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.
5,112 total articles
A new analysis from the Institute for Macroeconomics and Economic Research (IMK) finds a marked increase in the probability that Germany will enter a recession in the second quarter, citing elevated energy prices following the Iran war, deteriorating financial market indicators and worsening business sentiment. The IMK monthly business cycle indica…
Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun has filed a federal lawsuit in California against World Liberty Financial, the digital currency company co-founded by U.S. President Donald Trump and his sons, alleging the firm unlawfully froze and threatened to delete his holdings of WLFI tokens. The complaint claims World Liberty installed hidden controls that prev…
Major purchasing managers' surveys and corporate statements this week indicate the economic fallout from the Iran war is broadening beyond energy markets. Euro zone activity slipped into contraction in April, input costs surged, and services sectors weakened even as some regions and industries temporarily accelerated output to pre-empt supply disru…
A poll of 85 economists conducted between April 17 and Wednesday finds near-unanimous expectation that the European Central Bank will leave its deposit rate at 2% on April 30, with just over half forecasting a 25 basis-point increase in June as policymakers weigh the inflationary effects of higher energy costs tied to the Middle East conflict.
A poll of 85 economists conducted April 17-23 finds most expect the European Central Bank to keep its deposit rate steady at the April 30 meeting but that a slim majority anticipate a 25 basis-point increase in June to counter war-driven energy price pressures. Economists disagree on further tightening, reflecting uncertainty over whether higher fu…
American Express reported first-quarter results that exceeded analyst forecasts as higher-income customers continued to spend on travel and discretionary items. Billed business rose 9% to $428 billion on a foreign exchange-adjusted basis, revenue climbed 10% to $18.9 billion, and adjusted earnings per share reached $4.28, ahead of consensus. The co…
Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts called on the UK government to step in to protect the entire food supply chain from rising energy costs connected to recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, arguing support is needed to prevent upward pressure on grocery prices. He made the appeal after Sainsbury’s published its full-year results, pointing to …
A Confederation of British Industry survey published on Thursday shows UK manufacturers at their most pessimistic since the early pandemic. Measures of business optimism and order books fell sharply while the gauge of expected prices recorded its largest month-on-month rise since records began in 1975. Investment plans for buildings, plant and mach…
Citi said it cannot dismiss the chance that the Bank of Korea will deliver a preemptive rate increase at its May 28 monetary policy meeting if the central bank raises its 2026 growth and inflation projections. The bank now models a higher median forward six-month conditional policy rate and expects upward revisions to both GDP and CPI forecasts, ci…
Business sentiment among British manufacturers weakened to its weakest level since April 2020, the Confederation of British Industry reported. Investment intentions for buildings, plant and machinery and training hit their lowest point since that month, while measures of optimism, order books and expected prices all deteriorated sharply in April.
U.S. equity markets have recovered sharply from March lows as diplomatic progress over the Iran conflict, resilient first-quarter earnings and expectations for AI-related spending prompt investors to re-enter positions. Market participants cite a fear of missing out as fresh flows push major indices to recent highs, with technology, industrials, fi…
On April 23, almost five months after the catastrophic fire at Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court, Jason Kong returned with his son to the charred remains of his apartment to recover mementoes of his dog and a few personal items. The blaze on November 26 tore through seven 31-storey blocks in Tai Po, killing 168 people and taking firefighters nearly two da…
A statement from Karex's chief executive that the world's largest condom maker may raise prices by 20%-30% has gone viral on Chinese social media, generating over 60 million views and spurring conversations about stockpiling. The online reaction comes as China faces rising family-planning costs after the removal of a long-standing tax exemption on …
U.S. equity futures fell as traders weighed an uncertain path toward renewed talks between Washington and Tehran despite a recent ceasefire extension. Crude oil reclaimed levels above $100 a barrel on concerns that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz could tighten supply. Separately, Tesla pared its post-earnings gains after CEO comments tempered e…
India's private-sector activity accelerated in April, driven by a stronger manufacturing rebound and continued services expansion, according to a flash composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI). Input cost inflation eased from March but remained elevated, while exporters reported mixed performance amid disruptions linked to the Middle East war. Em…
Asian equities initially rose on momentum from Wall Street, reaching record levels in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, supported by strong corporate and economic datapoints. However, gains were swiftly pared as renewed tensions in the Middle East - including the seizure of ships in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S.-Iran naval encounters - elevated energy…
Senate Republicans are advancing a non-binding budget resolution that would open the path to $70 billion in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol across the next three years. The measure, moving through an extended 'vote-a-rama' session, sidesteps Democratic demands for additional operational safeguards for immigration a…
Foreign investors poured a net 2.38 trillion yen into Japanese equities in the week through April 18, driven by gains in AI-linked technology stocks and improved risk appetite tied to hopes for a Middle East ceasefire. While equities saw heavy foreign demand, overseas investors reduced holdings of long-term Japanese government bonds, and domestic i…
The Bank of Japan is widely expected to leave its short-term policy rate unchanged at its April meeting while indicating a willingness to increase rates as soon as June, amid concerns that a Middle East conflict and rising energy costs could push inflation higher. Markets have largely discounted an immediate hike, so the focus will be on the BOJ's …
The U.S. dollar remained close to a 1-1/2-week high as a renewed standoff between Iran and the United States pushed oil prices back above $100 a barrel. Tehran's seizure of two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and an indefinite extension of a ceasefire by the U.S. president, with no progress on restarting talks, have left the waterway effectively cl…
Japan's manufacturing sector accelerated in April to its most vigorous expansion since January 2022, driven by firms ramping up production amid worries about potential supply disruptions tied to rising tensions in the Middle East. The S&P Global flash data showed a sharp rise in the manufacturing PMI and a record jump in the output sub-index, while…
Senate Republicans prepared to advance a $70 billion, three-year funding blueprint for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol through a nonbinding budget resolution, a step intended to break a partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. Democrats have pressed for legal and operational guardrails for immigration…
South Korea's economy expanded 1.7% in the first quarter of 2026 from the previous three months, the Bank of Korea reported, marking the fastest quarterly gain since the third quarter of 2020. A 5.1% rise in exports - driven by shipments of IT components including semiconductors used in AI infrastructure - was the primary engine of growth. Private …
New inflows to private credit vehicles aimed at high-net-worth investors fell 45% in the first quarter versus the same period in 2025, according to RA Stanger. Non-traded business development company sales plunged to $8.9 billion from $16.3 billion a year earlier, while real estate and infrastructure strategies drew more capital.
U.S. equities rallied on April 22 with the Nasdaq rising to a fresh record and the S&P 500 closing at a new high, driven by optimism around technology and corporate earnings. That risk appetite persisted despite Brent crude returning above $100 a barrel on renewed worries about the Middle East and requests from some U.S. allies for dollar swap line…
