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Economy

Economy

Buy British push targets four UK strategic sectors

Buy British procurement rules will steer UK contracts toward shipbuilding, steel, AI and energy suppliers as Reeves turns spending into industrial policy.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

30-year fixed mortgage rates in 2026: what they signal

30-year fixed mortgage rates in 2026 are tracking Treasury yields, lender spreads and housing demand, keeping affordability tight near 6.65 per cent.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

Bank of Israel cuts rate to 3.75% as US-Iran talks advance

Bank of Israel lowered its benchmark rate to 3.75 per cent as inflation eased, the shekel strengthened and US-Iran ceasefire talks reduced pressure on the economy.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

Singapore Warns Economic Outlook Dims Despite First Quarter Beat

Singapore's first quarter GDP grew 6 per cent year-on-year, beating consensus, but the trade ministry warned the outlook has weakened as the Strait of Hormuz disruption clouds global trade.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

Bank of Israel cuts rates to 3.75% on shekel surge, Iran hopes

The Bank of Israel lowered its base rate by 25 basis points to 3.75% as the shekel hit a 33-year high and ceasefire talks with Iran progressed, marking the first easing since the conflict began in February.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

Student loan forgiveness 2026: what changed and what to do

Student loan forgiveness 2026 changed when SAVE ended, RAP replaced it and PSLF rules tightened. Here is what borrowers need to do next.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

Consumer inflation expectations complicate Warsh's Fed

Consumer inflation expectations are rising just as Kevin Warsh takes over, making Fed rate cuts harder even if the oil shock fades.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

Student loan repayment 2026: how July changes bills

Student loan repayment changes in July 2026 could raise monthly bills, narrow plan choices and give SAVE borrowers 90 days to switch.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

Asia energy shock is turning into a currency and growth test

Asia energy shock is pushing oil-importing economies into weaker currencies, higher inflation and tougher subsidy choices as growth slows.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

Bond traders price a tougher Warsh Fed than the White House wants

Kevin Warsh's Fed is already shifting Treasury pricing toward 2026 hike bets, lifting yields as traders test how hawkish the new chair will be.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

Hormuz reopening nears as Iran offers uranium concession

Hormuz reopening moved closer after Iran signaled it could surrender enriched uranium for sanctions relief under a 60-day framework.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

US debt interest bill rises as Iran war lifts yields

US debt interest costs are rising as Iran-war-driven Treasury yields add about $8bn this fiscal year and push mortgage rates back toward 7%.

By Sloane Carrington
Economy

Consumer sentiment hits record low as Dow hits record high

The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index plunged to an all-time low of 44.8 in May 2026 even as the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a record 51,032, exposing a historic divergence between Wall Street optimism and household financial distress driven by war-fuelled inflation.

By Sloane Carrington
Economy

ECB inflation outlook to rise in June, Lagarde signals

Christine Lagarde said the ECB is likely to raise its inflation outlook in June, signalling that Europe's energy shock is still feeding through the wider economy.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

Student loan overhaul leaves Class of 2026 with harsher bills

Student loan overhaul is hitting new graduates from three directions: higher borrowing costs, tighter federal caps and a shakier repayment system.

By Sloane Carrington
Economy

Public service loan forgiveness limits move toward July 1

Public service loan forgiveness limits moved closer after Senate Republicans let the Trump rule stand, raising repayment risk for teachers and nurses.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

The Iran war is draining the old petrodollar cushion

Petrodollar recycling is weakening as the Iran war keeps oil high, lifts Treasury yields and removes a familiar Gulf cushion for global demand.

By Sloane Carrington
Economy

PCE inflation nears 4% as energy shock tests the Fed

PCE inflation is headed toward 4 per cent as war-driven energy costs lift the Fed’s preferred gauge, hardening the case for higher-for-longer rates.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

What PCE is and why the Fed prefers it to CPI

PCE is the inflation gauge the Federal Reserve prefers because it captures a broader slice of spending, adjusts faster to changing consumption patterns and sits inside the national accounts.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

Bangladesh central bank launches $5bn fund to restart growth

Bangladesh central bank launched a $5 billion growth fund to reopen factories, support small-business credit and shore up 3.0 per cent growth.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

US-China trade gap keeps tariffs in play after APEC

APEC showed the US and China still far apart on trade, leaving tariff and supply-chain disputes in play for inflation and markets.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

World Bank crisis funds: 27 countries line up after Iran war

World Bank crisis funds are drawing 27 countries into emergency planning after the Iran war, signalling wider sovereign liquidity strain.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

The quiet tariff-refund race eases cost pressure

Tariff refunds are giving US companies a quiet margin boost, slowing some price hikes even as executives avoid advertising the windfall.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

UK borrowing and retail sales tell the same energy story

UK borrowing and retail sales flashed the same April warning: £24.3bn of borrowing and a 1.3 per cent sales fall as fuel costs bit.

By Helena Brandt
Economy

Kevin Warsh takes Fed chair as inflation clouds rate cuts

Kevin Warsh took over as Federal Reserve chair on Friday as sticky inflation and higher Treasury yields kept traders skeptical of quick rate cuts.

By Helena Brandt