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.
897 total articles
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is preparing to argue that her so-called "responsible, proactive fiscal policy" is not as expansionary as critics fear, as lawmakers begin deliberations on her signature spending and consumption tax suspension next week. Despite assurances of fiscal sustainability, investors remain alert to potential increases in bond …
President Donald Trump said his 2025 tariff program has driven a steep contraction in the U.S. trade deficit and that the United States is on track to post a trade surplus in 2026. Official monthly trade figures through late 2025 show dramatic swings - with the goods and services deficit falling sharply from a March peak and then widening again in …
The Institute for Fiscal Studies recommends the UK abandon rigid numerical fiscal targets driven by 'fiscal headroom' and instead adopt a traffic-light style set of indicators assessed by the Office for Budget Responsibility. The IFS argues the change would reduce incentives for dysfunctional policymaking, even though it may make it easier for gove…
The dollar recovered from recent lows after Federal Reserve minutes indicated policymakers are not hurried to lower interest rates and remain open to further increases if inflation persists. U.S. yields rose and early Asian trading consolidated gains for the dollar against the euro and yen. Market attention is shifting to global purchasing managers…
U.S. equities initially followed a rally in Europe but gave back ground later in the session as investors digested central bank developments and geopolitical risks. Reports that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde may depart her post early, alongside minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting, kept central bank policy expectati…
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand held its official cash rate at 2.25% and expects headline inflation, driven largely by volatile tradable items, to fall back into the 1%-3% target band this quarter. Governor Anna Breman said the bank will not move on rates unless inflationary pressures and economic growth warrant it, but remains prepared to act soon…
The U.S. Department of the Treasury reported a $44.9 billion net inflow in Treasury International Capital (TIC) for December 2025, with private foreign investors accounting for the majority of the inflow. Foreign residents increased their holdings of long-term U.S. securities and short-term dollar assets, while U.S. residents bought long-term forei…
The United States is removing its roughly 1,000 troops from Syria, ending a military presence that stretched about a decade. U.S. officials say key positions including the Al Tanf garrison and the Al-Shaddadi base have already been vacated, and the rest of the force will be pulled out within two months. Officials also emphasize that the withdrawal …
The federal government plans to ease emissions restrictions for coal-burning power plants, a policy shift that would allow increased releases of hazardous pollutants including mercury. Senior Environmental Protection Agency officials are expected to unveil the adjustment during a visit to Louisville, Kentucky, with agency documents saying the step …
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's January 27-28 meeting report that the Trump administration's plan to buy mortgage-backed securities has pushed down MBS yields relative to Treasuries, but that decline is unlikely to trigger substantial refinancing because prevailing mortgage rates remain above the weighted average of existing loans. Fed officials…
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he will seek "strategic partnerships" with China on a trip next week, framing economic and foreign policy as inseparable and rejecting the U.S. tariff strategy as Germany charts a dual approach of outreach and European unity to defend its interests if needed. Merz spoke at his party's Ash Wednesday event in Pas…
Copper rebounded on Wednesday after a recent trough, supported by investors buying the dip and a rebound in technology shares. The metal climbed over 2% on the London Metal Exchange as inventories continued to rise, with flows into U.S. sheds and ports contributing to growing stocks and a cash discount to forward prices.
European Central Bank Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel has declared she intends to remain in office until the scheduled end of her eight-year term in late 2027, responding to wider speculation about changes at the bank's top. Her statement comes as reports suggest President Christine Lagarde may leave before her term ends in October 2027, and…
Leslie Wexner told a U.S. House panel that he visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private island once with family members 'for a few hours' while they were in the area on their boat. In testimony to congressional investigators, the 88-year-old former L Brands chief said he did not know about Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation and denied any participation or…
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's January policy meeting revealed that nearly all participants supported the committee's choice to keep the target interest rate unchanged. The FOMC left the federal funds rate at 3.50%-3.75% after three consecutive 25 basis point reductions, and recent economic data - including a strong nonfarm payrolls report and …
U.S. consideration of a new arms-sales package for Taiwan has been postponed after Chinese President Xi Jinping urged caution during a Feb. 4 phone call with President Trump. The pause reflects internal division among Trump advisers and concern about the timing of any approval as the president prepares for a trip to Beijing in the first week of Apr…
CIBC economist Avery Shenfeld contends that Canadian exports are likely to remain duty-free even as Washington intensifies trade rhetoric. The bank’s outlook rests on legal safeguards in the USMCA and market signals that do not reflect an imminent broad tariff escalation. Still, Shenfeld cautions that ongoing threats to the agreement are eroding cr…
A new survey by the American Chamber of Commerce and Bain & Company finds a steep fall in US investor optimism toward France, with only 17% expecting improvement over the next two to three years and a majority reporting deterioration over the past year. The findings reflect growing economic policy uncertainty following snap legislative elections an…
U.S. factory production rebounded in January, rising 0.6% — the largest monthly gain since February 2025 — with gains recorded across durable and nondurable goods. Overall industrial output increased 0.7% as utilities and manufacturing led the advance, while mining declined. Capacity utilization and the manufacturing operating rate both inched high…
Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council and a senior economic adviser to President Donald Trump, sharply criticized a New York Federal Reserve research paper that concluded Americans primarily bear the costs of tariffs. Hassett called the study an "embarrassment," labeled it the "worst paper" he had seen in the Fed's hi…
Reports that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde may leave before her term ends have intensified attention on who could replace her, but markets have so far largely shrugged off the news. Investors continue to expect policy to remain on hold at 2% for the foreseeable future, while analysts say most likely successors would pursue simil…
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett sharply rebuked a New York Federal Reserve study on the incidence of U.S. tariffs, calling the research 'an embarrassment' and urging disciplinary action for its authors. The study had found that U.S. companies and consumers bore a substantial share of the economic burden from tariffs. Hassett delive…
A YouGov survey conducted with BVNK, Coinbase and Artemis finds Nigeria and South Africa leading growth in stablecoin holdings and optimism, with users seeking wider acceptance and integration into existing financial tools. Stablecoins remain primarily used for crypto trading, while central banks worry about dollarisation and capital flight.
European political leaders are expected to negotiate a package for the next set of European Central Bank appointments if Christine Lagarde leaves before her term ends, with former central bank chiefs Klaas Knot and Pablo Hernández de Cos emerging as principal contenders for senior roles. The potential arrangement would likely allocate top positions…
Sweden's inflation is expected to fall significantly in the year ahead, driven in part by a temporary reduction in the value-added tax on food and signs of weaker inflationary pressures even when that measure is excluded, First Deputy Governor Aino Bunge said. While some cyclical indicators are mixed, the central bank finds overall real-economy dev…
