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
The Reserve Bank of Australia increased its cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1% in a split 5-4 decision, citing persistent inflation and upside risks linked to the intensifying Middle East conflict and elevated oil prices. The move marks a second consecutive monthly rise and reverses two of last year's rate cuts as markets reassess the path for fu…
The Reserve Bank of Australia increased its main cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.10% at its March meeting, marking a second consecutive rise and undoing two of three cuts made last year. The decision was narrowly split, with five board members voting for the increase and four against, the tightest recorded since the bank began publishing vote tal…
The Reserve Bank of Australia increased its cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1%, pointing to a late-2025 resurgence in consumer inflation, tighter-than-expected domestic capacity and a tight labour market. Officials also flagged heightened uncertainty from the Middle East conflict and its potential to push energy prices and inflation higher.
Currency markets showed limited directional movement as traders digested developments in the Iran war and braced for a likely Reserve Bank of Australia rate increase. The euro and sterling eased modestly, the dollar index was largely unchanged, and commodity-linked currencies including the Australian and New Zealand dollars fell. The Japanese yen w…
Early Asian trading saw a modest advance as investors navigated a heavy central bank schedule and uncertainty from the U.S.-Iran war. Regional equities led gains while oil prices and safe-haven assets reacted to heightened geopolitical strain. Central banks - beginning with the Reserve Bank of Australia - are set to weigh the economic fallout from …
A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday largely sustained a lower court injunction that prevented the White House from imposing a broad freeze on federal financial assistance. The court found the Office of Management and Budget ordered agencies to halt payments without assessing recipients' reliance interests, while n…
Stocks climbed broadly on Monday with technology shares leading gains after volatile crude prices settled lower. The dollar weakened and U.S. Treasury yields dropped as traders reverted to pricing a Fed rate cut by year-end. Geopolitical friction in the Middle East and uncertainty over allied support for reopening the Strait of Hormuz remain key ma…
An Apollo Global Management executive told a UBS audience that private equity firms have likely overstated the value of software companies they bought, and that private credit lenders tied to those deals could face sizable losses as public tech shares fall and AI advances reshape demand. Apollo has said software represents under 2% of its assets un…
President Donald Trump said the United States retained the option to strike oil infrastructure on Iran's Kharg Island after ordering attacks on military targets there. He said US forces left the island's oil facilities intact for now - referring to them as "the pipes" - but warned that could change if Iran interferes with maritime traffic through t…
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is evaluating support measures to help firms in its jurisdictions cope with disruptions from the Iran war, including higher energy prices, limited fertiliser access and travel interruptions that threaten tourism revenues and financial flows, EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said.
The Justice Department has asked U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to revisit his recent order that effectively halted a criminal inquiry into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The subpoenas, issued in January, sought records on renovation cost overruns at the Fed's headquarters and Powell's testimony to Congress. The judge had concluded prosec…
President Donald Trump told attendees at a lunch at the Trump Kennedy Center that he believes Iran wants to reach a deal to end the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Tehran, while stressing uncertainty over who currently speaks for the country and whether Iran is ready to close a deal. He said Iranian representatives are engaged in talks with U.S. officia…
Global markets are reacting to a new Middle East conflict with echoes of the Russia-Ukraine crisis in 2022. Energy prices and the dollar have moved sharply, yet safer assets and volatility measures are not uniformly mirroring the earlier episode. Analysts say underlying inflationary pressures persist, but near-term inflationary spikes have yet to m…
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at a White House event that French President Emmanuel Macron is willing to assist in efforts to unblock the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said he spoke with Macron on Sunday and indicated that a list of countries joining the initiative will be announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also expressed surpri…
Bond investors have adopted a conservative stance since the onset of the Iran war, shifting into short-dated U.S. Treasuries and avoiding longer maturities as they await the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decision. While many anticipate the conflict will be contained and limit inflationary pressure from higher oil prices, market positioning and …
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York's latest Credit Access report shows applications for new credit in February climbed to their highest point since October 2022, driven largely by requests for higher credit card limits. Rejection rates fell to 15.9%, the lowest since June 2021, even as lenders closed accounts at a record pace over the past year. …
President Donald Trump announced that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. In a Truth Social post he said she will start treatment immediately, that her prognosis is excellent, and that she will continue to spend virtually full time at the White House during treatment.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused U.S. President Donald Trump of undermining the international order through a unilateral war with Iran, warning of domestic social consequences and outlining broader disputes with Washington over NATO spending, access to military bases, and regulation of American tech platforms.
U.S. homebuilder sentiment rose slightly in March, with the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index gaining one point to 38. Despite the small improvement, builders remain below the 50 break-even mark for the 23rd consecutive month and continue to grapple with elevated construction costs, labor shortages and incentives to move inventory.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated the meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for later this month may be pushed back because of logistical constraints and the president's intention to remain in Washington to coordinate the war effort. Bessent emphasized that any postponement would not be tied to the pres…
Two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers, the Shivalik and the Nanda Devi, passed through the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday without escort and are en route to India. According to Rajesh Kumar Sinha, the Shivalik is due to arrive on the Indian coast on Monday and the Nanda Devi early on Tuesday. The transit follows a recent phon…
Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang said that China and the United States reached a preliminary consensus during trade talks held in Paris. The discussions covered bilateral trade and economic issues, with China registering objections to U.S. restrictive measures and Section 301 investigations. Both sides agreed that stable trade relations serve …
Canada's headline Consumer Price Index slowed to 1.8% year-over-year in February, down from 2.3% in January. Statistics Canada attributed much of the decline to a base-year effect stemming from the expiration of a GST/HST tax break. Declines in gasoline and natural gas indexes and softer service-sector readings - notably restaurant prices - also we…
British goods exports to the United States fell 15.5% in January to £4.2 billion, marking a third monthly decline and reflecting a £400 million fall in machinery and transport equipment exports, notably cars. Annual exports to the US declined 10.3% to £59.2 billion for the year to December 31, 2025. Trade tensions and imminent US tariff plans are w…
Bank of America has trimmed its forecast for the Banco Central do Brasil’s initial policy easing this week from a 50 basis point cut to 25 basis points, attributing the change to a recent sharp escalation in geopolitical tensions. The bank says the central bank’s January guidance that policy could begin to be loosened still stands, but warns that s…
