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.
7,150 total articles
Chinese banks extended 4.71 trillion yuan in new yuan loans in January, a large increase from December but below analysts' expectations and beneath the 5.13 trillion yuan recorded a year earlier. The data, from the People's Bank of China, highlights a continued softening in credit demand, a shift toward government-driven financing, and persistent h…
The European Union's trade surplus declined to 12.9 billion euros in December from 13.9 billion a year earlier, driven by weaker machinery, vehicle and chemical exports. A 12.6% fall in exports to the United States cut the surplus with that market by about a third to 9.3 billion euros, while the bloc's deficit with China widened to 26.8 billion eur…
Bank of America has trimmed its expected March rate cut from 100 basis points to 50 basis points for the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, citing stronger-than-expected inflation readings and persistent CPI pressures. The bank now projects a March policy rate of 36.50%, a subsequent return to 100bp easing per meeting from April, and a year-en…
Global pharmaceutical companies are accelerating purchases of China-developed experimental medicines as they aim to cut costs ahead of looming patent expirations. Licensing deal values tied to the greater China region jumped to an unprecedented $137.7 billion last year, and industry advisers say the total could grow substantially again over the nex…
Switzerland’s headline inflation rate was unchanged at 0.1% in January, keeping it at the bottom of the Swiss National Bank’s 0-2% target range. Core inflation, which excludes fresh and seasonal food, energy and fuel, stood at 0.5%. Month-on-month consumer prices slipped 0.1%, driven by lower electricity costs and cheaper clothing and footwear. Eco…
President Prabowo Subianto told an international economic forum that Indonesia's growth is genuine and forecast to exceed the government's target this year, citing his administration's free meals programme and local development initiatives as drivers of consumption and job creation. Senior economic minister Airlangga Hartarto said the economy could…
U.S. equity futures traded lower as investors braced for delayed January consumer price index figures that are seen cooling year-over-year but remaining above the Federal Reserve's 2% goal. Technology-related concerns tied to artificial intelligence pressure markets, hitting several sectors, even as Arista Networks and Applied Materials climbed in …
In the week through February 11, global equity funds recorded a fifth consecutive weekly inflow of $25.54 billion, driven largely by substantial purchases of European and Asian equities. European funds logged $17.53 billion - the strongest weekly intake since at least 2022 - while Asian funds took in about $6.28 billion. U.S. equity funds experienc…
Much of Asia will be closed for Lunar New Year as the calendar turns to the year of the fire horse, a signifier that markets describe as combining energy with volatility. Investors will be watching Walmart’s quarterly report for clues on U.S. consumer spending after mixed data, while earnings from Europe’s largest miners come amid record metal pric…
Ukraine's debt management chief says formal approval of an $8.2 billion International Monetary Fund programme should arrive imminently, a largely procedural but politically significant step as Kyiv navigates large fiscal gaps and wartime financial constraints. The deal is intended to replace a prior $15.6 billion facility and help sustain public ex…
Nomura now sees no April cut by the Reserve Bank of India, citing firmer inflation under a revised consumer price index series and what it calls 'stealth easing' that has already pushed money-market rates toward the repo rate floor. The brokerage raised its inflation projection for the fiscal year starting April and expects modest upward revisions …
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer intends to urge Western partners to pursue a coordinated defense-procurement program aimed at lowering the cost of rearmament by pooling purchases and standardizing equipment. The proposal, to be raised at the Munich Security Conference, responds to a projected UK defense funding shortfall of up to A328 billion o…
A renewed wave of selling in technology stocks gathered pace after Cisco warned that rising memory-chip costs had eroded margins, rekindling investor anxiety about profit growth. The rout spread across software, logistics and major consumer tech names, while safe-haven assets and Treasuries drew buying. Markets now await U.S. CPI for January and a …
Malaysia's economy recorded 5.2% growth in 2025, its fastest pace in three years and above official projections, driven by household spending, exports and investment. Fourth-quarter GDP surged 6.3% year-on-year, beating expectations, while authorities anticipate continued resilience in 2026 amid manageable inflation and a supportive exchange rate b…
The Pentagon has ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford to the Middle East, where it will operate alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln and a group of nine other warships. The move comes amid sustained tensions with Iran, recent U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and inconclusive diplomacy between Washington and Tehran.
The administration is examining whether to remove some steel and aluminum products from existing tariffs and to curb further expansions of the tariff list, while planning more focused national security inquiries into specific goods. The review follows criticism that the levies function as a tax on American consumers and businesses, with a recent Ne…
Economists expect U.S. consumer prices to have risen in January by roughly 0.3% month-on-month, driven by typical start-of-year price increases, the pass-through from broad tariffs and stronger electricity demand from data centers. The Labor Department’s CPI report arrives after stronger job growth and a modest fall in the unemployment rate, and wi…
A Reuters poll of 17 economists indicates Japan's nationwide core consumer price index - which includes energy but excludes fresh food - likely rose 2.0% year-on-year in January, easing for a second consecutive month from December's 2.4% increase. Analysts attribute the moderation chiefly to lower gasoline costs after a provisional tax cut and a de…
A federal judge in Chicago has issued a 14-day temporary order preventing the Trump administration from implementing $600 million in reductions to public health grants allocated to California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota. The states contend the cuts were motivated by retaliation for their stance on federal immigration enforcement; the funds at…
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran warned that the central bank’s monetary stance may be tighter than widely believed and repeated his call for further interest-rate reductions. Miran said he does not view inflation as a pressing problem, citing low shelter inflation, and said looser policy should be used to support the labor market. Dallas Fed…
An economic adviser to Japan's premier indicated that successors to outgoing Bank of Japan board members do not have to be proponents of aggressive reflationary easing, saying Japan has left deflation behind and that the central bank may have room to raise rates this year as inflation and bond yields climb.
Taylor Swift’s company has lodged an opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office seeking to prevent Cathay Home Inc from registering a federal trademark for "Swift Home" on bedding products, contending the cursive "Swift" in Cathay’s logo closely mirrors the singer’s trademarked signature and could lead consumers to believe she endorses th…
State-owned enterprises and local government bodies in China have begun acquiring foreclosed residential projects at substantial discounts, according to tender records and analysts. The activity, visible in a handful of publicly listed auction results, aligns with a 2024 policy push to use state firms to convert distressed assets into affordable ho…
The United States and Taiwan signed a reciprocal trade agreement in Washington that reduces Taiwanese tariffs on U.S. goods and establishes multi-billion-dollar purchase commitments in energy, aircraft, and power equipment. The pact, executed under the auspices of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Represent…
A New York Fed official said the central bank will keep sizable Treasury bill and short-term government bond purchases in place through mid-April to rebuild reserves and manage liquidity around the annual tax filing date. The purchases, described as technical reserve management operations, total about $40 billion per month and sit alongside other g…
