NEW YORK, March 19, 2026 ?The Conference Board Leading Economic Index?? for the US inched down by 0.1% in January 2026 to 97.5, following a 0.2% decline in December. "The U.S. LEI fell further in January, as consumer expectations retreated again and building permits softened," said Justyna Zabinska-La Monica, Senior Manager, Business Cycle Indicators, at The Conference Board.
An overnight jump in oil prices on the heels of a hawkish Federal Reserve policy meeting has further narrowed the window for the interest rate cuts President Donald Trump has demanded and upped the odds that his nominee to lead the U.S. central bank may need to tighten borrowing costs early in his tenure.
AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ?bbb? of Pacific International Insurance Pty Limited. The ratings reflect Pacific?s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
An overnight jump in oil prices on the heels of a hawkish Federal Reserve policy meeting has further narrowed the window for the interest rate cut President Donald Trump has demanded and upped the odds that his nominee to lead the U.S. central bank may need to tighten borrowing costs early in his tenure.
Wall Street's main indexes opened lower on Thursday as crude prices soared on intensifying Middle East hostilities, reviving inflation worries that have prompted the Federal Reserve to take a more cautious stance on interest rate cuts. The rate-sensitive small-caps Russell 2000 index dropped 10% from its all-time intraday high.
* Oil surges 9% as Iran conflict worsens. * European and Asian stock markets tumble, borrowing costs rise. * BoE and ECB hold rates in back-to-back central bank meetings. By Marc Jones and Ankur Banerjee.
The Bank of Canada as expected left its policy rate unchanged at 2.25% on Wednesday, while Governor Tiff Macklem struck a broadly balanced tone at his press conference in saying the current geopolitical backdrop gave Governing Council some time to assess the impact of the Middle East conflict, notes Nomura.
The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged as expected on Thursday but signalled it was closely watching growth and inflation risks from surging oil prices and was ready to act, if that became necessary. Energy prices have jumped since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, driving bets that inflation will be pushed far above the ECB's 2% target within months.
* Futures off: Dow and S&P 500 0.63%, Nasdaq 0.71% * Micron Technology (MU) down 5% as higher spending plans draw scrutiny. * Brent crude hits $115/barrel on Middle East tensions, clouding inflation outlook. * Small-cap Russell 2000 futures drop 10% from record highs. By Johann M Cherian and Utkarsh Hathi.
* Oil trades above $110 a barrel on Middle East energy attacks. * US weighs military reinforcements. * Central banks hawkish but cautious in war's shadow. * Silver down over 10% By Ashitha Shivaprasad.
By 2035, autonomous trucking projected to save shippers $5.7 billion in annual fuel costs, generate $9.4 billion in annual safety benefits, and account for up to $70 billion of U.S. GDP; Aurora commits first-of-its-kind $1 million grant to train tomorrow?s freight workforce PITTSBURGH---- Aurora Innovation, Inc. (AUR) today highlighted findings from a new report revealing that autonomous freight is a...
U.S. Treasury yields eased back from their highs on Thursday, paring their earlier increase that appeared driven by technical factors, even as fresh data pointed to labor market resilience and improving manufacturing activity in the U.S. Northeast. The releases supported the view that the Federal Reserve can afford to be patient before restarting its rate-cutting cycle.
* BoE policymakers vote 9-0 to keep rates on hold. * Reuters poll had predicted 7-2 'hold' vote. * BoE says it is ready to act to hit inflation target. * Risks seen to inflation but also growth. * Bailey later says markets too quick to price rate hikes. By William Schomberg and David Milliken.
* BRAZIL'S CENTRAL BANK SELLS $1 BILLION IN SPOT DOLLAR AUCTION - STATEMENT. * BRAZIL'S CENTRAL BANK SELLS SELLS 20,000 REVERSE FX SWAP CONTRACTS AT AUCTION - STATEMENT Source text: Further company coverage: [ ]
The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust was down 0.4%, and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust was 0.5% lower in Thursday's premarket activity as investors react to rising oil prices and a more cautious Federal Reserve outlook on rate cuts.
