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.
5,075 total articles
Recent findings from the GfK consumer confidence index reveal a complex landscape for British households. While there has been a marginal improvement in overall sentiment this month, consumers are exhibiting significant caution regarding major spending. The survey shows an uptick in the index to -23, up from the previous reading of -25, which had b…
United Auto Workers (UAW) leadership has issued a formal call for more rigorous labor regulations and manufacturing requirements within the framework of upcoming North American trade negotiations. As the United States prepares to engage in discussions with Mexico and Canada regarding the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the union is pushing fo…
President Donald Trump is scheduled to officially swear in Kevin Warsh as the new chair of the Federal Reserve this coming Friday at the White House. The announcement, made by the Trump administration on Thursday, marks a significant transition for the nation's central bank. Warsh, who is 56 years old, received confirmation for the position followi…
U.S. equity markets concluded a volatile Thursday with positive gains, buoyed by hopes of an imminent peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran. While market participants closely monitored Nvidia's earnings, significant attention was directed toward the potential upcoming initial public offerings (IPOs) from tech giants SpaceX and OpenAI. These pro…
Senate Republicans abruptly halted a scheduled vote on an ICE funding bill after objections to President Donald Trump’s requests for a $1.8 billion fund for victims of government "weaponization" and $1 billion for a White House ballroom. The dispute delayed a broader $72 billion package to finance an expanded migrant deportation program, with leade…
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has fined Cox Media Group and two smaller marketing firms after finding the companies falsely claimed they could use artificial intelligence and voice-processing technology to target ads based on consumers' nearby conversations. The FTC said the claims included statements that the technology could "identify buyers …
Mexico and the European Union will formalize a trade agreement on Friday designed to broaden trading links and reduce vulnerabilities in supply chains, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said at a joint press appearance in Mexico City. Speaking with Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco, officials framed the accord as a step to deepen…
The Central Bank of The Gambia held its benchmark interest rate on Thursday, citing renewed inflationary pressures linked to escalating geopolitical tensions. The bank cut its 2026 growth projection by 0.5 percentage point to 5.7%, pointed to higher domestic energy prices and noted an acceleration of inflation in April driven by both food and non-f…
GAESA, a military-managed conglomerate formed in the 1990s and overseen by Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces, controls extensive assets across tourism, banking, ports, retail and remittances. U.S. officials have singled it out for alleged hoarding of profits and enrichment of a small elite, while the Cuban state offers limited public accounting and…
Minutes from Mexico's central bank reveal the economy contracted in the first quarter by 0.8% and that the rebound is likely to be more moderate than previously anticipated. The majority of Banxico's five-member board highlighted declines across industry, manufacturing and services in Q1, with private consumption weakening early in 2026. Exports we…
OpenAI reported $5.7 billion in revenue for the first quarter, roughly $1 billion more than Anthropic, driven by product efforts including its coding agent, enterprise contracts, and advertising trials. Despite that first-quarter lead, Anthropic has shown a quicker pace of growth, with an annualized revenue run rate near $45 billion compared with O…
Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, accused U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio of lying to stir up military hostility between the two countries, saying Rubio has falsely branded Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism and is seeking to provoke violence and economic collapse that would harm both Cuban and American lives.
Richmond Federal Reserve President Thomas Barkin said on Thursday that the recent rise in U.S. Treasury yields does not appear to reflect heightened inflation expectations or intensified concerns over government deficits. He described current borrowing costs as within a reasonable range and highlighted questions about supply-demand balances in the …
The U.S. Department of Defense has begun testing a range of artificial intelligence models with 25 designated power users as it seeks replacements for Anthropic PBC's Claude following a supply-chain risk designation. The move comes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flagged Anthropic over its stance on technology guardrails and initiated a six-mo…
Pacific Investment Management Co.'s chief investment officer Daniel Ivascyn warned that if long-dated inflation expectations become meaningfully unanchored, major central banks including the Federal Reserve may need to tighten monetary policy even amid economic weakness. The dynamics have already pushed breakeven inflation measures and long-term Tr…
President Donald Trump delayed a planned signing ceremony for an executive order on artificial intelligence, saying he objected to parts of the directive and did not want to risk undermining the United States' competitive advantage in AI. He praised the benefits of AI while expressing concern that the order 'could have been a blocker.'
A sharp rise in U.S. Treasury yields has prompted investors in mortgage-backed securities to sell government debt to hedge the extended duration of their portfolios. The resulting convexity hedging has likely heightened this week's Treasury selloff and contributed to the most pronounced rise in rates in roughly a year, with the 10-year yield climbi…
Modal Labs closed a $355 million financing round that places the AI infrastructure startup at a $4.65 billion valuation. The company, which helps AI firms secure inference compute and offers a sandbox for testing AI-generated code, has seen annualized revenue jump to about $300 million amid a surge in AI-driven coding and a simultaneous squeeze in …
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin said the Fed paused at its last meeting to gather more information and will base future rate decisions on how households and firms react to ongoing shocks - including high oil prices and the spread of AI. Barkin cautioned that developments affecting employment and inflation could prompt a dif…
Argentina's central bank has moderated the pace of daily dollar purchases despite accumulating roughly $3 billion in gross reserves so far this year. Authorities are balancing reserve targets agreed with the International Monetary Fund against the risk that buying dollars will expand peso liquidity and rekindle inflation. Weak genuine demand for pe…
JPMorgan has begun deploying artificial intelligence tools across its global investment banking division, according to its Asia Pacific investment banking chief. The bank is among a group allowed to use Anthropic's Mythos model under Project Glasswing. JPMorgan executives say AI is helping synthesize information and speed the production of client m…
Richmond Federal Reserve President Thomas Barkin said the Fed's recent pause in raising interest rates allowed policymakers time to collect data on labor markets and inflation amid a series of disruptive developments. He warned that whether the central bank can 'look through' current high inflation or will need to tighten policy depends on how cons…
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's late-April policy meeting reveal rising anxiety among staff and some policymakers about financial-market strains. Officials discussed elevated asset valuations, stresses tied to borrowing by hedge funds and private credit opacity, and considered operational refinements to liquidity facilities as Kevin Warsh prepar…
Freddie Mac reported that the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.51% in its Primary Mortgage Market Survey, up from 6.36% the prior week. The 15-year fixed rate increased to 5.85% from 5.71% the previous week. Freddie Mac’s chief economist advised prospective buyers to shop around for mortgage quotes to potentially reduce costs.
The U.S. Department of Justice this week swore in the largest single class of immigration judges in the agency’s history, adding 77 permanent judges and five temporary judges to the Executive Office for Immigration Review. The moves come as the administration replaces dozens of judges who have left and emphasizes reducing a multi-million-case backl…
