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.
907 total articles
France's government avoided being toppled after two no-confidence motions in the National Assembly failed to secure enough votes following its decision to force through the expenditure portion of the 2026 budget without granting the lower house a final vote. The full budget now proceeds to the Senate before returning to the Assembly, where the gove…
A prediction market now places Rick Rieder, BlackRock’s chief bond investment officer, as the leading candidate to replace Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair in May. Kalshi users assign Rieder a 48% probability, with former Fed governor Kevin Warsh at 31% and current governor Christopher Waller at 8%. The market shift comes as political pressur…
Congress faces a deadline as funding for multiple executive agencies could lapse at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, January 31, unless lawmakers resolve a dispute centered on immigration enforcement and oversight. Democrats in the Senate are withholding support for the Department of Homeland Security portion of a spending package, blocking the…
Federal funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and several other agencies could lapse this week if Democrats and Republicans in Congress fail to settle a dispute centered on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Democrats are pushing for a suite of operational limits and oversight measures tied to DHS funding through …
Executives from major banks meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos said they are preparing for a Fed leadership change that could bias policy toward lower interest rates, yet many expect the incoming chair to be guided by evidence once in office. Concerns about the Federal Reserve's independence have risen amid probes into of…
President Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to accelerate reconstruction of homes and businesses destroyed in January wildfires in California. The order instructs the administration to create regulations that could preempt state and local permitting where those processes are judged to obstruct the timely use of federal emergency-relie…
Standard Chartered estimates that U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins could draw roughly $500 billion in deposits away from U.S. banks by the end of 2028. The bank's digital assets research head warns regional lenders are most exposed, and the scale of deposit migration depends on whether stablecoin issuers keep reserves in the banking system or in othe…
An International Monetary Fund analysis finds that eliminating regulatory and administrative barriers between Canadian provinces could raise real GDP by almost 7%, equal to roughly C$210 billion in long-term output. The IMF highlights particularly large tariff-equivalent costs inside services such as healthcare and education, and says most gains wo…
Blockchain researchers report that at least $82 billion in cryptocurrencies were received by money launderers in 2025, a sharp increase from $10 billion in 2020. Chinese-language laundering networks expanded rapidly during the pandemic and processed nearly $40 million per day in 2025. Chainalysis identified about 1,800 active wallets linked to thes…
A report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives finds Canada is on track to be roughly 90,000 child-care spaces short of its five-year expansion target by spring 2026. Provinces had agreed to create more than 284,000 new spaces by March 31, 2026, predominantly in non-profit and public settings, but only 194,000 had been delivered six mont…
Three brothers - Oren, Tal and Alon Alexander - went on trial in Manhattan federal court accused of a series of sexual assaults and human trafficking offenses spanning 2008 to 2021. All three have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say the defendants used their wealth and influence to lure victims to luxury settings where the alleged crimes occurred; …
President Donald Trump told a radio audience that the United States has dispatched a "big armada" toward Iran, calling it "very powerful" and expressing hope that it will not have to be employed. In a wide-ranging interview, he also commented on Gaza hostages, recent events in Minneapolis and New York City, and a brief update on Greenland.
Brazil's annual inflation rate accelerated to 4.50% in the first half of January, slightly below the Bloomberg median estimate of 4.52%. Monthly consumer prices climbed 0.2% as gains in food and beverages and health-related items intensified. The central bank, led by Gabriel Galipolo, is widely expected to hold the Selic rate at 15% for a fifth str…
The European Commission has proposed a temporary suspension of the Inward Processing Regime (IPR) that permits duty-free sugar imports, citing pressure on domestic sugar producers from rising imports and falling prices. Commissioner Christophe Hansen announced the move on Monday, highlighting the intent to ease strains on European sugar growers. Co…
The Czech National Bank's policy board could deliberate a modest easing of monetary policy at its meeting on February 5, Vice‑Governor Jan Frait told reporters. He said external developments that may prompt large central banks to cut rates are central to the upcoming discussion, even as domestic economic conditions - including a tight labour market…
European Central Bank policy is appropriate for today’s environment, yet officials should prepare for new shocks - including the risk of Russian military aggression - that could unsettle the current balance of inflation at target, growth near potential and neutral interest rates, ECB policymaker Gediminas Simkus said. He urged ensuring the resilien…
Indonesia's finance minister signaled that the country likely achieved its 5.2% GDP growth target for 2025 despite significant flood-related damage late in the year, with growth appearing stronger in the fourth quarter. The government left the 2026 growth target unchanged at 5.4% for the $1.4 trillion economy. Bank Indonesia said it will watch for …
After roughly four years of subdued initial public offering activity, Canada’s primary equity market is showing signs of revival for 2026. Market participants say high interest rates and inflation, regulatory friction, and other headwinds kept many firms out of the public markets, but recent equity market strength and a sizable October deal have en…
Futures tied to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq moved up on Jan. 27 as market participants prepared for a heavy roster of corporate earnings reports. Dow futures lagged after a sharp selloff in UnitedHealth linked to a government proposal to adjust Medicare insurer payment rates. The Federal Reserve begins a two-day policy meeting the same day, and a st…
Prediction markets have rapidly elevated BlackRock's Rick Rieder to frontrunner status to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, but analysts at Wolfe Research say they remain unconvinced that markets have the full picture. While Rieder's views on lower rates and a softer balance-sheet stance align with President Trump's preferences, Wolfe hi…
A rare rate check by the New York Federal Reserve lifted the yen from recent lows and signalled heightened U.S.-Japan alignment on currency risks. Analysts say the move reduces the barrier to intervention but caution that formal coordinated dollar-selling by Washington and Tokyo is unlikely in the near term because of U.S. domestic considerations, …
Tokyo’s hints that it could join Washington in buying yen have provided short-term support, but historical experience and rising worries over Japan’s fiscal outlook mean any intervention may only temper, not reverse, the currency’s decline. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s snap election, driven by promises of expanded stimulus including a suspension…
U.S. stock futures moved in a narrow range as investors prepared for a busy corporate earnings calendar and a Federal Reserve policy decision. Heightened political risk from unrest in Minnesota, including the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man by a U.S. Border Patrol agent, raised the prospect of a federal government funding lapse. Against this ba…
Yoshinobu Tsutsui, leader of Japan's largest business lobby Keidanren, said on Tuesday that foreign exchange intervention is justified when it aims to halt rapid declines or abrupt swings in the yen. Speaking at a news conference, he welcomed signs that some of the negative effects from excessive yen weakness had been curtailed and said future yen …
A factory to produce synthetic diamonds in the United States is a leading candidate within Japan’s $550 billion investment programme, sources say. The initiative, which aims to bolster supply chains for materials critical to semiconductor and precision manufacturing, could be announced ahead of a planned U.S. visit by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae …
