Amazon accused of keeping hundreds of millions in tariff costs to curry favor...
Saturday, May 16,2026,05:01

Amazon faces a class action lawsuit accusing the company of retaining unlawful tariff costs instead of refunding consumers who paid higher prices. .. read more..

Global bonds battered as flaring inflation spooks investors
Saturday, May 16,2026,01:13

Global bond markets are experiencing significant interest rate hikes, driven by escalating energy prices from the Iran conflict and persistent inflation. This is impacting everything from homebuying to corporate borrowing, with benchmark U.S. Treasury yields reaching yearly highs. Investors are now anticipating further rate increases from central banks worldwide, a stark shift from earlier expectations of cuts. .. read more..

Nabard pulls out bond issuance on weak demand
Saturday, May 16,2026,00:29

In a surprising turn of events, Nabard has pulled the plug on its scheduled bond sale this Friday, citing a lackluster response from investors. The rural development bank aimed to secure ₹7,000 crore but only attracted bids close to ₹3,030 crore. Analysts suggest that the borrowing costs would have ranged between 7.79% and 8. .. read more..

investingLive Americas FX news wrap 15 May: Powell exits as inflation fears roar
Friday, May 15,2026,17:44

US major indices close lower. Declines today erase the week's gains. Powell exits after one of the wildest Fed eras in history Gold tumbles lower today on the back of higher yields and the higher USD Israel says it carried out targeted strike in Gaza against Hamas head. Baker Hughes total rig count rises by +3 to 551 European shares close lower on the day and lower on the week Silver is sharply lower on higher USD/higher yields. Technically breaks the 100 day MA. Microsoft shares are higher as Pershings Ackman bets on the company US industrial production for April 0.7% versus 0.3% estimate Canada Manufacturing Sales for March 3.0% vs 3.5% estimate NY Fed manufacturing index for May 19.6 v... .. read more..

Fed’s Hammack official emphasizes importance of central bank independence
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack stated Thursday that evidence supports the effectiveness of an independent central bank in policymaking. “Independence is important in achieving our dual mandate goals of maximum employment and price stability,” Hammack said while opening a conference at her bank, adding it allows officials “to make decisions based on ... .. read more..

Chinese premier meets representatives of US business community
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday met with representatives of the U.S. business community accompanying President Donald Trump on his visit to China. The talks between President Xi Jinping and President Trump this morning have set a strategic direction for China-U.S. relations, Li noted. Amid rising global instability and uncertainty, he said, maintaining candid and ... .. read more..

Trump, Xi conclude second round of talks, flag progress in ties
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded their second round of talks on Friday, Chinese media reports said. Xi said the two sides had marked progress towards building a more constructive U.S.-China relationship, Xinhua reported, and had also agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on key issues. Trump had earlier flagged some ... .. read more..

Japan Producer Prices Rise the Most in Near 3 Years
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

Japan’s producer prices rose 4.9% yoy in April 2026, accelerating from an upwardly revised 2.9% increase in the prior month and exceeding market estimates of 3%. This was the fastest annual growth since May 2023, amid intense cost pressures following a spike in energy costs linked to supply chain disruptions from the war in Iran. ... .. read more..

Inflationary pressures mount in South Korea and Japan, raising rate hike odds
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

Korea’s terms of trade improved sharply, adding to upside risks Trade price dynamics explain why South Korea’s economy is showing resilience despite energy shocks. Korean exporters have passed on input price hikes to output prices, mostly to intermediate goods such as electronics and petroleum products. With export prices rising faster than import prices, the terms ... .. read more..

US Manufacturing Output Rises Most in 14 Months
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

Manufacturing output in the United States rose 0.6% in April 2026, the most since February 2025 and more than market expectations of a 0.2% gain. The production of durables increased 1.2%, with gains in most categories. The largest increase was in the output of motor vehicles and parts, which jumped 3.7%. Nondurable manufacturing production edged ... .. read more..

US Industrial Output Growth at 14-Month High
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

Industrial production in the United States increased 0.7% in April 2026, the most in 14 months and more than market expectations for a 0.3% gain, after decreasing 0.3% in March. Manufacturing output, which accounts for about 78% of total industrial production, rose 0.6%, beating forecasts of 0.2%. Manufacturing output, excluding motor vehicles and parts, increased ... .. read more..

