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

5,100 total articles

U.S. Treasury’s Scott Bessent and China’s He Lifeng Hold Preparatory Talks in South Korea Ahead of Beijing Summit

U.S. Treasury’s Scott Bessent and China’s He Lifeng Hold Preparatory Talks in South Korea Ahead of Beijing Summit

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met in Incheon, South Korea, beginning talks aimed at preparing for a summit in Beijing between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The discussions, which began at the airport after separate meetings with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, are expe…

Trump to Press Xi to 'Open Up' China During Three-Day State Visit

Trump to Press Xi to 'Open Up' China During Three-Day State Visit

President Donald Trump said he will ask Chinese President Xi Jinping to open China to Western businesses as his first request during a three-day state visit. Traveling aboard Air Force One with a delegation of major U.S. corporate leaders, Trump signaled the trip will cover trade tariffs, artificial intelligence and Taiwan. The visit - the first by…

OECD Forecasts Japanese Interest Rates Reaching 2% by Late 2027

OECD Forecasts Japanese Interest Rates Reaching 2% by Late 2027

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released a report projecting that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will elevate its short-term policy rate to 2% by the end of 2027. This movement from the current level of 0.75% is expected as the Japanese economy undergoes a significant structural transition. According to the OECD, robu…

US Dollar Strengthens Amid Surging Inflation and Escalating Middle East Tensions

US Dollar Strengthens Amid Surging Inflation and Escalating Middle East Tensions

The U.S. dollar approached a one-week high on Wednesday, bolstered by an unexpected rise in inflation data and heightened geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East. As consumer prices climbed more sharply than expected, Treasury yields moved higher, fueling speculation regarding Federal Reserve monetary policy. Concurrently, stalled peace discuss…

Trump Organization Abandons Gold Coast Skyscraper Project Over Partner Defaults

Trump Organization Abandons Gold Coast Skyscraper Project Over Partner Defaults

The Trump Organization has officially terminated its plans to construct its inaugural skyscraper in Australia. The decision comes less than three months after a deal was struck to develop a massive 91-storey tower on the Gold Coast, a prominent tourist and seaside destination located in Queensland. The project, valued at approximately A$1.5 billion…

Brazil Reverses Import Tax on Low-Value E-commerce Goods Amid Election Cycle

Brazil Reverses Import Tax on Low-Value E-commerce Goods Amid Election Cycle

In a strategic move ahead of the upcoming October elections, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has signed an executive order that eliminates federal taxes on foreign imports valued at up to $50. This decision marks a significant reversal from previous policy regarding cross-border e-commerce. The new measure is intended to reduce the pr…

Nagel Signals Increasing Probability of ECB Rate Hikes Amid Rising Inflation Risks

Nagel Signals Increasing Probability of ECB Rate Hikes Amid Rising Inflation Risks

Joachim Nagel, President of the Bundesbank, has indicated that interest rate increases by the European Central Bank (ECB) are becoming increasingly probable. In an interview with Handelsblatt, Nagel suggested that unless there is a significant shift in the current inflationary outlook, monetary tightening may be necessary to maintain price stabilit…

USDA Bans Ten Lenders from Rural Development Program Over Compliance Issues

USDA Bans Ten Lenders from Rural Development Program Over Compliance Issues

In a significant regulatory move, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the formal exclusion of ten lending institutions from its Rural Development OneRD Guaranteed Lending Program. This decision follows an assessment by federal officials regarding the conduct of these specific lenders. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated …

U.S. Posts Reduced $215 Billion April Surplus as Refunds and Outlays Rise

U.S. Posts Reduced $215 Billion April Surplus as Refunds and Outlays Rise

The U.S. Treasury reported a $215 billion budget surplus for April, a decline of $43 billion, or 17%, from the $258 billion recorded a year earlier. The reduction reflects larger individual tax refunds and higher outlays, including increased interest costs and military expenditures tied to the war in Iran. Corporate receipts were weaker and customs…

Bundesbank's Nagel Says Iran Conflict Could Force ECB to Raise Rates

Bundesbank's Nagel Says Iran Conflict Could Force ECB to Raise Rates

Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel warned that the conflict in Iran and elevated energy costs could prompt the European Central Bank to raise interest rates. Nagel said rate hikes are becoming more likely if the inflation outlook does not change significantly, noting supply shocks can ripple through many categories of goods and that the euro-area e…

EIA Sees U.S. Electricity Use Climbing to New Highs Through 2027

EIA Sees U.S. Electricity Use Climbing to New Highs Through 2027

The Energy Information Administration projects consecutive record U.S. electricity consumption in 2025, 2026 and 2027, driven largely by data centers supporting artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, along with expanding electrification in buildings and transport. The EIA expects commercial electricity use to outpace residential consumption in…

U.S. Agencies Move Forward on $35.5 Billion in Tariff Refunds After Court Ruling

U.S. Agencies Move Forward on $35.5 Billion in Tariff Refunds After Court Ruling

Federal agencies are processing more than $35.5 billion in tariff refunds to importers via an online portal after the Supreme Court found the president's tariff authority under IEEPA unlawful. The Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries tool has validated tens of thousands of declarations since its April 20 launch, while millions of i…

Anthropic Rolls Out Dozen Legal-Focused Tools for Claude Chatbot

Anthropic Rolls Out Dozen Legal-Focused Tools for Claude Chatbot

Anthropic PBC has introduced 12 legal-specific capabilities for its Claude chatbot, including a commercial counsel module for vendor agreement review and a bar exam preparation feature. The upgrades add integrations with DocuSign and Thomson Reuters products and a link to rival legal AI service Harvey. Paid users can access the tools through Claude…

Senate Approves Warsh for Fed Board; Chair Vote Expected This Week

Senate Approves Warsh for Fed Board; Chair Vote Expected This Week

The Senate voted 51-45 on Tuesday to confirm Kevin Warsh to a 14-year term on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Lawmakers are set to hold a separate confirmation for the chairmanship later this week, with a procedural move expected soon and a final vote likely on Wednesday. The nomination unfolds amid political pressure on the Fed over intere…

Senate Confirms Warsh as Fed Governor, Sets Up Swift Vote for Chairmanship

Senate Confirms Warsh as Fed Governor, Sets Up Swift Vote for Chairmanship

The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Kevin Warsh to a full 14-year term as a governor of the Federal Reserve, advancing a parallel process to install him as chair as soon as Wednesday. The 51-45 confirmation, carried with a single Democrat joining Republicans, follows a cloture vote to begin consideration of Warsh's separate four-year term as Fed chair…

Cash and Confidence Propel U.S. Corporate Credit Rally Despite Geopolitical Risk

Cash and Confidence Propel U.S. Corporate Credit Rally Despite Geopolitical Risk

U.S. corporate bond markets have tightened significantly, driven by ample liquidity, resilient corporate fundamentals and strong investor demand. Investment-grade spreads are close to record lows while high-yield spreads have narrowed to levels not seen since September. Elevated issuance, anchored bank reserves and growing insurer participation are…

Private credit managers push portfolio values down as BDCs face mounting pressure

Private credit managers push portfolio values down as BDCs face mounting pressure

Filings from a set of 14 large business development companies (BDCs) show that private credit portfolios were marked lower in the first quarter, with the aggregate fair value-to-cost ratio sliding to 98.55% and roughly $1.2 billion of investments carried below amortized cost. Individual firms recorded sharp downgrades to fair value ratios and mater…