Sterling rose on Thursday as the Bank of England left interest rates unchanged, with investors looking for clues from policymakers about the impact of the Iran war. The central bank's Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to keep borrowing costs on hold, with some noting the prospect of raising rates.
US initial jobless claims fell to a level of 205,000 in the employment survey week ended March 14 from a 213,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for an increase to 215,000 in a survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:30 am ET. Initial claims were at a level of 208,000 in the survey week ended Feb. 14.
By Jamie McGeever. Assuming Kevin Warsh succeeds Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair by mid-May as planned, one of his first acts may be to preside over an interest rate hike, a true baptism of fire which would raise the ire of his boss, President Donald Trump.
Israel's commercial banks will pay the state a one-time tax of 3.25 billion shekels in 2026, which will lower the planned budget deficit target to 4.9% of gross domestic product from 5.1%, the Finance Ministry said on Thursday.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that meetings between President Donald Trump's Fed chair nominee, Kevin Warsh, and U.S. lawmakers are going very well, but would not comment on whether a federal investigation of the current chair would be dropped.
The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, pointing to stable labor market conditions and a rebound in job growth in March.
The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, pointing to stable labor market conditions and a rebound in job growth in March. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 205,000 for the week ended March 14, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
Tradeweb Markets Inc. (TW), a global leader in electronic trading across asset classes, today announced the expansion of its dealer algorithmic execution offering for U.S. Treasuries, adding strategies from Citi and RBC Capital Markets to its suite.
Integrated into Swisscom Broadcast's DroneDefence Deployment, Ondas (ONDS)' Subsidiary Sentrycs' Cyber-Over-RF Technology Enabled Early Detection and Tiered Mitigation Capabilities During One of the World's Most High-Profile International Events WEST PALM BEACH, FL / ACCESS Newswire / March 19, 2026 / Ondas Inc. (ONDS), a leading provider of autonomous aerial and ground robot intelligence through its Ondas A...
The Bank of England's nine interest rate-setters voted unanimously to keep borrowing costs on hold in the face of inflation risks from the war in the Middle East, and some raised the prospect of raising rates. The BoE's Monetary Policy Committee voted 9-0 to keep Bank Rate at 3.75%, the central bank said on Thursday.
The Bank of Canada left rates on hold at 2.25% on Wednesday, but tweaked the statement in a nod to the hawkish repricing of inflation and the implied policy outlook, said Societe Generale. The BoC left out the wording that the policy rate is appropriate, wrote the bank in commentary. The BoC will revise its Monetary Policy Report forecasts at the next meeting in April.
The deal includes a current refunding of general obligation bonds issued in 2016 and a tender offer for bonds that have not yet reached their call date.
* Fed, BoC, and BoJ keep interest rates on hold amid inflation concerns. * ECB expected to hold interest rates steady. * Oil rises over $115 a barrel after Iran strikes Middle East energy facilities. By Pablo Sinha.
European bourses tracked lower midday Thursday as traders awaited rate decisions and outlooks from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England, and monitored aerial attacks on Persian Gulf oil-and-gas facilities. Oil stocks led scarce gains on continental trading floors, while bank, retail and tech shares weakened.
Traders have sharply pulled back expectations of interest-rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve this year after the central bank on Wednesday held rates steady and projected higher inflation and a single reduction in borrowing costs. Most global brokerages, however, stuck to their calls on the Fed's likely actions, citing largely in line commentary.
By Amanda Cooper. Euro zone government bond yields rose on Thursday, ahead of a European Central Bank rate decision, as global bonds and stocks sold off in light of another jump in the oil price and after the U.S. Federal Reserve forecast higher inflation.
* FOMC maintains policy rate in 3.50%-3.75% range as expected. * Fed funds futures imply U.S. central bank to stand pat all year. * BOJ votes 8-1 to hold interest rates. By Sophie Kiderlin and Gregor Stuart Hunter.
