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.
5,100 total articles
The U.S. dollar firmed following a larger-than-expected rise in producer prices for April, a report that intensified market bets on prolonged tight U.S. monetary policy. The move coincides with the start of a two-day meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where trade and business access are key topi…
Retail sales volumes in Brazil rose 0.5% in March from February, marking a record high and the third consecutive monthly increase, with five of eight retail sectors posting gains. Annual sales climbed 4.0%, well above Reuters poll expectations, even as economists warn that high interest rates and tight credit are restraining large discretionary pur…
The Producer Price Index for final demand climbed 1.4% in April, the largest monthly increase since March 2022, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The gain followed an upward revision to March's 0.7% advance and was broad-based across goods and services. On a 12-month basis, producer prices rose 6.0%, reflecting both strong…
Producer prices rose more than economists forecast in April, with headline and core PPI readings exceeding Reuters poll estimates. The data pushed S&P 500 futures into negative territory and saw Dow E-minis move notably lower while Nasdaq 100 E-minis rose. The report reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchange…
UBS analysts report that global crude inventories have fallen sharply since February and may reach record lows by the end of May. Temporary cushions - including demand destruction, strategic reserve releases and transit waivers for Iranian and Russian cargoes - have delayed the descent, but those offsets are fading. The bank flags heightened price …
Pakistan’s gross value added rose 3.99% year-on-year in the January-March 2026 quarter, the Bureau of Statistics reported Wednesday. Growth slipped slightly from the 4.05% rate in the prior quarter, with the services sector leading the expansion, industry moderating and agriculture recording a modest acceleration.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government will introduce a European Partnership Bill to put in place agreements with the European Union now and going forward. The move, announced in the King's Speech, seeks to rebuild economic ties with the bloc while the prime minister faces calls to step down following electoral setbacks. The bill would ena…
A poll of economists finds the European Central Bank is likely to raise its deposit rate by 25 basis points in June and to implement at least one additional rate increase this year as policymakers seek to prevent the rise in energy costs from the Middle East war from feeding into core inflation. With consumer inflation already more than one percent…
An ECB supervisory vice chair has called on banks across the euro area to act swiftly to shore up IT systems against cyberattacks assisted by advanced AI tools such as Anthropic's Mythos. The official said limited regional access to Mythos increases the urgency for banks to remediate weaknesses, while noting that even more capable AI models could a…
JPMorgan Chase's chief executive said the bank might reconsider its planned multibillion-dollar headquarters tower in London's Canary Wharf if Prime Minister Keir Starmer is removed and replaced by a government hostile to banks. While reaffirming the firm's broader strategy in the U.K., Jamie Dimon pointed to political risks, the bank's tax burden …
As Kevin Warsh prepares to assume leadership of the U.S. Federal Reserve, a pivotal decision looms: whether to submit an interest rate projection and corresponding "dot" in the Fed's June Summary of Economic Projections (SEP). With the Fed meeting set for June 16-17 and Warsh's confirmation and swearing-in timing uncertain, the choice to supply or …
Negotiations between Samsung Electronics and its South Korean union ended without agreement after intensive, government-mediated discussions. The impasse has prompted an emergency ministerial meeting and a government directive to prevent any strike, as an 18-day stoppage beginning May 21 could disrupt chip deliveries, lift prices and strain an expo…
Former Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Wednesday he believed the yen was unlikely to weaken beyond 160 per dollar, noting authorities appeared to be defending that threshold with intervention. Kuroda argued that a dollar/yen rate near 120-130 better reflects Japan's economic fundamentals, and he pointed to rising oil import costs sin…
Kevin Warsh is poised to assume leadership of the U.S. central bank with an agenda that targets how the Federal Reserve analyzes the economy, talks to markets and manages its large bond holdings. While his proposals touch multiple technical and communication areas - including the Fed's balance sheet, the Summary of Economic Projections and the role…
British 10-year government bond yields climbed to levels not seen since 2008 as domestic political uncertainty and broader inflation risks push up the price of government borrowing. Market participants cite Prime Minister Keir Starmer's political vulnerability, memories of the Liz Truss mini-budget episode, higher energy-driven inflation risks, and…
A sharp increase in global energy prices linked to the Iran war has intensified pressure on India’s external accounts, prompting government and central bank interventions to protect the economy. The energy shock has raised import costs, driven foreign portfolio outflows of more than $20 billion and is forecast to expand the current account deficit …
UBS Global Wealth Management has revised its U.S. monetary policy outlook, postponing expected rate cuts after April's inflation spike and stronger-than-expected employment data. The wealth arm now anticipates 25 basis point cuts in December 2026 and March 2027, reversing earlier forecasts for reductions later this year. Rising oil prices tied to t…
The continuing conflict in the Middle East has begun to exert measurable stress across global markets. Sharp currency declines in Asia, renewed yen weakness, rising food and fuel costs, airline sector turmoil and renewed volatility in bond markets are among the pressure points. Policymakers and companies are reacting with interventions and operatio…
Fitch Ratings says South Korea has capacity to deploy fiscal measures to cushion the economy from fallout tied to the Middle East conflict, supported by stronger public finances stemming from a boom in AI-driven chip exports. The agency highlights a need for fiscal stabilization should external pressures lift inflation while monetary policy remains…
U.S. equity futures were largely unchanged as President Donald Trump travels to China for talks with Xi Jinping. The conflict between the U.S. and Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz continue to weigh on sentiment and keep oil prices well above pre-conflict levels. Cisco Systems will report results for fiscal periods ending in Ap…
In April, Japanese investors shifted to net sellers of foreign stocks for the first time in four months, offloading 636.4 billion yen amid worries about rising energy costs tied to the Iran conflict and the prospect of wider inflation. Sales of foreign bonds slowed to a three-month low, while distinct investor groups showed contrasting behavior, wi…
A family-run toy maker in southern China says a one-day tariff rollback between Washington and Beijing last year prevented the firm from collapsing. The company, which shifted some production toward Vietnam, rerouted moulds at the eleventh hour after a trade truce on May 12 last year. The episode highlights how tariff swings, export curbs and commo…
The Bank of Thailand said it will not rush to raise interest rates after a unanimous decision to keep the one-day repurchase rate at 1.00%. Minutes from the central bank's April 29 policy meeting indicate supply-side inflation should ease next year, but near-term inflation may rise temporarily due to higher energy prices and cost pass-throughs. The…
Australia's Labor government has moved to reduce tax incentives for property investors in a bid to improve access to home ownership for younger Australians. Changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax form the centrepiece of the federal budget, but measures will be grandfathered for existing investors, leading economists to predict only modes…
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government has moved to reduce tax advantages for property investors by curbing deductions and replacing a flat 50% capital gains tax discount for assets held more than a year with an indexation-linked measure. The changes were framed around intergenerational fairness and have drawn praise from many prospective fir…
