Economy

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.

Articles

7,101 total articles

Markets Eye Fed Data as U.S.-Iran Strikes and Rising Yields Damp Risk Appetite

Markets Eye Fed Data as U.S.-Iran Strikes and Rising Yields Damp Risk Appetite

U.S. equity futures were largely unchanged as investors balanced rising expectations for interest rates with renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities and a global surge in government bond yields. Market attention is focused on upcoming U.S. economic releases - including the ADP payrolls report, factory orders and the Federal Reserve's Beige Book - and a Bank …

Structural Forces Keep Upward Pressure on Long-Term U.S. Treasury Yields

Structural Forces Keep Upward Pressure on Long-Term U.S. Treasury Yields

Long-term U.S. Treasury yields are unlikely to fall in the near term as a combination of rising term premium, heavy supply from governments and high-quality corporates, and a shift toward more rate-sensitive buyers constrains demand. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent faces structural market headwinds that go beyond tactical tools, with investors inc…

Markets on Edge as Middle East Flare-Up and Rising Yields Test Investors

Markets on Edge as Middle East Flare-Up and Rising Yields Test Investors

Renewed exchanges between the U.S. and Iran and a jump in oil prices have driven the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield to an intraday peak of 4.8122%, its strongest level in nearly three years, while Japanese 10-year yields have climbed to heights not seen in about 30 years. The disruption compounds fiscal worries for bond markets, prompts hawkish talk f…

U.S. and Iran Intensify Strikes as Strait of Hormuz Remains a Flashpoint

U.S. and Iran Intensify Strikes as Strait of Hormuz Remains a Flashpoint

The United States and Iran exchanged a series of strikes on Tuesday, the most intense fighting between the two since late-July, centered on the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM said it struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air-defense, radar and naval targets after recent IRGC actions against commercial shipping and U.S. service members. Iranian…

Brazil’s Legislature Clears Fiscal Incentives for Data Center Hardware

Brazil’s Legislature Clears Fiscal Incentives for Data Center Hardware

Brazilian federal lawmakers have finalized a legislative package designed to reduce fiscal friction for digital infrastructure development. By removing specific federal levies on specialized technology hardware, the measure aims to lower procurement costs and accelerate domestic data center deployment ahead of executive ratification.

Carney: U.S. Needs to Drop the Posturing for Trade Talks to Resume

Carney: U.S. Needs to Drop the Posturing for Trade Talks to Resume

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the United States must stop posturing and engage seriously if trade negotiations are to restart. Ottawa halted a negotiation over a pact intended to prevent additional U.S. tariffs on August 21, 2026, citing unacceptable last-minute U.S. demands. Tensions have been amplified by public comments and actions fr…

Bank of Israel Signals Potential for More Rate Cuts if Inflation Holds Steady

Bank of Israel Signals Potential for More Rate Cuts if Inflation Holds Steady

The Bank of Israel left open the possibility of additional reductions in short-term interest rates provided inflation remains low and policymakers see the economy react appropriately to a third straight quarter-point cut. Deputy governor Andrew Abir identified July's 1.5% inflation rate and the shekel's relative strength as key factors behind the d…

IAEA Says Inspectors Denied Access as Iran's Uranium Stocks Remain Unverified

IAEA Says Inspectors Denied Access as Iran's Uranium Stocks Remain Unverified

The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran is blocking its inspectors from visiting nuclear sites, leaving the agency unable to confirm the location or condition of significant stocks of enriched uranium. The restricted 11-page IAEA document circulated in Vienna highlights proliferation concerns and urges Tehran to allow immediate ver…

Bank of Israel Signals Path to Further Rate Reductions if Inflation Holds Steady

Bank of Israel Signals Path to Further Rate Reductions if Inflation Holds Steady

The Bank of Israel indicated it may continue lowering short-term interest rates so long as inflation remains subdued and the economy responds benignly to a third straight reduction. Deputy Governor Andrew Abir identified July's 1.5% inflation - below the midpoint of the government's 1% to 3% target range - and the shekel's appreciation versus the d…

