Today's Global Economy Pulse
Fed's Kashkari warns inflation remains far too high
Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari told CNBC that headline CPI was 3.8% in April and core CPI rose 2.8% year‑over‑year. He said the persistent price pressure could unanchor consumer expectations and may force the Federal Reserve to act more aggressively.
Trucking Jobs Post Slight Decline in Unexpected Total Payroll Drop
The February nonfarm payroll report showed an unexpected 92,000‑job decline, with truck transportation employment slipping by 500 to 1,462,500 positions. This marks a 22,100‑job shortfall compared with a year earlier and a net loss of 4,700 jobs since December. Warehouse employment posted a modest gain but still trails December’s figure. Analysts link the trucking dip to tightening freight capacity, weather‑induced volatility, and lingering demand uncertainty.
US Wins Over Iran, Reshapes Global Oil Power
"U.S. Success Against Iran Could Be a Game Changer for World Oil Security," @WSJ https://t.co/ICXqOkIlg2 If Iran, along with Venezuela, is soon ruled by a regime friendly or at least not hostile toward the U.S., that would neutralize two oil exporters...
Hajjar Chemali Interviewed on CNN Discussing the Growing Economic Collapse Inside Iran
In a recent CNN interview, political analyst Hajjar Chemali warned that Iran’s economy is spiraling toward collapse. He highlighted hyperinflation, a depreciating rial, and shrinking oil revenues as core drivers. Chemali also noted rising unemployment and mounting public unrest as...
US Stocks: US Retail Sales Decline as Consumer Pullback Deepens
US retail sales slipped 0.2% month‑on‑month in January, bringing total sales to $733.5 billion, though they remain 3.2% higher than a year ago. The decline outperformed the modest growth forecast but was attributed to severe winter weather curbing brick‑and‑mortar traffic. Health‑care,...
Pipeline Gaps and Refinery Shifts Expose California’s Energy Vulnerability
California functions as an “energy island” because it lacks crude‑oil pipelines linking it to major domestic sources such as the Permian Basin. The state now depends on marine imports of heavier Middle‑East crude, which are processed by refineries tuned to...
Fed Stuck as Jobs Slip and Inflation Rises
In an interview with @nytimes, @Austan_Goolsbee describes February's jobs report as a "tough" one, although he stressed the importance of not overreacting to one month of data. He conceded that the combination of a weakening labor market and higher inflation risks...
US Stocks: Fed Rate Cut Bets Rise After Weak Jobs Data
Weak February employment data, showing a loss of 92,000 jobs, coincided with oil prices climbing to $90 a barrel and U.S. gas prices jumping 10%. The mixed signals have revived investor expectations that the Federal Reserve could pivot to a...
Can Reshoring and Onshoring Deliver Manufacturing Sustainability Benefits?
U.S. manufacturers are accelerating reshoring and onshoring, with Apple committing over $500 billion and Johnson & Johnson earmarking $55 billion for domestic production through 2029. Companies cite supply‑chain resilience, tariff pressures, and ESG goals as drivers, while surveys show cost remains the dominant factor...
CMA CGM Adds Direct India-USWC String as Part of Asia Network Overhaul
CMA CGM announced a new standalone service linking India directly to the U.S. West Coast, extending its Pearl River Express loop. The weekly rotation will call at Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Karachi and Colombo, using a fleet of 13 vessels sized between 10,000...
Tesla Sends Canadian Model 3 Inventory to the US as It Expects Chinese EVs Back
Tesla has emptied its Canadian Model 3 inventory and shipped the U.S.-built units back to the United States. The shift follows Canada’s March 1 tariff reduction, which lowered the duty on Chinese‑built EVs to 6.1 % and opened a 49,000‑unit annual quota. Tesla...
Global LNG Crisis: Top Stocks to Watch as Hormuz Remains Blocked & Qatar’s LNG Production Is Halted.
The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, choking a key route for Middle‑East gas shipments, while Qatar has temporarily halted its LNG production, tightening global supply. Spot LNG prices have spiked above $30 per million British thermal units, prompting buyers to...
February Jobs Report: Main Street Lays an Egg
February’s jobs report showed a net loss of 92,000 positions, with the private sector shedding 86,000 jobs and government payrolls down 6,000. The headline unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4%, while the broader U6 underemployment measure fell slightly to 7.9%....
Senegal Cuts Government Agencies to Save Cash Amid Debt Woes
Senegal announced the closure of 19 government agencies, eliminating roughly 1,000 public‑sector jobs. The move is projected to save at least 55 billion CFA francs over the next three years. The decision comes as the country's debt surged to 132% of...
Iran-Israel Clash May Trigger Worldwide Power Showdown
The Iran–Israel war is not just a regional conflict. It may be part of a much larger global escalation cycle. The latest analysis looks at the wider strategic picture and how the current war could evolve into a broader confrontation involving major...
Dollar Falls After Weak U.S. Jobs Data
U.S. non‑farm payrolls unexpectedly dropped 92,000 in February, pushing the unemployment rate up to 4.4% and prompting analysts to anticipate further Federal Reserve rate cuts. The dollar index (DXY) slipped to 99.063 from 99.308 as markets digested the weaker labor...
