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.
6,527 total articles
Argentina's consumer price index rose 2.1% in May, down from 2.6% in April and slightly below market forecasts. The national statistics agency reported seasonal items, particularly vegetables, as the main contributors to monthly inflation, while annual inflation rose to 33.2% from 32.4% the prior month.
Tanzania unveiled a 62.3 trillion shilling ($23.8 billion) state budget for the coming fiscal year, a 10% increase from the prior period, with three quarters of funding expected from domestic revenue after a sharp reduction in foreign development assistance. Finance Minister Khamis Omar presented the plan in Dodoma, highlighting priorities for infr…
The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that inclusion on a United States sanctions list does not, by itself, justify refusing a basic bank account to a legal EU resident. The decision stemmed from a 2022 case in which a Slovenian bank, identified in the ruling as Nova Kreditna Banka Maribor and now owned by OTP Group, declined to open…
The International Monetary Fund reduced its 2026 growth projection for the 21-country euro area to 0.9% from 1.1% projected in April and lifted its inflation forecast to 2.8% from 2.6%, attributing the revisions to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and flagging risks from prolonged energy price pressures. The IMF cautioned against broad fiscal packages …
Two ECB sources say a pause at the July 22 meeting is more likely than an immediate follow-up increase provided energy prices remain stable. Officials raised rates on Thursday for the first time in almost three years to counter inflation; further hikes are still anticipated in official projections if inflation fails to improve.
European Central Bank policymakers are inclined to keep interest rates unchanged at the July meeting unless energy prices jump or core inflation unexpectedly accelerates, according to two sources at the recent meeting where the bank delivered its first rate rise in nearly three years. While a pause in July is viewed as more likely, ECB projections …
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has activated a formal emergency response after New World screwworm - a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on warm-blooded tissue - was identified in livestock in the United States for the first time in decades. The CDC convened a team of career scientists to monitor the situation and coordinate with…
U.S. Treasury yields moved unevenly on Thursday as routine quarterly and semi-annual portfolio rebalancing supported demand for government debt, offsetting concerns tied to a worsening U.S.-Iran situation and stronger-than-expected domestic producer price inflation for May. Data showing a 1.1% monthly rise in the Producer Price Index for final dema…
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Washington will draw on frozen Iranian accounts to reimburse Gulf partners for damage attributed to Iran, warning that continued strikes will increase Tehran’s economic costs. Iran has demanded the return of roughly $24 billion in frozen assets and rejected U.S. plans to use those funds for regional r…
As the World Cup begins, Nike is using the global tournament to rebuild retail partnerships and energize its soccer business, but the company faces entrenched competition from Adidas and lingering doubts from analysts about the strength of its turnaround. While visible merchandising and a high-profile advertising push aim to restore brand momentum,…
Senior national security officials from the United Arab Emirates and Iran held an in-person meeting this week - their first since the US-Israeli war against Tehran began in late February. People familiar with the discussions say both sides see value in improving ties, with Abu Dhabi motivated by a desire to reduce tensions while safeguarding major …
The World Bank has lowered its projection for global GDP growth in 2026 to 2.5%, citing the economic fallout from the ongoing war in the Middle East. The bank says a more severe energy shock that disrupts markets could cut growth to 1.3%, while baseline assumptions include higher oil prices and a rise in headline inflation to 4%. Regional forecasts…
Kenya has revised its 2026 GDP growth projection down to 5.3%, Treasury Secretary John Mbadi said in the 2026-27 budget speech, attributing the adjustment to disruptions tied to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The government signalled that food prices should remain stable owing to favourable weather and a steady exchange rate, while near-t…
Romania's central bank has formally requested the Competition Council to clarify aspects of its antitrust findings against ten banks, asking which specific rules were breached and challenging comments suggesting that high transparency in trading could be harmful to markets. The bank also said recent increases in money-market rates should be attribu…
Emaar Properties has announced a master-planned urban district in Dubai covering 4.5 million square meters and carrying an estimated development value of 200 billion dirhams. The project is designed to host roughly 150,000 residents across five separate districts and will combine residential towers, villas and mansions with offices, retail, luxury …
A June 1-11 poll of property specialists finds that the sustained level of the 30-year mortgage rate, along with pricey homes, will leave U.S. residential turnover subdued this year and into 2025, with only modest price appreciation forecast. Economists polled separately no longer expect rate cuts this year while markets price a potential December …
The European Central Bank raised interest rates on Thursday, citing rising inflation pressures and the risk that higher energy costs tied to the Iran conflict will spread across the euro area. Inflation in the 21-country currency bloc remains above 3%, well above the ECB's 2% goal. Markets showed modest moves: the euro was little changed, short-ter…
Economists surveyed anticipate that Denmark's central bank will lift its current account rate by 25 basis points to 1.85% from 1.60% at 5 p.m. in Copenhagen, a move aligned with a similar increase by the European Central Bank and intended to uphold the krone's fixed exchange-rate arrangement with the euro.
The European Central Bank raised interest rates on Thursday in a widely signalled step aimed at preventing a surge in energy costs tied to the Iran war from translating into broader inflation. The bank upgraded its inflation outlook and trimmed growth forecasts, underscoring a delicate balance between reining in price pressures and avoiding a deepe…
The European Central Bank increased its main deposit rate to 2.25% from 2%, marking the first rate rise in nearly three years as officials seek to restrain inflation surging above target amid a jump in energy prices linked to the Iran war. Updated staff projections revise inflation higher for 2026 and growth lower for the year ahead.
Lazard says the rapid growth of complex debt instruments in emerging and frontier markets - including contingent bonds, GDP-linked notes and total return swaps - may increase borrowing costs and complicate or delay debt restructurings. The firm calls for enforceable transparency and warns investor exuberance may be underpricing risks.
Argentine sovereign bonds led gains in emerging-market debt after S&P Global Ratings raised the country's sovereign rating to B- from CCC+. The move, announced Wednesday, reflected improved fiscal outcomes and steps by the government to ease liquidity pressures for upcoming foreign-currency debt service. Notes maturing in 2035 were among the bigges…
U.S. Central Command reports that a U.S. aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Guinea-Bissau-flagged M/T Jalveer in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel's crew repeatedly failed to follow directions from U.S. forces. CENTCOM said the Jalveer was attempting to transport Iranian oil through an American blockade. The action is …
A Bloomberg Z-score assessment of U.S. dollar-denominated investment grade technology debt shows select IBM and Dell bonds trading significantly tighter than their peer group averages, while several Broadcom-related securities displayed unusually wide spreads. The analysis highlights relative spread moves in primary tech issuers including Qualcomm …
Kazakhstan will raise its national minimum monthly wage in 2027, with the government to decide the exact increase after August 1. The current floor is 85,000 tenge (about $174) and was left unchanged for 2026. Officials are also weighing pay rises for government and other workers, while the central bank says the move is unlikely to materially boost…
