Next Week’s Menu: April 25 – May 1, 2026
A packed week of monetary‑policy meetings is slated for the United States, Japan, the Eurozone, the United Kingdom, Canada, Hungary, Ukraine, Thailand, Brazil, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, with post‑meeting press conferences from Fed Chair Powell, BoJ Governor Ueda, BoC Governor Macklem and BoE Governor Bailey. The United States will publish a flood of data, including Q1 GDP, the employment‑cost index, personal income, PCE deflator, housing starts and several PMI surveys. Japan’s Golden Week holiday will curtail manufacturing PMI releases on May 1, while the Euro area rolls out GDP, CPI and consumer‑confidence figures across multiple member states. Additional releases span Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Turkey, South Africa and several Asian economies, making the week a critical barometer for global growth and monetary‑policy outlooks.
Another Russian Central Bank Rate Cut
The Russian Central Bank lowered its key rate by 50 basis points to 14.5%, marking the fifth reduction since October and a cumulative 650‑basis‑point cut since the June 2025 easing cycle began. Despite the cut, the policy rate remains well above...
Rate Hike at the Central Bank of the Philippines
On April 23, 2026, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas lifted its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 4.50%, its first hike since October 2023. The move reverses a 25‑bp cut made two months earlier, bringing the rate back above the...
Equities and Dollar Unmoved by Fast-Approaching War Deadline
Equities in Asia and Europe nudged higher and the dollar ticked up 0.1‑0.2% as markets stayed steady despite the looming two‑week cease‑fire deadline in the Middle East. President Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports remains in place, while Fed Chair nominee...
Next Week’s Menu: April 18-24, 2026
The week of April 18‑24, 2026 is packed with macro‑economic events, including monetary‑policy reviews in China, Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan and the Philippines, and a Senate Banking Committee hearing for Kevin Warsh’s Fed chair nomination. Bulgaria’s National Assembly election and the conclusion...
It’s All About the Middle East
After 49 days of fighting, a 10‑day cease‑fire between Israel and Lebanon appears to be holding, prompting cautious optimism from U.S. officials. The dollar weakened further, Treasury yields fell two basis points and safe‑haven assets such as gold, silver and...
Uncertainty Reigns Yet Little Has Changed
Global markets remain jittery as the Middle East conflict drags on, but equity rallies continued, led by Japan’s Nikkei‑225 which jumped 2.4% to a record 59,518—up 53% in just over two years. Central banks, including the ECB and the Reserve...
Fed Beige Book Highlights
The Fed’s Beige Book released on April 15 shows a patchwork of regional activity: New York and Boston districts slipped into slight contraction, while Cleveland, Richmond and Atlanta posted modest growth and other districts were flat or only slightly positive. Across the...
Monetary Policy Tightened in Singapore
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced a tightening of its exchange‑rate‑based monetary policy, the first adjustment since April 2022. The change follows quarterly reviews that earlier in 2025 delivered modest easings. MAS cited heightened uncertainty for growth and inflation, driven...
Predictably Adverse Market Reaction to Speedy End and Failure of Mediated U.S./Iranian Peace Talks
U.S. Vice President Vance ended a 21‑hour Iran peace session, after which President Trump signaled a full Strait of Hormuz blockade and a 50 % tariff on nations aiding Iran, especially China. The abrupt diplomatic failure sent West Texas Intermediate crude...
Next Week’s Menu: April 11-17, 2026
Next week (April 11‑17, 2026) brings a packed economic calendar, beginning with the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book and a series of speeches by Fed officials such as Williams, Goolsbee and Barkin. Central banks in Singapore and Turkey will review monetary stances, while...
Watching Cracks in the Ceasefire and Rising Inflation While Awaiting Some Key U.S. Economic Data
The U.S.-Iran ceasefire quickly unraveled as Israel intensified attacks on Lebanon and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained disrupted, keeping energy supplies tight. At the same time, U.S. macro data released on April 9 showed Q4 2025 GDP growth revised down...
Colombian Central Bank Interest Rate Hike
On April 1, 2026, the Central Bank of Colombia voted 4‑2‑1 to raise its benchmark rate by a full percentage point to 11.25%, after a similar move in February. Inflation has fallen sharply from 18.3% in March 2023 to 4.8% in mid‑2025, yet...
How Often Do U.S. Stock Market Corrections Evolve Into Bear Markets?
Larry Greenberg examines how often S&P 500 corrections—defined as 10% declines—turn into bear markets, which require a 20% drop. Since 1929, 34 of 56 corrections failed to become bears, meaning most corrections are short‑lived. The analysis notes an average 18% intra‑year...
Next Week’s Menu: March 21-27, 2026
The week of March 21‑27, 2026 features a sparse calendar of central‑bank meetings but a flurry of high‑profile speeches from Fed Chair Powell, BoE’s Taylor and Greene, and several ECB officials, fueling speculation of rate hikes later in the year. A slate...