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

5,098 total articles

Emerging Markets Positioned for Second-Half Rally as Valuation Gaps Widen

Emerging Markets Positioned for Second-Half Rally as Valuation Gaps Widen

A research note from JPMorgan suggests that emerging market (EM) equities are set for a major upward movement during the second half of the year. This outlook is supported by several converging factors: highly attractive valuations compared to developed markets, an anticipated shift away from hawkish central bank policies, and early indicators of e…

Pageantry Over Policy: What Trump’s Beijing Visit Delivered and What It Did Not

Pageantry Over Policy: What Trump’s Beijing Visit Delivered and What It Did Not

U.S. President Donald Trump completed a two-day state visit to Beijing that showcased ritual and theater but produced few concrete policy outcomes on the central disputes between Washington and Beijing. Conversations ranged across Iran, trade, Taiwan and investment governance, yet tangible commitments were scant. The trip, the first by a U.S. presi…

Sri Lanka’s Services and Manufacturing Move Deep into Contraction in April

Sri Lanka’s Services and Manufacturing Move Deep into Contraction in April

Data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka show both the services and manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Indexes (PMIs) slipped below the 50 threshold in April, signaling contraction. The services PMI fell to 46.7 from 59.4 in March, while the manufacturing PMI dropped to 42.6 from 66.7. Key subcomponents across the two surveys - including new …

Gilt Yields Surge to 28-Year Peak as Leadership Bid Sparks Market Jitters

Gilt Yields Surge to 28-Year Peak as Leadership Bid Sparks Market Jitters

UK government bond yields climbed sharply after Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham announced moves that make a leadership challenge possible, prompting traders to price in a premium for higher borrowing needs. The 30-year gilt yield jumped to 5.86%, its highest level since 1998, while the pound weakened amid worries about fiscal loosening, persistent in…

Israel and Lebanon Agree to 45-Day Ceasefire Extension, U.S. Says

Israel and Lebanon Agree to 45-Day Ceasefire Extension, U.S. Says

The U.S. State Department announced that Israel and Lebanon have consented to extend the cessation of hostilities declared on April 16 by 45 days. Talks held in Washington were characterized as productive, with delegations set to return to negotiations on June 2 and June 3, the department said. The meetings mark the third round since intensified ex…

NFL Urges Tighter Oversight of Sports Prediction Markets in Letter to CFTC

NFL Urges Tighter Oversight of Sports Prediction Markets in Letter to CFTC

The National Football League has asked the U.S. Commodities and Futures Trading Commission to impose stricter rules on sports-related prediction markets. In a letter from the NFL's senior vice president for government affairs and public policy to CFTC Chairman Michael Selig, the league recommended banning certain contract types, raising the minimum…

India hikes export levies on petrol, diesel and aviation fuel

India hikes export levies on petrol, diesel and aviation fuel

India raised export duties on petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel in a government statement late Friday. The move, announced one day after the first retail fuel price increase since the Iran war began, keeps domestic excise rates unchanged and follows the government’s fortnightly review process tied to average international fuel and crude pric…

Colombia’s Central Bank Signals Slower Pace for Rate Hikes, Board Member Says

Colombia’s Central Bank Signals Slower Pace for Rate Hikes, Board Member Says

A board member of Colombia’s central bank, Bibiana Taboada, said the institution may be able to slow the speed of further interest-rate increases, asserting that the bulk of monetary tightening has already been implemented. The comment comes after an April unanimous decision to hold the policy rate at 11.25% amid political pressure surrounding the …

China and U.S. to Establish Joint Trade and Investment Boards

China and U.S. to Establish Joint Trade and Investment Boards

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced that China and the United States have agreed to form a Board of Trade and a Board of Investment to deepen bilateral commerce. The initiative will tackle market access for agricultural goods and pursue expanded two-way trade via a reciprocal tariff reduction framework. Teams from both governments are consul…

Turkey Advances $1.2 Billion NATO Fuel Pipeline Plan to Romania via Bulgaria

Turkey Advances $1.2 Billion NATO Fuel Pipeline Plan to Romania via Bulgaria

Turkey has proposed constructing a $1.2 billion pipeline to deliver military fuel to NATO's eastern flank, routing through Bulgaria to Romania. The proposal, intended for presentation before the NATO summit Ankara will host in July, is framed as a lower-cost and less disruption-prone alternative to maritime routes through Greece or western neighbor…

Turkey pitches $1.2 billion NATO fuel pipeline to Romania via Bulgaria

Turkey pitches $1.2 billion NATO fuel pipeline to Romania via Bulgaria

Turkey has proposed constructing a $1.2 billion fuel pipeline to move military-grade fuel from Turkey to Romania through Bulgaria. The route, intended solely for NATO military use, is being advanced as a cheaper and potentially more resilient alternative to maritime options and is expected to be brought forward ahead of the NATO summit Turkey will …

AI-led tech surge drives eighth consecutive weekly inflow into global equity funds

AI-led tech surge drives eighth consecutive weekly inflow into global equity funds

Global equity funds recorded their eighth straight week of net inflows through May 13, drawing $39.15 billion as enthusiasm around AI-related technology stocks and optimistic chipmaker outlooks outweighed inflation worries. The MSCI World Index reached a record 1,117.52 after forecasts of robust data-center chip demand, while bond funds also saw su…

Morgan Stanley Sees Rates on Hold Through 2026 as Tariff Pass-Through Ebbs and Oil's Core Impact Remains Limited

Morgan Stanley Sees Rates on Hold Through 2026 as Tariff Pass-Through Ebbs and Oil's Core Impact Remains Limited

Morgan Stanley expects the Federal Reserve to maintain its current policy rate through the remainder of 2026 and anticipate a slow easing cycle beginning in 2027. The bank's mid-year view hinges on two dynamics: a retreat in tariff pass-through into goods prices and only modest spillovers from higher oil into core inflation. Business investment, in…

Brazil’s Services Output Slips in March as Transport Leads Decline

Brazil’s Services Output Slips in March as Transport Leads Decline

Brazil’s services sector contracted 1.2% in March from February, led by a pronounced fall in transportation activity, according to IBGE data released May 15. The monthly decline was worse than the 0.1% drop economists had forecast, and all five subgroups measured by the statistics agency recorded contractions. On a year-on-year basis services outpu…

Tinubu Rejects Reversal of Economic Reforms Despite Election Pressure

Tinubu Rejects Reversal of Economic Reforms Despite Election Pressure

President Bola Tinubu said he will not roll back economic reforms instituted since taking office in 2023, rejecting suggestions that political dynamics ahead of January elections would force a policy U-turn. Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum, Tinubu defended the removal of fuel subsidies and the liberalization of the naira as difficult but necessary…