Economics
Macroeconomics, IMF data, global economic trends and sovereign finance
69 articles
10Y Yield Dips to 4.46% as Curve Holds Positive Despite Flattening
The 10-year Treasury yield fell 3 bps to 4.46% on Tuesday, easing from recent highs while the 2Y-10Y spread narrowed to +27 bps, maintaining a positive but flattening curve signal.
10-Year Treasury Yields Dip 6 bps This Week, Curve Remains Positive
The 10-year Treasury yield settled at 4.490% this week, reflecting a 6.0 bps decline, while the yield curve signals a positive outlook for economic growth.
Jobless Claims Dip to 226,000, Indicating Labour Market Cooling
In the week ending June 13, 2026, initial jobless claims fell by 4,000 to 226,000, reflecting a 1.7% decrease from the previous week.
The Macroeconomic Mosaic: A Quick Guide to Key Economic Indicators for Investors and Traders
A comprehensive investor's guide to the key macroeconomic indicators — GDP, employment, PMI, housing, consumer confidence, and inflation — and how to read them together.
Mortgage Rates Rise to 6.52%: Implications for Homebuyers
This week, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased to 6.52%, up 4 basis points from last week, indicating a continued upward trend that may impact home affordability for buyers.
10Y Treasury Yield Dips to 4.470% Amid Positive Curve Signal
The 10-year Treasury yield has decreased by 1.0 bps to 4.470%, reflecting recent market momentum and a positive yield curve signal.
Coal's Dirty Price Tag: How Power, Industry and Households Share the Subsidy Burden
IMF data breaks down coal subsidies by end-use sector across 15 major economies. The split between power generation, industrial use and residential consumption reveals who actually benefits from coal underpricing — and which sector is hardest to reform.
Gulf Producers Top the World: Fossil Fuel Subsidies as a Share of GDP
When fossil fuel subsidies are measured as a share of GDP, Gulf states occupy a category of their own. IMF data shows India at 11.4% of GDP and Iran topping the global rankings — a structural feature of energy economies built on cheap domestic prices as a form of social contract, not a cyclical policy response.
Europe's Energy Crisis Legacy: How the 2022 Shock Changed Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered a European energy market shock that drove fossil fuel subsidies to record levels in 2022. IMF data shows Germany's explicit subsidies surged by $91 billion in a single year. Two years on, the question is whether European governments have genuinely reversed course — or locked in a new, higher baseline.
A Decade of U.S. Fossil Fuel Subsidies: The Numbers Washington Rarely Discusses
IMF data reveals the United States spent nearly $1 trillion annually in fossil fuel subsidies in 2023 — equivalent to 3.56% of GDP. Most of it is invisible: implicit subsidies from unpriced carbon and air pollution externalities dwarf the explicit tax breaks that dominate policy debate.
U.S. Adds 172K Jobs in May 2026; Unemployment Steady at 4.3% Signals Ongoing Labor Market Stability
The U.S. economy added 172,000 jobs in May 2026, slightly below expectations, but indicating a steady labor market as the unemployment rate held firm at 4.3%, suggesting resilience amid ongoing economic challenges.
10-Year Treasury Yield Rises to 4.490% Amid Positive Curve Signal
The 10-year Treasury yield closed at 4.490% on Friday, June 5, 2026, reflecting a modest week-on-week increase and signaling a positive economic outlook.
Mortgage Rates Dip Slightly, 30Y Fixed at 6.48% – A Mixed Outlook
This week, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate stands at 6.48%, down 5 basis points from last week, indicating a slight easing in borrowing costs for homebuyers amidst ongoing economic uncertainties.
Jobless Claims Rise to 225,000, Indicating Labor Market Cooling
Initial jobless claims for the week ending May 30, 2026, increased by 13,000 to 225,000, reflecting a 6.1% rise from the previous week’s figure of 212,000.
Who Invests in Africa? The Countries Building Portfolio Positions on the Continent
IMF bilateral data from 20 major investor countries reveals $549 billion in foreign portfolio investment across Africa — 90% concentrated in South Africa ($259B) and Mauritius ($72B). Egypt ($65B) and Nigeria ($32B) attract primarily debt investors, while Africa's equity markets remain marginal outside South Africa and Mauritius.
Equity vs. Debt: How Foreign Investors Bet on Emerging Markets Differently
IMF bilateral data from 20 major investor countries reveals a stark divide in how foreign capital flows into emerging markets. India attracts 87% equity, Korea 69%, China 68% — while Mexico sits at 35%, Poland at 32%, and Colombia at just 16%. The split reflects index architecture, sovereign bond market depth, and capital account openness.
Japan's Love Affair with European Bonds: A Decade of Data
IMF bilateral data reveals Japan holds over $620 billion in European debt securities — France leads at $167.7B, followed by the UK at $119.6B and Germany at $66.3B. A full decade of semiannual data tracks how Japan's bond appetite survived ECB QE, the pandemic, and the 2022–2023 rate shock.
The Gulf's Quiet Billions: Saudi Arabia and UAE Portfolio Positions Revealed
IMF data reveals $590 billion in outward portfolio investment from GCC economies — but that figure is a lower bound. Saudi Arabia leads with $499B, while UAE, Qatar and Oman report no CPIS data at all. The gap between PIP figures and combined SWF assets of $3.3 trillion tells the real story of Gulf financial power.
Europe for Sale? The Countries Most Exposed to Foreign Portfolio Ownership
New IMF data maps the scale of foreign portfolio investment across Europe. The UK, Germany, France and Italy lead in absolute terms — but it's the composition of that ownership that reveals where true financial vulnerability lies, from sovereign bond dependency in southern Europe to equity-driven exposure in the Nordic bloc.
The Cayman $7 Trillion Mystery: Why the World's Biggest 'Investor' Is a Caribbean Island
The Cayman Islands 'holds' $6.9 trillion in foreign portfolio assets — nearly 1,000 times its GDP. Luxembourg and Ireland follow with $7.1T and $6.3T respectively. Together they form a $20 trillion mirage built on the BPM6 fund domicile convention that distorts every raw CPIS ranking table.
Who Holds the World's Foreign Portfolio Investment? The 2025 Rankings
New IMF data reveals the US holds $17.6 trillion in foreign portfolio assets — more than Germany, UK and Japan combined. But the real story lies in what the raw numbers hide: fund domicile effects, China's capital controls, and Norway's $1.7 trillion sovereign wealth fund.