It also sees the European Central Bank as having concluded its easing cycle. The dollar edged up against the euro and the yen, but remained within striking distance of Friday’s lows, after weak U.S. jobs data boosted bets on Federal Reserve rate cuts and triggered a sharp selloff in the greenback. Investors are awaiting services […]
The tariff framework will apply broadly to EU exports, except for steel and aluminium, the official said. The 15% rate will also apply to cars and car parts, with no quotas or limits. The 15% tariff that European Union goods face when entering the United States is all-inclusive, unlike the deals some other countries have […]
The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade was down 0.2% at $5.15-1/2 a bushel. Chicago wheat futures eased on Tuesday to approach their lowest since 2020 as seasonal supply pressure from Northern Hemisphere harvests weighed on the market. Corn edged down to set fresh contract lows, with steady U.S. crop conditions and […]
Trump’s threats come amid renewed concerns about oil demand and some analysts expect faltering economic growth in the second half of the year Oil slipped about 1% on Tuesday as rising OPEC+ supply and worries of weaker global demand countered concern about U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to India over its Russian oil purchases. The […]
The role of non-bank financial intermediaries in funding markets and financial crises has increased in recent decades. This column examines the rise of the sector and the roles these intermediaries play in liquidity shock transmission. The growth of the non-bank financial intermediation sector can be attributed to technological changes, demographic shifts, and tighter regulation of […]
The most economically prosperous and gender-equal societies often display stronger gender segregation in educational choices – a pattern known as the ‘gender equality paradox’. This column explores this paradox using data on half a million children in 37 Western countries and 10,000 British families over two decades. The findings suggest that gender segregation in education […]
We live in a world overflowing with data, yet turning this abundance into economic growth and job creation remains a significant challenge. Cloud computing has emerged as a powerful tool for this transformation, especially in developing economies. Traditionally, firms in these countries have faced barriers to accessing computing power, largely due to the high upfront […]
What makes a country a great place to start and grow a business? Among low-income economies across the world, only 29% have a single centralized website dedicated to providing regulatory information pertaining to international trade. In high-income economies, the same number stands at 67% . The World Bank’s new Business Ready (B-READY) project shines a light on this […]
Imagine a truckload of fresh mangoes grown by smallholder farmers in Sri Lanka. The fruit is ripe, fragrant, and ready for export. But instead of heading straight to market, it sits at the border waiting for inspections, test results, and paper certifications. Hours turn into days. By the time the mangoes reach their destination, some […]
Understanding differences in firm responses to macroeconomic shocks is key for designing policy actions. This column identifies 67 macro shocks using ‘jump’ days in the US stock market over 2020-2022. It measures firm exposures using individual stock returns and, crucially, discussions of business risk factors in corporate filings. These exposures are largely uncorrelated for different […]
