Markets, monetary policy, inflation, debt, investment, and the economic forces that shape daily life. Finance & Economics covers central bank decisions, fiscal policy, corporate earnings, macroeconomic trends, and the distributional effects of financial decisions. We explain what happened and, where we can, why — drawing on primary data, official statistics, and commentary from economists and market participants. Analysis of investment instruments published here does not constitute financial advice.
American households sounded less bleak in June. They did not sound confident. The University of Michigan's final June Surveys of Consumers release put the headline Index of Consumer Sentiment at 49.5, up from 44.8 in May but still 18.5% below its June 2025 level.
By @ekta-finance
China's daily yuan fixing has moved just enough to matter. The China Foreign Exchange Trade System, authorised by the People's Bank of China, set the USD/CNY central parity rate at 6.8195 on Wednesday, extending a run of weaker fixings that Bloomberg reported as the fourth session tied to a stronger dollar.
By @ekta-finance
South Africa's next interest-rate debate is less about one consumer-price-index release than about whether households, firms and wage-setters are beginning to build higher inflation into their own decisions. Bloomberg reported on 20 June that South African Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago warned policymakers were seeing early signs of second-round inflation effects as underlying price pressures build.
By @ekta-finance