China’s Xi to visit US in autumn as nations agree trade councils
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit the United States in autumn, the country’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday, according to Xinhua. No specific date was provided for the visit. The announcement came as China and the United States agreed to establish trade and investment councils, Xinhua reported. The two nations set a direction for ... .. read more..

China Current Account Surplus Widens in Q1 2026
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

China’s current account surplus widened to $184.1 billion in Q1 2026, up from $163.6 billion in the same period last year, according to preliminary estimates. The goods surplus remained nearly flat at $247.4 billion, as exports rose 12.2% while imports surged 17.2%. The secondary income surplus increased to $3.9 billion from $2.9 billion. Meanwhile, the ... .. read more..

NY Manufacturing Activity Rises the Most in Over 4 Years
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

The NY Empire State Manufacturing Index in the US unexpectedly increased to 19.6 in May 2026 from 11 in April, above forecasts of 7.5. The reading showed that New York State manufacturing activity grew at its fastest pace in over four years. New orders (22.7 vs 19.3) and shipments (18.9 vs 20.2) increased considerably for ... .. read more..

Hong Kong economy grows 5.9% in first quarter on exports, consumption
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

Hong Kong’s economy expanded 5.9% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, the government said Friday, driven by rising exports and private consumption spending. The growth marked an acceleration from the 4.0% expansion recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025 and the 3.1% increase posted in the first quarter of last ... .. read more..

China, U.S. agree to set up trade and investment boards
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

China and the United States have agreed to establish a Board of Trade and Board of Investment as part of efforts to expand bilateral commerce, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced Friday. The two nations will address concerns regarding market access for agricultural products and work to expand two-way trade through a reciprocal tariff reduction ... .. read more..

Rising inflation signals June rate hike in the eurozone
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

Subdued growth in the first quarter… According to provisional data, the eurozone grew by a disappointing 0.1% in the first quarter, though the erratic Irish GDP data shaved off nearly 0.1pp from the growth rate. Meanwhile, the first hard data for March shows that the quarter ended on a weak note, hardly surprising given the ... .. read more..

Trump and Xi conclude ‘very successful’ talks but no deals confirmed
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

US President Donald Trump left Beijing after a two-day summit saying he had struck “fantastic trade deals, great for both countries”, but few details have emerged on what the two superpowers agreed. Trump arrived for a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday, accompanied by several CEOs: a high-profile business delegation spanning agriculture, ... .. read more..

India Trade Deficit Rises to April Record
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

The trade deficit in India widened to $28.4 billion in April of 2026 from $27.1 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year, the highest on record for the period and above estimates of a $27 billion gap amid a surge in imports. Imports jumped by 10% annually to $71.9 billion, the highest on ... .. read more..

China-US relations: what to expect from ‘constructive strategic stability’?
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

Many market participants were left rather underwhelmed after the much-hyped Trump visit to China concluded, with equities and the CNY both softening on Friday as the summit ended without any major surprises. Understandably, markets tend to be more concerned with immediate deliverables, rather than rhetoric and broader political themes, but that does not make the ... .. read more..

Bank of England unlikely to deliver on market expectations
Friday, May 15,2026,17:00

Political drama is once again driving up UK borrowing costs Financial markets have responded to renewed UK political turmoil by ramping up bets on Bank of England tightening. We warned that what ultimately became disastrous local elections for the ruling Labour Party left markets exposed to a sell-off amid renewed leadership speculation. Almost three rate ... .. read more..

Israel says it carried out targeted strike in Gaza against Hamas head.
Friday, May 15,2026,13:29

Israel is reporting that they carried out a targeted strike in Gaza against the de facto Hamas head. A senior official also said that Tel Aviv is preparing for an imminent resumption of the war with the Islamic Republic Earlier today, Israeli said that they would accept a cease-fire in exchange for a genuine commitment from Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Lebanon's main goal is to declare and solidify complete cessation of hostilities but believes that Israel will not abide by the cease-fire agreement. Honestly, no one knows what to believe in that region or with peace talks. Also, what is a "genuine commitment". What does that entail? This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com. .. read more..

Baker Hughes total rig count rises by +3 to 551
Friday, May 15,2026,13:15

The weekly Baker Hughes rig count data for the week shows total rigs increased 3 to 551. Compared to a year ago, that number is down 25. Lower rig count does not necessarily mean lower oil extraction. The price of crude oil this week is up 6.10% or $5.77 for the July contract. This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com. .. read more..

Fed Governor Stephen Miran resigns, cites deregulation wins
Friday, May 15,2026,13:00

Federal Reserve Board member Stephen Miran submitted his resignation on Thursday, with his departure set to take effect when or shortly before his successor is sworn in. Miran has served on the Board since September 16, 2025, filling an unexpired term that ended January 31, 2026. Before joining the Fed, Miran served as chairman of ... .. read more..

U.S. Industrial Production Increases 0.7% In April, Much More Than Expected
Friday, May 15,2026,10:17

The Federal Reserve released a report on Friday showing industrial production in the U.S. rebounded by much more than anticipated in the month of April. The report said industrial production climbed by 0.7 percent in April after falling by a revised 0.3 percent in March. Economists had expected industrial production to rise by 0.3 percent. .. read more..

China Foreign Minister:XI to visit the US in the Fall
Friday, May 15,2026,10:15

China Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on ties with the U.S.: Teams on both sides are still working on details for outcomes on trade Encourages the U.S. and Iran to continue resolving their differences and disputes through talks Calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz on Ukraine: Says China and the U.S. are willing to maintain communication China and the U.S. agreed to set up boards of trade and investment Both sides agreed to address each other's concerns regarding market access for agricultural products Agreed to promote the expansion of two-way trade under the framework of reciprocal tariff reductions Xi to visit the U.S. in the fall Comments are somewhat broad in nature. Recall that Trump e... .. read more..

New York Manufacturing Index Unexpectedly Jumps To Four-Year High In May
Friday, May 15,2026,09:32

New York manufacturing activity grew strongly in the month of May, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in a report released on Friday. The New York Fed said its general business conditions index shot up to 19.6 in May from 11.0 in April, with a positive reading indicating growth. The increase surprised economists, who had expected the index to pull back to 7.8. .. read more..

Starbucks to cut 300 US jobs, close some regional support offices
Friday, May 15,2026,09:28

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Croatia Inflation Confirmed At 30-month High
Friday, May 15,2026,09:28

Consumer price inflation in Croatia increased as initially estimated in April to the highest level in two-and-a-half years. The consumer price index climbed 5.8 percent year-on-year in April, faster than the 4.8 percent rise in March. Inflation based on transportation accelerated sharply to 13.1 percent in April from 7.0 percent a month ago amid higher fuel costs. .. read more..

U.S. Industrial Production Rebounds Much More Than Expected In April
Friday, May 15,2026,09:24

The Federal Reserve released a report on Friday showing industrial production in the U.S. rebounded by much more than anticipated in the month of April. .. read more..

US industrial production for April 0.7% versus 0.3% estimate
Friday, May 15,2026,09:15

Industrial production prior month -0.5% revised to -0.3% Capacity utilization prior month 75.7 Manufacturing production last month -0.1% revised to +0.1% For April: Industrial production 0.7% versus 0.3% expected. Year on Year industrial production is up 1.4% Capacity utilization 76.1% versus 75.8% estimate. The index a year ago was at 76.1% as well. Manufacturing output 0.6% versus 0.2% estimate. Year on Year the manufacturing output is up 1.3%, led by utilities which are up 2.7% Not surprising, utilities are helping with demand for AI increasing. The major market groups for industrial production: Final Products MoM: +1.1% vs -0.6% last month. Higher YoY: +1.4% Consumer Goods MoM: +0.9% ... .. read more..

India Trade Deficit Widens More Than Forecast
Friday, May 15,2026,08:54

India's trade deficit widened more than expected in April due to Middle East tensions and Strait of Hormuz blockade affecting both exports and imports, data from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry showed Friday. .. read more..

Slovenia Q1 GDP Growth Improves To 3.0%
Friday, May 15,2026,08:42

Slovenia's GDP rose a non-seasonally adjusted 3.0 percent year-on-year, faster than the 2.0 percent increase in the previous quarter. The economy has been expanding since the second quarter of 2025. The expenditure breakdown showed that household consumption showed an increase of 2.7 percent, and general government expenditure was 3.9 percent higher. .. read more..

New York Manufacturing Index Unexpectedly Increases In May
Friday, May 15,2026,08:37

New York manufacturing activity grew strongly in the month of May, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in a report released on Friday. .. read more..

