Latest Finance-Economy News
US Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's Emergency Tariffs
The US Supreme Court ruled against the emergency trade tariffs that the Trump Administration implemented last year. Despite this ruling, Trump indicated he would pursue alternative avenues to impose tariffs, including an executive order for a 10% global tariff that he later raised to 15%, along with tariffs requiring Commerce Department investigations
.
Global Stock Markets Post Strong Gains Despite Mixed Signals
Global stock markets rose approximately 2.3% last week, with the US market contributing significantly to these gains and helping boost returns worldwide. However, US futures slipped on Monday following the Supreme Court's tariff ruling, with the S&P 500 future losing 0.2%, the Dow Jones future dropping 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite future down 0.3%
.
UK Shares Outperform with 2.4% Weekly Gain
UK share markets rose by 2.4% on the week, bringing year-to-date gains to 7.7%, making them amongst the best performing markets globally. This strong performance was driven by sector composition advantages, particularly in energy and financials, as well as boosted expectations for Bank of England interest rate cuts
.
Bank of England Rate Cut Highly Likely in March
Weak UK economic data led bond futures markets to price in an 80% chance of an interest rate cut from the Bank of England at their March 19th meeting, with markets now pricing in 2 full interest rate cuts for 2026. The pound fell on this weaker-than-expected economic data, which boosted expectations of rate relief
.
UK Inflation Falls to 3% as Economic Pressures Ease
UK inflation declined to 3% from 3.4%, unemployment ticked up to 5.2% from 5.1%, and average weekly earnings grew at 4.2% year-over-year, all coming in below or at expectations. These mixed but generally weaker indicators paved the way for anticipated interest rate cuts to support the economy
.
US Economic Growth Slows to Ten-Month Low
US business activity growth slipped to a ten-month low in February flash PMI surveys, with adverse weather in some states contributing to the slowdown. Many US firms continued to blame tariffs and affordability issues for order book weakness, especially regarding exports
.
Japan's Economic Expansion Hits 33-Month High
Japan's economic expansion reached a 33-month high, contrasting sharply with the slowing US growth and demonstrating diverging economic dynamics across major developed economies. The Bank of Japan is poised to tighten policy further in coming months after raising interest rates to a 30-year high in December
.
UK Growth Accelerates to Fastest Pace in 22 Months
UK economic growth climbed to the fastest pace in 22 months according to February flash PMI surveys, showing acceleration across major developed economies despite US slowdown. This stronger growth trajectory contrasts with the US expansion, which is now lagging behind both the UK and Japan
.
Asian Markets Show Mixed Performance After Tariff Ruling
Hong Kong led regional gains with the Hang Seng index surging 2.5% to 27,081.91, while South Korea's Kospi gained 0.7% to 5,846.09 and Taiwan's Taiex added 0.5%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.6% to 9,026.00, and India's Sensex was up 0.6%
.
Oil Prices Decline Amid Economic Uncertainty
US benchmark crude oil lost 33 cents to $66.15 per barrel, while Brent crude gave up 34 cents to $70.96 per barrel on Monday. The declines reflect ongoing concerns about economic growth and demand amid the mixed global market signals
.
Federal Reserve Expected to Cut Rates at Least Twice in 2026
Traders are still betting that the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates at least twice this year, despite concerns about accelerating inflation and slowing growth. Lower interest rates could give the economy and investment prices a boost, but also risk worsening inflation, creating a policy dilemma for Fed officials
.