Aluminium prices tumbled as much as 8% on Thursday as speculators scrambled to liquidate bullish positions while copper sank to a three-month low on worries that surging oil prices will hit global growth at the same time the market is swamped with plentiful inventories.
* Oil surges 9% as Iran conflict worsens. * European and Asia stock markets tumble, borrowing costs rise. * ECB and BoE next up in packed 24 hours of central bank meetings. By Marc Jones and Ankur Banerjee.
Saskatchewan's plan for a balanced budget in 2025-26 didn't come to fruition as the province now expects to register a $1.2 billion deficit, or 1.0% of gross domestic product, in the outgoing fiscal year, said National Bank of Canada. In 2026-27, Saskatchewan is set to run a shortfall again, though it's expected to be smaller at $819 million, 0.7% of GDP.
* FTSE 100 down 1.9% * FTSE 250 hits near 4-month low. * Energy stocks hit record high as oil prices surge. * Bank of England expected to pause rate cuts amid inflation concerns. * HSBC (HSBC) considers cutting up to 20,000 jobs, Bloomberg reports.
* Stocks drop 2.8%, FX down 0.6% * Poland producer prices fall below expectations. * Gulf States request urgent talks at UNHRC on Iran's strikes, documents show. * Central bank policy decisions awaited in Czech Republic, Ukraine. By Twesha Dikshit.
The yen has held up better against the US dollar overnight Wednesday, supported by the Bank of Japan's latest policy update and further verbal intervention from Japanese policymakers, said MUFG. It has helped to prevent USD/JPY from rising above the 160.00 level after hitting a high of 159.87, wrote the bank in a note to clients.
* Futures off: Dow 0.29%, S&P 500 0.34%, Nasdaq 0.48% U.S. stock index futures slipped on Thursday as crude prices soared on intensifying hostilities in the Middle East, fanning inflation worries that have prompted the Federal Reserve to take a more cautious stance on interest rate cuts this year. The Fed left rates unchanged on Wednesday and Chair Jerome Powell flagged higher inflation ahead.
* Alibaba's (BABA) revenue, net income miss analysts' estimates. * Cloud revenue grows 36%, AI business to separate from cloud arm. * Alibaba's (BABA) shares drop more than 6% in early trading. * Singles' Day promotions fail to boost consumer enthusiasm. By Akash Sriram and Casey Hall.
* Traders price in more than two hikes from ECB, BoE. * BoE holds rates but vote more hawkish than expected. * Two-year bond yields surge as investors await ECB. By Samuel Indyk and Yoruk Bahceli.
The Swiss National Bank has increased its readiness to intervene in currency markets to dampen raised demand for the Swiss franc, Chairman Martin Schlegel said on Thursday, although he declined to indicate the scale of purchases the central bank could carry out this year.
* Fed, BoC, and BoJ keep interest rates on hold amid inflation concerns. * ECB expected to hold interest rates steady. * Oil rises over $115 a barrel after Iran strikes Middle East energy facilities. By Pablo Sinha.
Global economic growth has continued to outperform expectations for 14 straight months - just as the war in Iran fuels fresh concerns about energy prices and global stability - putting the world economy on track for its longest run of upside surprises since the 2008-09 financial crisis.
The outlook for the Swiss economy is uncertain with short-term growth potentially "rather subdued," Swiss National Bank governing board member Petra Tschudin said on Thursday. "The main risk to the economic outlook for Switzerland is the development in the global economy," said Tschudin after the SNB's latest interest rate decision.
* Traders price in ECB, BoE rate hikes this year. * ECB, BoE rate decisions later. * SNB, Sweden hold rates steady. Investors were sticking with bets for rate hikes in Europe on Thursday, ahead of European Central Bank and Bank of England policy decisions, with rate cut hopes dashed as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran boots energy prices and stokes inflation fears.
* Swiss franc this month hit highest vs euro since 2015. * SNB zero rate is lowest among major central banks. * Swiss annual inflation running at only 0.1% * 2026 inflation forecast raised to 0.5% from 0.3% By John Revill.
In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.
Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.
Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.
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