Canada Manufacturing Sales for March 3.0% vs 3.5% estimate
Friday, May 15,2026,08:31

Prior month 3.6% revised lower to 3.4% Details for March: Canadian manufacturing sales rose 3.0% in March to $73.6 billion, the highest level since January 2025. The expectation was for a gain of 3.5%. Sales increased in 9 of 21 subsectors, led by: Petroleum and coal products: +22.7% Transportation equipment: +6.0% Excluding petroleum and coal products, manufacturing sales still rose 0.7% in March. Year-over-year manufacturing sales increased 3.5%. In real terms, manufacturing sales rose 1.0%, while the Industrial Product Price Index increased 2.4%. First-quarter 2026 manufacturing sales edged up 0.1% to $214.1 billion, marking the third straight quarterly increase. Top contributors to th... .. read more..

NY Fed manufacturing index for May 19.6 vs 7.5 estimate
Friday, May 15,2026,08:30

The Empire/NY Fed manufacturing index for May shows: Prior month 11.0 new orders 22.7 versus 19.3 last month. Higher shipments 18.9 versus 20.2 last month. Lower unfilled orders 4.9 versus 9.1 last month. Lower delivery time 20.4 versus 12.1 last month. Higher. Inventories 9.7 versus 5.1 last month. Higher. Prices paid 62.6 versus 51.1 last month. Higher Prices received 31.8 versus 21.8 last month. Higher. Employees 8.3 versus 9.8 last month. Lower average employee workweek 11.5 versus 13.7 last month. Lower supply availability -10.7 versus -10.1 last month. Lower Looking at the data, although the index is higher, things like prices increasing and employment decreasing is a problem. The g... .. read more..

Canada housing starts for April 279.3K vs 240.0K estimate
Friday, May 15,2026,08:18

Prior month 239.7K (revised higher from 235.9K) Canada housing starts surged 17% in April to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 279,317 units, up from 239,747 in March. The sharp monthly increase highlights the volatility in housing starts data and why month-to-month changes should be interpreted cautiously. Rural housing starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 13,694 units. The 6 month trends showed: The trend in Canadian housing starts rose 3.2% in April to 256,777 units. The trend measure reflects a 6-month moving average of the monthly seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of total housing starts across Canada. Actual housing starts fell 1% year-over-year ... .. read more..

investingLive European markets wrap: Oil prices, yields surge as Beijing dist...
Friday, May 15,2026,08:15

Headlines: Risk-off wave starts to sweep across markets ahead of European trading Treasury yields jump across the curve, 10-year yields hit near one-year high EUR/USD falls to fresh five-week low as dollar firms in final stretch of the week Bitcoin and Ethereum analysis shows that 'sell the news' might have triggered Iran foreign minister says current negotiations are suffering from lack of trust US and China have aligning views on Iran, says Trump And so it ends.. Trump boards Air Force One to depart China after his visit UAE set to accelerate new oil pipeline project to help bypass Strait of Hormuz Markets: WTI crude (June contract) up 3% to $104.20, Brent crude up 2.4% to $108.30 10-ye... .. read more..

Hong Kong Q1 GDP Growth Confirmed At 5.9%
Friday, May 15,2026,08:03

Hong Kong's economy grew at a faster pace in the first quarter of 2026, as initially estimated. Gross domestic product advanced 5.9 percent year-over-year in the first quarter, faster than the 4.0 percent growth in the fourth quarter. The acceleration of growth in the March quarter was driven by the sustained strong performance in external trade and pickup in domestic demand. .. read more..

US and China have aligning views on Iran, says Trump
Friday, May 15,2026,07:28

We don't want Iran to have a nuclear weapon, we want the straits open Xi clearly stated that Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon It is in China's interest to open the Strait of Hormuz We can destroy Iran's power plants in just two days China agreed to buy 200 Boeing planes, with potential commitment to purchase up to 750 planes "I made no commitment on Taiwan" Don't think there's a conflict regarding Taiwan situation, spoke a lot about it with Xi So far, the only comment that China has made regarding the Iran situation after Trump and Xi sat down to talk was: "This conflict, which should never have happened, has no reason to continue." The nature of the comments pretty much sums everythi... .. read more..

