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
Hong Kong's Court of Appeal on Feb 26 overturned a lower court judgment that had found Jimmy Lai guilty of a fraud offence and imposed a prison term, concluding the trial judge made an error. The decision comes after Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, was earlier sentenced to 20 years on national security-related convictions. Lai has plea…
On Feb 26 in Hong Kong, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeals of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai and another defendant, quashing their fraud convictions and setting aside previously imposed sentences. The panel of judges granted leave to appeal, and issued a press summary outlining their decision. Lai had been sentenced in December 2022 for breachi…
The Bank of Korea left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.50% after a unanimous decision by its seven-member monetary policy board. Policymakers raised the growth forecast for 2026 to 2.0% from 1.8%, citing a chip-driven export upswing, while flagging trade uncertainty and financial-stability risks as factors that support a prolonged pause …
The U.S. dollar weakened in Asian trading as stronger-than-expected guidance from Nvidia supported risk assets and investors awaited clarity on U.S. tariffs following a Supreme Court ruling. Currency moves were influenced by signals from the Bank of Japan and mixed performance across equities, bonds and cryptocurrencies.
The Bank of Korea will broaden its forward guidance by publishing a quarterly 'dot plot' that aggregates anonymous interest-rate path projections from all seven board members for the coming six months. The move, following 18 months of pilot testing, will be rolled out at the policy meeting on Thursday and then at meetings in February, May, August a…
U.S. homebuilding and related stocks fell sharply after Lowe’s and Home Depot signaled that elevated interest rates and broader economic pressures continue to restrain housing turnover and home-sales activity. The losses extended across builders, materials suppliers and housing indexes despite a modest rise in the broader market.
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda told the Yomiuri newspaper that the central bank will closely examine incoming data ahead of its March and April policy meetings to determine whether to raise interest rates. He reiterated that rate increases would continue if Japan advances toward its economic and inflation projections, and noted that stronger-tha…
NEW YORK, Feb 25 - New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit in Manhattan state court against Valve, the Bellevue, Washington-based video game developer behind franchises such as Counter-Strike, Team Fortress and Dota. The complaint alleges that Valve’s use of loot boxes constitutes a game of chance and violates New York’s constitutio…
Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic, in a farewell essay issued the day before he leaves office, warned that recent legal and political disputes are undermining confidence in the Fed's independence. He argued that an independent central bank supports lower inflation, stronger economic outcomes, and greater willingness by businesses and…
The U.S. Department of Commerce will bring together American robot manufacturers on March 10 to solicit industry feedback aimed at shoring up domestic robotics production and addressing competition from China. The session will focus on identifying supply-chain bottlenecks and policy challenges affecting the deployment and manufacture of both indust…
Raphael Bostic, outgoing president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, said political and legal disputes surrounding the Fed have weakened public belief in the central bank's independence. In a farewell essay published as he prepares to leave office, Bostic argued that safeguarding the Fed's autonomy is essential to maintaining low inflation, s…
On Feb 25, St. Louis Federal Reserve President Albert Musalem said the current federal funds rate appears to strike an appropriate balance between competing economic risks. He reiterated a baseline view that inflation should move back toward 2% later in the year and that the labor market will stabilize, while noting two principal risks: a potential…
Jeffrey Schmid, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, told an audience that high inflation continues to be the central bank's principal concern even as employment conditions remain favorable. He did not specify how monetary policy should adapt. Schmid also discussed internal Fed deliberations about reserve levels and said the centra…
A draft decree from Colombia's labor ministry proposes shifting 25 trillion pesos managed by private pension funds into the public administrator Colpensiones. The move would affect individual accounts of people who transferred to the public system under a 2024 reform now under constitutional court review, and follows a Finance Ministry proposal to …
The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated over 30 individuals, entities and ships in a coordinated action targeting Iran's covert oil shipments and networks that obtain materials and machinery for ballistic missile and advanced conventional weapons production. The measures include sanctions on 12 vessels link…
JPMorgan increased its long-term gold price forecast to $4,500 an ounce while maintaining a year-end 2026 projection of $6,300. Spot gold has climbed roughly 20% this year, reaching a three-week high of $5,248.89 and a record peak of $5,594.82 on January 29, following a 2025 surge of more than 64%. The bank says central bank buying, investor demand…
British finance minister Rachel Reeves will present the Office for Budget Responsibility's latest forecasts in a Spring Budget update that she hopes will be routine. The OBR is expected to pare back short-term growth and inflation projections and will publish public borrowing forecasts, but it will not reassess the remaining fiscal 'headroom' Reeve…
The Treasury Secretary announced that BRB is barred from contracting credit operations backed by federal guarantees amid fiscal concerns at its controlling shareholder, the Federal District government. Caixa Economica Federal is not pursuing acquisition or portfolio deals for BRB, and the bank may face more than 5 billion reais in provisioning afte…
Bank of America Global Research expects the UK Office for Budget Responsibility's Spring forecasts on March 3 to show limited policy change and a modest improvement in fiscal headroom to about £24 billion. Lower Bank Rate and gilt yields since November should cut debt interest costs and help reduce planned gilt sales to £235 billion in 2026-27 - a …
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told a television audience that the administration does not plan to widen its tariff program on China and expects the present tariff regime to remain. He confirmed talks with China have touched on excess capacity and said certain duties will be set at 15%, with the possibility that some could exceed that rat…
In its annual budget, South Africa's National Treasury said it will propose a "principles-led" fiscal anchor at the mid-term budget later this year, prioritizing a guideline-based framework rather than a fixed numerical target to shore up public finances amid a steep rise in debt and modest growth projections.
First Solar's shares fell sharply in premarket trading after the company projected 2026 net sales below analyst expectations, citing uncertainty in the U.S. policy environment, permitting delays and tariff pressures. Management outlined a plan to open a U.S. finishing line in South Carolina to alleviate supply constraints for the Series 6 module an…
China announced it has met obligations tied to the U.S. Section 301 trade statute and urged Washington not to pursue further punitive measures, after the U.S. Trade Representative indicated ongoing investigations that could result in more tariffs. Beijing said it prefers to resolve issues through existing economic and trade consultation channels bu…
U.S. stock index futures ticked higher on Wednesday after a period of volatility as investors digested mixed signals about the economic impact of rapid AI investment and navigated ongoing uncertainty over newly announced tariffs. Nvidia’s quarterly results, due after the close, were the focal point for investors seeking confirmation that surging ca…
JP Morgan raised its long-term gold price forecast by 15% to $4,500 an ounce while maintaining a year-end 2026 projection of $6,300. The bank attributed the revision to stronger-than-expected central bank buying, official statements about U.S. Treasury divestment and a trend of some countries moving revenues from the dollar into the Chinese renminb…