February Jobs Data Deepens Fed Split over Rates
February's jobs report will certainly stoke divisions at the Fed. Some officials are highly concerned about the health of the labor market and willing to cut rates to support it. Others seem more attuned to the risk posed by inflation,...
Hong Kong Is Beijing’s New ‘Vanguard’ in the Contest for Financial Sovereignty
China’s 15th Five‑Year Plan designates Hong Kong as the vanguard of its “strong financial nation” strategy, shifting the city from a neutral capital bridge to a core component of Beijing’s financial security architecture. The 2026‑27 Hong Kong budget formalizes this...
Digital Rupee vs Digital Euro: Which CBDC Is More Business-Friendly?
The article pits India’s Digital Rupee against the EU’s Digital Euro, evaluating which central bank digital currency (CBDC) best serves commercial users. It notes the Digital Rupee’s near‑real‑time settlement, open‑source APIs, and early integration with Indian e‑commerce giants, while the...
Hormuz Delay Boosts VLCC Rates, Atlantic Shift Looms
They all said Hormuz closure would be brief. What if they were wrong? ▶️Baltic Exchange’s MEG-China VLCC index reaches new high of $485,959 per day; MEG-Singapore VLCC index is at $507,709 per day ▶️VLCCs are loading Saudi crude at Red Sea pipeline...
How the White House’s Plan B on Tariffs Can Give It All the Trade Leverage It Needs
The Supreme Court’s February 20 decision barred the president from imposing tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, ending the Trump administration’s primary trade‑leverage tool. Until that ruling, the administration had clinched eight reciprocal trade agreements and ten framework deals...
Retail Trader Activity Soars as Middle East Conflict Unfolds: Capital.com
Capital.com reported a 49% jump in active retail traders and a 73% rise in total trading volume on 2 March as the Middle East conflict intensified. Oil surged to become the platform’s second‑most‑traded instrument, with new oil traders up 1,255% and...
Jobs Data Sparks Early Volatility Across Crypto, Oil, Tech
🔥 Here’s my #stickynote for March 6, 2026: Big macro morning with Nonfarm Payrolls and Retail Sales at 8:30am — these numbers could move the entire market at the open. Expect volatility right out of the gate as traders react to...
Payroll Growth Stalls, Unemployment Ticks up, Breakeven Remains Marginal
Over the last 6 months, payroll employment growth has averaged -1K/month while the unemployment rate has risen +0.12pp. Consistent with the idea that we're at a shallow but still slightly-positive breakeven on the NFP side, which we're obviously not clearing over...
India and Canada Reset: Pragmatism Takes Precedence Over Recriminations
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s four‑day visit to India in late February marked a pragmatic reset in bilateral ties, delivering a suite of agreements across energy, AI, defense, space and critical minerals. The centerpiece is a $1.91 billion uranium supply contract...
Current Monetary Policy Fails; Need Easier
If only there were a monetary policy regime that made it easier for central banks to navigate such trying times… oh wait https://t.co/XA5Pw2bVIi (1/2)
WTI Surge Pushes US Gas to $3
With WTI now at $87, the oil price spike is now definitely in the big-enough-to-matter-to-the-US-domestic-economy zone. National average gas price is headed to about $3.80; was just $2.90 at start of Feb. I expect this increase will prove extremely popular.
How Will the Iran War Affect the Global Economy?
The Iran‑Hamas war is unlikely to dent global GDP, as the Gulf accounts for only 2‑3% of world output. However, the Strait of Hormuz—through which roughly a quarter of seaborne oil and one‑fifth of LNG flow—poses a serious chokepoint for...
Offshoring Drug Discovery Could Create Massive US Trade Deficit
Jake puts it crisply: >If discovery and early development move abroad, the nation risks locking in a massive trade imbalance: Foreign countries develop the drugs, and Americans pay the bills.
Stagflation Signals Emerge as Oil Rises, Jobs Push Cuts
At a time when markets are pushing back Fed cut odds because of the oil spike, seeing jobs data that demands rate cuts leaves everyone unhappy. Stagflation, directionally. Not there yet but pointing that way.
Intercontinental Exchange to Launch Container Freight Futures in April
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) announced plans to launch four container freight futures contracts on April 7, pending regulatory approval. The contracts will be U.S.-denominated, cash‑settled, and indexed to the New York Shipping Exchange’s Freight Indices covering routes between Asia, Europe and the United States....
All Assets Falling Signals Liquidity Crunch, Not Rotation
The 10-year yield has risen four consecutive sessions to 4.14%. Stocks down. Bonds down. Oil up. Gold down. When everything sells off together, it's not a rotation. It's a liquidity event. https://t.co/6whtUyh3CH
Iran Could Spark Global Oil Crisis via Hormuz
I’ve been on the bearish end of the spectrum on Iran. The Straits of Hormuz are a big chokepoint. Iran just has to blow up one oil tanker to cause a global crisis. Thanks to @SoumayaKeynes for having me on...
