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.
5,116 total articles
Finland's central bank governor Olli Rehn told a Washington conference that the European Central Bank still has an opportunity to treat the recent oil-driven uptick in inflation as a short-lived event, provided the shock does not trigger lingering price and wage pressures or shift long-term inflation expectations.
CFTC Chair Michael Selig testified to the House Agriculture Committee that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission will continue issuing rules and carrying out its regulatory responsibilities despite having only one of five commissioners currently seated. Selig emphasized the need to maintain investor and consumer protections and market safeguards…
Spain's finance minister Carlos Cuerpo urged the European Union to expand joint debt issuance through the European Commission, saying the move could generate a large euro-denominated safe asset, reduce borrowing costs and save taxpayers money. Speaking in Washington at the Peterson Institute during the IMF and World Bank spring meetings, Cuerpo qua…
Anthropic on Thursday released Claude Opus 4.7, an incremental upgrade focused on software engineering and vision improvements. The model can process much larger images than earlier Claude versions, includes new user controls and security measures, and is available across major cloud platforms and Anthropic’s API at the same pricing as Opus 4.6.
The Bank of England says it is actively modelling how artificial intelligence could affect financial stability, using scenario analysis and simulations to probe risks such as herding behaviour and cyber vulnerability exposure. In a letter to the Treasury Committee, Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden set out work with international counterparts and defen…
The International Monetary Fund reported constructive consultations with Senegal this week over a prospective financing arrangement, but IMF Africa Director Abebe Selassie emphasized that further analysis and time are required to devise a credible, financeable plan to tackle a reported $13 billion in undisclosed debt and revive a halted $1.8 billio…
China’s foreign minister said on Thursday that prompting the United States and Iran to return to negotiations is a priority, arguing the prolonged conflict is seriously affecting international energy security and shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Wang Yi made the remarks in Beijing while meeting Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani a…
New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said uncertainty about the economic outlook - amplified by the Middle East conflict - limits the central bank's ability to provide firm forward guidance on interest rates. He reiterated that the Fed is positioned appropriately today, signaled that rates could be cut if inflation returned to 2%, and w…
U.S. industrial production declined in March, driven by a 0.1% drop in manufacturing output and broad weakness across motor vehicles, mining and utilities. Overall industrial output fell 0.5% for the month despite upward revisions to February, while capacity utilization eased and year-over-year growth remained positive.
European Central Bank board member Isabel Schnabel said the ECB began the current inflation shock from a comparatively strong starting point because the euro area resolved many economic and financial imbalances over the last decade. She highlighted greater resilience, dissipated imbalances and tighter sovereign spreads as factors that allowed the b…
A senior International Monetary Fund official recommended that Japan begin a measured increase in interest rates and keep fiscal support narrowly targeted, citing resilient domestic demand, improving wage dynamics and projected inflation convergence to the Bank of Japan's 2% target by 2027. The guidance comes ahead of an upcoming BOJ policy meeting…
The German government has revised down its growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027 and raised inflation expectations, citing increased oil and gas prices tied to the Iran conflict. The government now projects 0.5% growth for this year and 0.9% for 2027, and anticipates inflation of 2.7% in 2026 and 2.8% in 2027. The International Monetary Fund has also …
TPG's Rise Fund is investing $100 million in Zum, a student transportation software and services provider, in a transaction that places the company at an approximate $1.7 billion valuation. The funding follows Zum reaching breakeven adjusted EBITDA and lifts its total capital raised to $430 million. The cash will support expansion into additional s…
President Vladimir Putin pressed his economic team to produce concrete plans to revive an economy that he said contracted sharply in the opening months of the year. Officials and central bank leaders briefed him on measures to stimulate activity while pointing to labour shortages, external pressures and shifting commodity markets that complicate po…
Capital Economics warns that Dubai's recent real estate surge is at risk due to sharp declines in tourist arrivals and hotel occupancy since the Iran war began, combined with a large pipeline of new hotel rooms and housing that could amplify any slowdown in demand. While government-related entities have reduced borrowing in recent years, the firm s…
Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said the war in the Middle East is already pushing up energy prices and lifting overall inflation. He warned that if disruptions persist the conflict could trigger a large supply shock that raises inflation while damping economic activity. Williams reiterated the Fed's commitment to returning…
Minutes from the European Central Bank's March meeting show officials were reluctant to raise interest rates prematurely despite concerns that the Iran war could trigger a renewed energy-driven inflation surge. The ECB left its policy rate at 2% and signalled a likely decision to hold again in April unless incoming data points to a sustained rise i…
John Williams, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, said the war in the Middle East is contributing to higher energy prices that are feeding through to inflation. Speaking at the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York 2026 Member Symposium, Williams noted signs of supply-chain disruption and rising fuel costs affecting airfares, groceries…
A member of the European Central Bank's decision-making circle said the bank cannot rule out an interest rate increase at its April 30 meeting even though energy prices currently sit near the ECB's baseline path and large second-round inflation effects have not yet materialised. Policymaker Martins Kazaks stressed that meetings remain 'live' and th…
The International Monetary Fund cautions that Asia is more vulnerable than other regions to an energy shock linked to a prolonged Middle East conflict because of its large dependence on oil and gas imports. While regional growth entered 2026 supported by lower-than-expected U.S. tariffs, a strong technology export cycle and loose financial conditio…
Bahrain's sovereign and corporate bonds have strengthened following a two-week truce between the US and Iran, with intermediate and long-end option-adjusted spreads reported narrower than before the conflict. The rally comes despite missile and drone strikes linked to the outbreak of the Iran war on Feb. 28, and amid persistent fiscal pressures inc…
A survey of roughly 1,700 German manufacturers released Thursday by industry lobby group DIHK finds a drop in the share of firms planning investments in the United States, while interest in China and the Asia-Pacific region has risen. The report links the shift to trade tensions with the U.S., and highlights the euro area as the leading destination…
Turkey said it will continue to back negotiations between the United States and Iran, urging both sides to adopt a constructive approach. The Turkish Defence Ministry reiterated support for converting the current ceasefire into a permanent truce and lasting peace. U.S. and Iranian officials may return to Pakistan for more talks as soon as this week…
A planned handover to Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair appears increasingly uncertain as Senator Thom Tillis has vowed to block confirmation until a Justice Department investigation into Jerome Powell’s oversight of Fed headquarters renovations concludes. With Powell’s term ending May 15 and the Senate Banking Committee slated to hold Warsh’s h…
Top U.S. banks posted a mixed set of first-quarter results as volatility tied to Middle East tensions and sector-specific selloffs lifted trading revenues but clouded the outlook for investment banking and dealmaking. Interest income rose with renewed loan demand, credit quality showed limited deterioration, and profits at major banks generally bea…
