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
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack said on June 30 that she could support additional interest-rate increases if elevated inflation does not ease. Speaking on CNBC, Hammack emphasized that inflation has been too high for five years and said she remains open-minded heading into each Federal Open Market Committee meeting. The com…
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack said Tuesday she remains prepared to support higher interest rates if elevated inflation persists. Speaking to CNBC, Hammack described core inflation and services inflation as particular concerns, noted upward pressure from investment in artificial intelligence, and said the labor market and …
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey told CNBC in Sintra that the central bank is not in a hurry to counter recent increases in oil prices. He said inflation is projected to rise to about 3.2% later this year but remains on course to return to the 2% target, albeit later than desired. Bailey pointed to tightening already present in the bond yield…
Australian home values fell 0.4% in June compared with May, the sharpest single-month drop since December 2022, according to Cotality. The decline reflects weaker buyer demand driven by higher borrowing costs and recent property tax measures, though national prices are still 7.3% higher over the past year.
U.S. Treasury yields rose on Tuesday after the Labor Department reported a slight increase in job openings for May, though the 10-year Treasury remained positioned to halt a three-month advance. The JOLTS report showed job openings climbed by 9,000 to 7.594 million, surpassing the consensus forecast of 7.30 million. Yields briefly extended gains on…
US consumer confidence recorded a modest rise in June, climbing 0.6 point to 91.2, as falling gasoline costs helped alleviate inflation worries. The Conference Board reported that while the component tracking present business conditions fell, the expectations gauge for the next six months registered gains. Labor-market sentiment showed signs of sof…
Global equity markets have recorded a net gain of roughly $7 trillion in the first half of the year despite a severe March sell-off tied to the Iran war. A powerful rally in AI-related assets, outsized gains in select Asian markets and extreme currency moves - especially in the yen - have created a volatile environment for investors as yields, comm…
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin reached agreement on a $125.8 billion city budget for fiscal year 2027 as the June 30 fiscal year end approached. The package includes new and baselined rental-assistance funding, an expansion of the Fair Fares transit subsidy, restored cultural and parks funding, college savin…
Job openings in the United States increased modestly in May to 7.594 million, while hiring fell, suggesting the labor market remained range-bound despite three months of solid payroll gains. Revisions showed April openings were slightly lower than previously reported. Layoffs ticked up and markets continue to anticipate further Federal Reserve rate…
National home values in Australia fell 0.4% in June from May, marking the largest monthly decline since December 2022, according to Cotality. Prices remain higher year-to-date but revisions show a March peak and a second-quarter fall. Mortgage enquiries, auction clearances and sales volumes all point to a slower market, while the Reserve Bank of Au…
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has withdrawn federal certification and funding for New York’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, citing the state’s lower rate of criminal prosecutions compared with other large states. HHS acknowledged civil case results and some improvement in criminal activity this year, but said those gains were insuf…
Preliminary June inflation readings in several of the euro area's largest economies came in below expectations, weakening the immediate case for further European Central Bank rate increases. Germany, France and Italy recorded slower inflation than in May and below consensus forecasts, while Spain held steady. A recent fall in energy prices has also…
BCA Research says geopolitical risk is likely to shift from the Middle East to the Russia-Ukraine theater in the third quarter, arguing that markets are underpricing the chance of a meaningful escalation. The firm highlights mounting strains on Russia’s war effort, possible political pressure for a ceasefire, and a range of escalation scenarios tha…
Statistics Canada reported a 0.5% month-on-month rise in real GDP for April, the largest monthly gain in nine months and above economist forecasts. The increase follows a small contraction in March and comes amid continued uncertainty tied to U.S. tariffs and an impending review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
Canada's real GDP rose 0.5% in April, outpacing consensus forecasts and reversing a March contraction. Growth was broad-based, with 14 of 20 industrial sectors expanding. Goods-producing industries led the recovery, supported by a strong rebound in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction. Early May estimates suggest continued momentum into th…
The BlackRock Investment Institute has reduced its bullish posture on emerging market equities and hard-currency sovereign debt to neutral, while upgrading euro zone government bonds to an overweight stance. The mid-year outlook highlights selective opportunities tied to AI-driven infrastructure demand in Latin America and a preference for emerging…
Staff reviewers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded that the available evidence does not support permitting compounding pharmacies to manufacture seven widely discussed peptides, according to documents released Monday. The observations come ahead of a July 23-24 meeting of the FDA's Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee, which will…
Brazil’s gross public debt climbed to 94.3% of GDP in May from 92.9% in April, central bank figures published Tuesday show. The increase, measured using the IMF method, reflected a sharp rise in interest payments and a larger-than-expected primary deficit, keeping borrowing costs elevated and investor risk premia high.
Statistics Canada reported a 0.5% month-on-month increase in real gross domestic product for April, the largest monthly rise in nine months. Growth was widespread, with 14 of 20 industrial sectors expanding. The goods-producing sector led the recovery, while services continued to grow more modestly. Advance estimates point to a 0.1% gain for May.
Sarah Breeden, the Bank of England's deputy governor for financial stability, said at the European Central Bank Forum that the growing capabilities of autonomous AI agents expose shortcomings in current regulatory frameworks. She argued that relying on a human to monitor every agent action is unlikely to be realistic and indicated a need for more s…
Wolfe Research warns that sharply higher prices for memory chips, driven by expanded AI infrastructure spending, have meaningfully increased U.S. core inflation readings and that further inflationary pressure could materialize as costs move through consumer electronics pricing. The firm also notes an upcoming BEA methodology change that would modes…
Bangladesh Bank left its policy rate unchanged at 10%, maintaining a contractionary stance to bring down headline inflation. The authority warned that conflict in the Middle East could push up imported inflation via disruptions to oil and fertilizer supplies. While the economy shows tentative improvement, persistent non-performing loans, subdued pr…
Israel's Finance Ministry unveiled a 1.6 billion shekel ($537 million) support package aimed at technology firms and exporting businesses following a sharp rise in the shekel that has strained those sectors. The plan allocates 1 billion shekels to a fast-track program for early- and growth-stage tech companies, with remaining funds directed at comp…
Preliminary data from Germany's national statistics office show headline inflation cooled to 2.4% in June from 2.7% in May, slightly below forecasts. Core inflation, which strips out volatile items like food and energy, held steady at 2.5%. The German release arrives ahead of a euro zone inflation print expected to show a decline to 3.0%, and follo…
Brazil’s central bank reported that gross public debt rose to 81.1% of GDP in May, above April’s 80.2% and modestly higher than market forecasts. The public sector logged a primary deficit of 56.131 billion reais and an overall budget deficit of 163.679 billion reais for the month. Public sector net debt was recorded at 67.9% of GDP, slightly below…