Costco to Flow Tariff Refunds, ‘if and when Received,’ Back to Customers
Costco CEO Ron Vachris announced that any tariff refunds resulting from the Supreme Court's invalidation of Trump-era IEEPA duties will be passed to members via lower prices and better value. The court decision forced Customs to liquidate pending entries, creating...
Long-Term Inflation Expectations Hit April Low, Treasury Yields Diverge
Long-term inflation expectations have fallen to the lowest since April, based on 5-year 5-year forward breakeven rates. Yields on 10-year Treasuries seem to be trading on a different dynamic. https://t.co/hStpU22gbY
Cattle Prices Surge Ahead of Other Commodities Amid Inflation
So do the cattle look at the inflationary trade taking place and go higher or do they look at the equities and the consumer being hurt by higher energy products and a slowing economy possibly and come under pressure....
Direct Impact of 10% Increase in Oil Prices Estimated to Be Around Almost 1% on WPI: Bank of Baroda
Bank of Baroda estimates that a 10 percent rise in global oil prices will directly lift India’s Wholesale Price Index by roughly 0.7‑1 percent, potentially reaching a full 1 percent when indirect effects are counted. The surge would push oil imports up by...
Current Curve Rerating Signals Faster Resolution Than 2022
This is all I was trying to say. The relative rerating of the curve this time vs 2022 is very different and implies a quicker resolution vs 2022 when the whole curve rerated. Thanks Warren
Risk‑off Sentiment Keeps Dollar Flat Despite Weak Payroll
If things were normal, the Dollar should be falling sharply right now. We just got a -1.9 standard deviation surprise on payrolls, which should be weighing on USD. But nothing about today is normal. We're in a massive risk-off and...
Where to Invest As Iran War Hits Global Stock Markets
The Iran‑related conflict has nudged global equity markets lower, with Europe’s index down nearly 5 % and the U.S. benchmark off about 1 %. Oil prices surged above $84 a barrel, benefitting energy stocks, while shipping firms posted double‑digit gains despite limited...
EU Bond Yields Converge; Ideal Moment for Euro Debt
The yields on bonds of pretty much all EU member states are moving closer to Germany’s. This is the right time for common euro debt, writes @marcusashworth https://t.co/ZN3JVBYKDo via @opinion https://t.co/fSn1i0CbMd
Markets Price Rate Hikes as Cutting Cycle Ends
Cutting cycle is over, apparently - and markets starting to price hikes. Except for the Fed because, you know, he did *promise*...... https://t.co/rJQHqLdaJj
The Market Brief
The market is eyeing the upcoming Non‑Farm Payroll and U.S. retail‑sales releases after a week of volatility sparked by the U.S.–Iran conflict. Geopolitical tension has nudged the S&P 500 outlook toward the downside, yet it has not yet altered payroll expectations,...
Iran's Threat to Oil Tankers Could Trigger Market Crash
Iran is getting bombed to smithereens. If oil tanker traffic through the Straits of Hormuz resumes in any meaningful fashion, Iran has every incentive to blow up a ship. All it takes is one oil tanker and global markets will...
War Fuels Market Turmoil, Dollar Nears New High vs Yen
The War Continues to Roil the Markets: The war continues to disrupt the global capital markets. The US dollar remains firm though mostly within the ranges seen in recent days. It is threatening to break higher against the Japanese yen,...
Middle East Ceasefire Could Lower Oil, Ease Inflation Risks
A major Middle East shift could ease geopolitical risk and send oil prices lower after a ceasefire. The implications for inflation, consumers, and markets ahead. 🟢 Open https://t.co/7zkGP8J4td
Dow Plunges as Supply Chain Enters Cardiac Arrest
Dow down 785 points on March 5. Worst week since October. Oil at $81. Yields rising. VIX spiking. And somehow, everyone's still debating whether this is a "healthy pullback." There is nothing healthy about a supply chain in cardiac arrest. https://t.co/t59DwX0YJy
Inelastic Demand Fuels Strong Futures; Grains, Energy Steady
Futures with the strongest uptrends are the ones with inelastic demand curves...now the consumer will have less disposable income than ever...grains and energies expected to keep a steady bid
Waller Warns Hot PCE Inflation, Energy Shock Risk
Fed governor Chris Waller on Bloomberg TV: January PCE inflation is going to be hot. The energy shock is a new risk. If the labor market is solid, "It does say you can sit there and wait."
Commodities Undervalued, Yet Crude Drop Could Trigger Market Risk‑Off
Have been saying for a while that commodities have been way under estimating upside potential(ag in particular) what a little wall street money could do to prices. However, if crude causes the equities to crater it can become “risk off”...
Kazakhstan Central Bank to Deploy $350M Into Crypto‑Linked Funds
NEW: Kazakhstan’s central bank is set to invest up to $350M from its reserves into the crypto sector. The strategy targets crypto-linked equities and funds, not direct purchases of digital assets. The program could start in April or May. https://t.co/RlEGwWKYzs