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
India has declined to relax its 2019 ban on e-cigarettes and related products, reaffirming that heat-not-burn tobacco devices remain prohibited. Private correspondence and meetings show Philip Morris International mounted a sustained lobbying effort from 2021 to 2025 to persuade Indian authorities to reassess the ban and consider regulated use of h…
U.S. equity futures ticked up as traders awaited a delayed U.S. jobs report that could shape Federal Reserve policy prospects. Ford disclosed a $900 million charge tied to an unexpected postponement of tariff relief, even as its forward guidance beat estimates. Activist investor moves in the Warner Bros. Discovery takeover contest and mixed commodi…
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU must simplify rules that govern companies operating in the bloc to improve competitiveness with the United States and China. In a speech to the European Parliament, she highlighted the structural fragmentation of Europe's financial system and proposed that leaders endorse a single marke…
Greece’s macroeconomic indicators point to a robust recovery, but a sharp rise in rents is leaving many households unable to keep pace. A shortage of available housing, sales to foreign buyers and the conversion of units into short-term tourist rentals have constricted supply in major cities. The result: mounting displacement, reduced household con…
The State Bank of Pakistan has lifted its forecast for fiscal 2026 growth to a 3.75-4.75% range, with governor Jameel Ahmad arguing that recovery across agriculture, industry and services is broader and more durable than recent export figures imply. The bank highlights substantial policy easing since June 2024, solid large-scale manufacturing growt…
The dollar has weakened further against both the euro and the offshore yuan as European and Chinese leaders press for wider international use of their currencies. Policy signals from the European Central Bank and top Chinese officials, plus shifts in investor sentiment and regulatory nudges, are contributing to a multi-faceted run on alternative re…
India's overnight indexed swaps now show little room for further Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rate cuts, anchoring short-term interest-rate expectations, even as longer-dated swap rates climb on prospects of stronger inflation and economic momentum. The one-year OIS sits 25 basis points above the repo rate at 5.50%, while the actively traded five-ye…
South Korea’s Bithumb told lawmakers that major shortcomings in its internal systems allowed an erroneous transfer of about 620,000 bitcoins to customers during a promotional event, a mistake the firm says amounted to roughly $40 billion and triggered a sharp drop in bitcoin prices. Company officials said processing delays and failed checks left th…
Global markets opened with a mix of earnings-driven moves and data sensitivity after U.S. retail sales came in weaker-than-expected, prompting a rally in Treasuries and renewed yen strength following a decisive political outcome in Japan. Investors are awaiting delayed U.S. payrolls and a slate of European corporate results that could shape risk ap…
January’s employment report is projected to show a modest acceleration in nonfarm payroll additions, largely due to fewer seasonal layoffs in industries tied to the holidays. The jobless rate is forecast to remain at 4.4% while wage growth cools. Economists say trade and immigration policies have dampened hiring even as tax cuts are expected to sup…
Gold and silver prices advanced after U.S. Treasury yields fell following data showing December retail sales were unchanged. The slowdown in household spending, particularly on motor vehicles and other big-ticket items, reduced near-term pressure on monetary policy and lifted demand for non-yielding bullion. Market participants are now focused on U…
Russia's state communications watchdog said it will impose additional restrictions on Telegram and other messaging apps after concluding they have not resolved previous violations related to data protection and misuse. The move follows earlier curbs on voice and video calling and comes amid government efforts to promote a state-backed alternative, …
The U.S. Department of Labor reached a settlement with Kaiser Foundation Health Plan to conclude multiple probes into the insurer's handling of mental health and substance use disorder services. The agreement requires Kaiser to reimburse members for out-of-network costs, pay a federal civil penalty, and change internal policies to shorten wait time…
U.S. officials have considered seizing additional tankers carrying Iranian crude to intensify pressure on Tehran, but have held back because of worries about how Iran might retaliate and the potential consequences for global oil markets. The option would extend a two-month-old blockade aimed at a 'shadow fleet' moving sanctioned oil to buyers such …
Emails released by the U.S. Justice Department on January 30 show Tesla director Kimbal Musk had interactions tied to at least two women who were connected to financier Jeffrey Epstein in the years after Epstein's sex crime conviction. The correspondence, dated 2012-2015, includes messages between Musk, Epstein and associate Boris Nikolic discussin…
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Lorie Logan warned of vulnerabilities tied to the sharp increase in the Treasury basis trade, saying the strategy’s recent expansion could amplify pressures during market stress. Speaking in Austin, she urged stronger risk management, greater transparency and completion of official-sector reforms while also …
Dallas Federal Reserve President Lorie Logan said she is "cautiously optimistic" that the Fed's present policy rate, held at 3.50% to 3.75%, can guide inflation back to the 2% target while keeping the labor market intact. She said upcoming economic data will determine whether the current stance is sufficient, and reiterated concerns that some infla…
Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan said in Austin that if upcoming data confirm the current path, the Fed's policy rate should be adequate to steer inflation toward the 2% goal without further cuts. She emphasized progress on inflation is expected this year but highlighted several sources of upside risk and said significant labor-market cooling could…
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack said the U.S. banking system remains healthy while expressing concern about growing leverage in the Treasury market driven by elevated government borrowing. She cautioned on the risk of inflation becoming entrenched, emphasized the Fed’s independence, and urged improvements to the discount wi…
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told a congressional hearing that Nvidia will need to accept the specific licensing conditions governing sales of its second-most advanced AI chip, the H200, to China. Lutnick said those terms were worked out with the State Department and must be followed. On whether China will honor usage restrictions, he deferred…
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack told attendees at an Ohio Bankers League event that the central bank does not face urgent pressure to change its policy rate this year. Citing a cautiously optimistic economic outlook and the recent policy easing, she said the Fed could keep the federal funds rate steady for an extended perio…
The New York Federal Reserve’s quarterly household debt report found a modest uptick in overall credit stress during the fourth quarter of 2025. Mortgages broadly remain healthy by long-run measures, but delinquencies are climbing in lower-income and economically weakened areas. Student loans are the most acutely troubled category, with a large rec…
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told attendees at the BTG Pactual CEO Conference in Sao Paolo that relations between the United States and China are currently "a very comfortable place," while stressing that Washington seeks to de-risk ties rather than sever them. He framed the relationship as a rivalry that should be fair, expressed optimism…
Retail sales in the United States were unchanged in December, weaker than economists had expected and following a revised strong gain in November. Core retail sales - those most closely tied to GDP - eased, and a decline in household saving combined with data delays and downward revisions that may prompt cuts to fourth-quarter consumer spending and…
Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad suggested the government consider a renewed structural approach to social-assistance spending, likening the idea to the 2003 consolidation that created Bolsa Familia. Speaking at a BTG Pactual event, he framed the discussion around efficiency and fiscal oversight, while clarifying no formal proposal has be…