Iran foreign minister says current negotiations are suffering from lack of trust
Friday, May 15,2026,06:11

We are trying to keep the ceasefire in order to give diplomacy a chance Contradictory messages by the US have made us reluctant about their real intentions on talks All vessels can pass through Strait of Hormuz except those at war with us Vessels wanting to pass should coordinate with Iran navy We are making the necessary arrangements in coordination with Oman The situation around the Strait of Hormuz is very complicated and we are trying to help Interested in continuing energy business with India We understand consequences of sanctions imposed by US The comments aren't anything new and mainly reaffirm the existing status quo. With US president Trump making his visit to Beijing this week,... .. read more..

Malaysia GDP Growth Exceeds Estimate
Friday, May 15,2026,06:10

Malaysia's economy expanded at a faster than estimated pace in the first quarter, underpinned by household spending and investment, data from the Department of Statistics showed Friday. Gross domestic product logged an annual growth of 5.4 percent, which was revised up from the initial estimate of 5.3 percent. This followed a revised 6.2 percent expansion in the fourth quarter of 2025. .. read more..

Why the Fed isn’t ready to cut yet? UBS weighs in
Friday, May 15,2026,06:00

UBS has pushed back its forecast for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, now expecting the first reduction in December 2026 rather than September, citing persistent goods inflation and resilient growth that the bank says give policymakers room to wait. Economist Andrew Dubinsky said the key conditions needed to justify a September cut, sustained disinflation in ... .. read more..

Which EU capitals have rents higher than minimum wages?
Friday, May 15,2026,06:00

Housing and utility bills are the largest expenditure category for European households. According to Eurostat’s most recent figures, 23.6% of household spending in the EU goes to housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels in the EU. Rents account for a particularly large share in major cities. More importantly, rent is a significant burden for ... .. read more..

Poland Inflation Confirmed At 10-month High
Friday, May 15,2026,05:27

Poland's consumer price inflation accelerated as initially estimated in April to the highest level in nearly a year. The consumer price index climbed 3.2 percent year-over-year in April, faster than the 3.0 percent increase in March. Moreover, this was the highest inflation rate since June 2025, when prices rose 4.1 percent. On a monthly basis, consumer prices moved up 0.6 percent. .. read more..

Treasury yields jump across the curve, 10-year yields hit near one-year high
Friday, May 15,2026,04:55

The broader risk mood is worsening on the session as we see oil prices ramp higher while stocks and precious metals sink lower. At the same time, we're seeing bond yields extend higher with Treasury yields jumping across the curve. 30-year yields broke the pivotal 5% threshold earlier this week and we're seeing everything run up now in the final trading day. Of note, 10-year yields in the US are up by over 8 bps to 4.54% - its highest since May last year. Meanwhile, 2-year yields are also shooting higher in moving back above the 4% threshold. That is a big momentum shift after having struggled to clear the 4% mark in March before falling to as low as 3.70% in April. And now, the tide is c... .. read more..

Italy Inflation Accelerates Less Than Estimated
Friday, May 15,2026,04:48

Consumer price inflation in Italy increased slightly less than initially estimated in April to the highest level in more than two-and-a-half years. Consumer price inflation accelerated to 2.7 percent in April from March's 1.7 percent. The upward trend in inflation was primarily driven by a 9.6 percent growth in costs for non-regulated energy products, which fell 2.0 percent in March. .. read more..

UAE set to accelerate new oil pipeline project to help bypass Strait of Hormuz
Friday, May 15,2026,04:08

The pipeline is already under construction but the latest decision by the UAE is to accelerate said project in order to become operational in 2027. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi met with the executive committee of the ADNOC board of directors and directed to accelerate delivery of the project. For some context, the UAE's total production capacity is roughly 4.5 million bpd. But with the Strait of Hormuz now in de facto closure, they can only use the Fujairah pipeline to get oil exports out. However, that is only limited to around 1.9 million bpd at best even if running at maximum capacity. So, they are still facing troubles currently in that there is nearly 2.6 million bpd unable to be ex... .. read more..

UK bond yields leap as Burnham sees possible route to power
Friday, May 15,2026,03:59

Borrowing costs ​for governments around the world were ⁠rising on Friday ‌on renewed worries about the inflationary impact ​of the Iran ​war. .. read more..

Japanese bond yields hit record highs as rate-hike bets firm
Friday, May 15,2026,03:55

The benchmark 10-year JGB yield rose as much as 10 basis points (bps) to 2.73%, the highest ‌level since ⁠May 1997. The ⁠yields on five-year notes and 20-year bonds touched all-time peaks of 2.00% ​and 3.615%, respectively. Yields move inversely to bond prices. .. read more..