US Construction Outlays Slip to Lowest Point Since October 2023

US Construction Outlays Slip to Lowest Point Since October 2023

U.S. construction spending declined 0.5% in July to $2.158 trillion, the lowest monthly level since October 2023, according to the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. The drop was led by a pullback in single-family residential construction as rising mortgage rates and a glut of unsold homes continue to weigh. Private nonresidential activity showed…

Global Bond Yields Spike as Inflation, Debt and New Supply Push Costs Higher

Global Bond Yields Spike as Inflation, Debt and New Supply Push Costs Higher

Government borrowing costs across major economies have climbed to levels not seen in decades. A mix of higher inflation expectations, renewed oil-price pressure tied to U.S.-Iran tensions, large corporate bond issuance to fund AI infrastructure and mounting public debt have propelled sovereign yields higher. Central bank rhetoric and policy options…

Senegal Sovereign Bonds Slide to Record Lows Ahead of IMF Pronouncement

Senegal Sovereign Bonds Slide to Record Lows Ahead of IMF Pronouncement

Senegal's international debt securities fell to fresh lows as markets braced for an expected statement from the International Monetary Fund following its recent staff visit. The country's June 2031 dollar bond hit a new trough while other foreign-currency bonds also weakened amid ongoing talks aimed at resolving a debt crisis stemming from the 2024…

Europe Faces a Risky Opening to Autumn as Gas Markets Tighten and Yields Climb

Europe Faces a Risky Opening to Autumn as Gas Markets Tighten and Yields Climb

European markets enter the new season with benchmark gas prices at their highest in three and a half years and equities unusually weak for this time of year. A disrupted Qatar supply has deepened backwardation in gas markets, reducing incentive to build inventories ahead of winter. At the same time, sovereign yields are rising across the continent …

Japan’s Policy Crossroads: U.S. Urges Rate Action as Yen Weakness Forces a Choice

Japan’s Policy Crossroads: U.S. Urges Rate Action as Yen Weakness Forces a Choice

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled a clear demand for Japan to pivot away from loose policy and accelerate interest rate increases after a rare joint intervention to support the yen. His comments, delivered after talks with BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda at the G20, effectively narrow Tokyo’s policy room and increase pressure on both the centr…

Trump Voices Support for Fed Chair Warsh, Urges Deep Cuts to Borrowing Costs

Trump Voices Support for Fed Chair Warsh, Urges Deep Cuts to Borrowing Costs

President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office he has significant respect for Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh and said Warsh "will do what he has to do" on interest rates. Warsh recently warned that the Fed will "have work to do" if policymakers do not gain confidence that inflation is on track to reach 2%. The Fed's preferred inflation…

SEC Signals Move to Shift Oversight of Shareholder Proposals to States

SEC Signals Move to Shift Oversight of Shareholder Proposals to States

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has signaled it will consider rescinding Rule 14a-8, which governs shareholder proposals included in public companies' annual proxy statements, effectively returning authority to individual states. The agency also issued a separate notice proposing updates to the proxy solicitation process. The moves have…

Warsh’s Retreat from Silence: A Hint of Guidance Shifts Market Expectations

Warsh’s Retreat from Silence: A Hint of Guidance Shifts Market Expectations

At the Kansas City Fed’s annual symposium in Jackson Hole, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh moved away from strict non-communication, offering a calibrated description of how he will judge inflation progress. His comments, framed as a 'reaction function' rather than explicit forward guidance, were sufficient to prompt futures, bond and equity mark…

U.S. Pushes Growth Agenda at G20 to Ease Global Debt Worries

U.S. Pushes Growth Agenda at G20 to Ease Global Debt Worries

At a two-day G20 finance meeting in Asheville, U.S. officials argued that sustained economic growth is the most viable path to address record global debt. U.S. Treasury officials and the Federal Reserve chair emphasized removing regulatory barriers, rebalancing trade with China, and the role of AI-driven investment in shifting global capital flows,…

SEC Moves to Remove Federal Rule on Shareholder Proxy Proposals

SEC Moves to Remove Federal Rule on Shareholder Proxy Proposals

The Securities and Exchange Commission has submitted a proposal to the Office of Management and Budget that would eliminate the federal rule governing when and how shareholders may submit proxy proposals. The action, sent for OMB review last week and announced via an OMB notice published Monday, aligns with Chairman Paul Atkins' long-stated concern…