources cited by Axios reporter Barak Ravid on X said. Separate meetings involved White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. President Donald Trump announced he had ordered a delay in planned…
European natural gas futures declined sharply on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had ordered a five-day postponement of strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure following what he described as "productive" talks. The benchmark Dutch front-month contract at the TTF hub fell by as much as 5.52 euros, according to Inte…
Iranian officials told state-linked news agencies that the Strait of Hormuz will not revert to pre-conflict conditions and that energy markets will continue to be unsettled. The reports also say there are no ongoing negotiations with the United States, and include claims that U.S. President Donald Trump stepped back from striking Iranian infrastruc…
Bank of America raised its forecasts for China’s 2026 inflation, increasing its consumer price index estimate to 0.7% (from 0.1%) and its producer price index estimate to 0.3% (from -0.7%). The revision reflects a cyclical pickup in domestic demand seen in January and February, higher projected energy costs amid the Iran conflict, and stronger meta…
U.S. President Donald Trump said he instructed the Department of War to delay planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days, citing productive discussions between the two countries. The announcement corresponded with a 2.25% rise in the S&P 500 and an 11% drop in crude oil. Iran later denied direct talks. Tensions …
Yardeni Research laid out three possible economic paths that it says could either align or divide Federal Reserve policymakers as leadership changes loom. The firm framed outcomes around incoming nominee Kevin Warsh and current Chair Jerome Powell, linking the Fed's cohesion to the duration and economic fallout of the U.S.-Iran conflict and the unr…
The European Banking Authority reported that French banks held approximately c60.8 billion in direct exposures to counterparties in the Middle East at the end of last year, representing almost half of the c132.1 billion total across 29 European countries. While the EBA said this amount is small relative to total banking assets, it cautioned that …
The United Arab Emirates has restarted operations at its largest natural gas processing facility following an attack last week that had forced a shutdown, according to a Bloomberg report. While the gas plant is back online, the nation's only active liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility on Das Island continues to run at very low rates because exports…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the lower house of parliament that India’s economic fundamentals are intact and that the country has adequate stocks of petroleum, fertilizers and coal to manage disruptions stemming from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Modi cited current strategic petroleum reserves and ongoing work to expand them, outlined arrangem…
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink cautioned that the surge in artificial intelligence risks concentrating wealth among companies and investors who already own financial assets, unless more people are able to invest and share in market gains. In his annual letter to investors, Fink highlighted AI's potential to create significant economic value while disrupt…
Investors enter the week closely monitoring the Iran conflict, where continued hostilities and a de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz are weighing on oil markets and broader asset prices. A U.S. flash purchasing managers index reading, Carnival Corp.'s quarterly report and GameStop's earnings will offer early signals of how the conflict and ris…
An ECB policymaker cautioned that the bank stands ready to raise policy settings if a projected surge in energy-related inflation becomes entrenched. While rates were left unchanged last week, the central bank flagged geopolitical risks tied to a U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that could push prices above the 2% goal, weigh on growth and unsettle supply …
Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters there is no assessment indicating mainland Britain is being targeted by Iran, following reports that Iran fired two ballistic missiles at the U.S.-U.K. base on Diego Garcia. He emphasised routine security assessments, the need to protect British interests, careful evaluation before any action on the Strait…
European Central Bank policymaker Peter Kazimir said the ECB will not hesitate to tighten monetary policy if an energy-driven rise in inflation appears likely to remain elevated for a prolonged period. Kazimir acknowledged limited influence over an imminent inflation spike but stressed the bank's readiness to act decisively should upward price and …
Global markets moved cautiously as the conflict involving Iran extended into a fourth week. U.S. stock futures fell, oil prices rose further, and investors sought the dollar as a safe haven. President Trump issued an ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Monday night, a demand Tehran rejected. The International Energy Agency warned th…
European stocks tumbled to their lowest level in four months on March 23 as a spike in crude prices and intensifying Middle East conflict drove broad selling. The pan-European STOXX 600 slipped 1.6% to 564.13 points by 0808 GMT, with all sectors in negative territory and industrials the largest detractor. Investors are pricing in renewed inflationa…
Goldman Sachs has revised its euro-area forecast in response to elevated energy-price assumptions resulting from disruptions in the Middle East. The bank now expects the European Central Bank to deliver two 25 basis-point rate hikes in April and June, lifting the deposit rate to 2.5%, while downgrading growth and raising both headline and core infl…
Preliminary results from Japan's annual spring wage negotiations indicate an average pay increase of 5.26% this year, according to Rengo, the country’s largest labour union confederation. The outcome would mark a third straight year of wage growth above 5%, with major companies reported to have met union demands in full. Policymakers and markets ar…
