The Bank of Canada's governing council has agreed it will have to rely on its own judgment more than usual on rate decisions, given heightened global uncertainty, according to minutes released on Wednesday.
Financial stocks advanced in Wednesday afternoon trading with the NYSE Financial Index rising 1.2% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF gaining 0.6%. The Philadelphia Housing Index climbed 1.3%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF rose 0.5%. Bitcoin increased 0.8% to $68,708, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries eased 1 basis point to 4.30%. In corporate ...
The Trump administration has helped usher cryptocurrency more into the mainstream as more states pass laws enabling them to invest and issue bonds backed by digital currency.
Amazon.com Inc (AMZN) shares are jumping on Wednesday. Amazon's (AMZN) eight?part euro bond sale on March 11 accounted for nearly 10% of all corporate borrowing in Europe, the Middle East and Africa during the first quarter, according to Bloomberg data. Despite fears that huge U.S. tech deals might overwhelm Europe's bond market, the opposite happened.
US retail sales rebounded more than expected in February, official data showed, though analysts see consumers spending less on discretionary items ahead amid higher energy prices driven by the ongoing Middle East conflict. Sales rose 0.6% sequentially in February, following a revised 0.1% drop in the previous month, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday.
Chile's economic activity deteriorated in February, falling for the second consecutive month and landing way below market expectations, dimming the outlook for interest rate hikes.
All three major US stock indexes were up in midday trading on Wednesday as traders awaited President Donald Trump's evening address, in which he may announce that US military actions in Iran will end within two to three weeks. The Institute for Supply Management's US manufacturing index rose to 52.7 in March from 52.4 in February, above the expectations for a 52.3 reading in a Bloomberg survey.
* ISM manufacturing PMI hits highest level since August 2022. * Prices-paid index jumps to 78.3, highest since June 2022, amid supply chain issues. * US rate futures shift from pricing hikes to modest easing. * Trump says US will end war in Iran. By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss.
Private sector analysts
polled by Mexico's central bank expect slightly higher inflation
at the end of this year and next compared to the previous
month's poll, the bank said on Wednesday.
Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr warned Tuesday that stablecoins present money laundering and financial stability risks, citing a ?long and painful history of private money created with insufficient safeguards? as stablecoin issues stall progress on the Clarity Act in Congress. Barr focused his concerns on how stablecoin issuers manage reserves backing their tokens.
The Middle East war that's driven a sharp rise in energy prices and roiled critical supply chains appears on track to hit headline inflation, with a smaller impact on underlying price pressures, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland said in updated data Wednesday. Meanwhile, core prices showed less of an impact. The Cleveland Fed nowcasts are updated daily.
Employment in the US private sector increased more than projected in March, ADP said Wednesday, ahead of official data that are likely to show a rebound in payrolls. Private jobs rose by 62,000 last month, exceeding the consensus forecast for a 40,000 increase in a Bloomberg-compiled survey.
* Indexes up: Dow, S&P 500 0.68%, Nasdaq 1.03% * Nike (NKE) slumps on forecasting surprise Q4 sales drop. * Private payrolls, retail sales rise more than expected. * Trump to address the nation on Iran war at 9 p.m. ET. By Purvi Agarwal and Twesha Dikshit.
The Institute for Supply Management's US manufacturing index rose to 52.7 in March from 52.4 in February, above the expectations for a 52.3 reading in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:30 am ET. There were gains in the readings for production and prices, but declines in the readings of new orders, employment and order backlogs.
Canada's manufacturing sector again experienced subdued performance during March, said Paul Smith, Economics Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence. Earlier Wednesday, the seasonally adjusted S&P Global Canada Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, a composite index designed to provide an overview of the health of the manufacturing sector, recorded 50.0 in March.
U.S. manufacturing activity picked up in March, though a measure of prices paid by factories for inputs jumped to the highest level in nearly four years and suppliers took longer to deliver material amid the war in the Middle East. The Institute for Supply Management said on Wednesday its manufacturing PMI edged up to 52.7 last month, the highest reading since August 2022, from 52.4 in February.
New multi-asset credit fund seeks to achieve a high level of total return by investing across the spectrum of higher yielding, sub-investment grade credit markets. STAMFORD, Conn. The Fund will primarily invest in high yield corporate bonds, loans, and structured credit, including asset-backed securities, mortgage-backed securities and collateralized loan obligations.
U.S. manufacturing activity picked up in March, though a measure of prices paid by factories for inputs jumped to the highest level in nearly four years and suppliers took longer to deliver material amid the war in the Middle East. Part of the increase in the index was likely because of lengthening suppliers' delivery times, normally associated with a strong economy and increased customer demand.
New Orders Growing; Production Growing; Employment Contracting; Supplier Deliveries Slowing; Raw Materials Inventories Contracting; Customers' Inventories Too Low; Prices Increasing; Imports Growing; Exports Contracting TEMPE, Ariz. The report was issued today by Susan Spence, MBA, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management?? Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.
Canada's manufacturing sector stagnated in March, S&P Global said on Wednesday. It reported the seasonally adjusted S&P Global Canada Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, a composite index designed to provide an overview of the health of the manufacturing sector, recorded 50.0 in March. Production fell for the first time in 2026 so far during March, noted S&P Global.
* Trump says Iranian leader has asked for ceasefire. * US dollar falls for second straight day. * US private payrolls increase steadily in March, ADP says. By Ashitha Shivaprasad. Gold rose for a fourth straight session to nearly a two-week peak on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar slipped, while traders focused on the war in the Middle East and its implications for global monetary policy.
Canada's manufacturing sector stagnated in March as U.S. tariffs and uncertainty linked to the Middle East war led to a decline in output and raised input costs, data showed on Wednesday. The S&P Global Canada Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 50.0 last month from 51.0 in February, marking the lowest level in three months.
Although January GDP release is "old news", it does show the Canadian economy "expanding below trend in the pre-war data", according to veteran market watcher David Rosenberg.
Trusted debt settlement company acquires top spot for fourth year in a row NEW YORK, April 1, 2026 ?National?Debt Relief,?the industry leader in debt settlement and provider of the top rated debt relief solution in the U.S.*, has earned Forbes Advisor's Best Debt Relief Company recognition for 2026. Why Was National Debt Relief Named the Best Debt Relief Company?
By Jamie McGeever. Are central banks unloading Treasuries amid the controversial U.S.-led war in the Middle East? On the one hand, foreign-owned Treasuries held in custody at the New York Federal Reserve just fell to a 16-year low below $3 trillion. As I wrote last week, the decline in Fed "custody" holdings since the Iran war started on February 28 has been eye-catching.
The Financial Health Network today announced that Michael S. Barr, member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, will deliver a keynote address at?EMERGE Financial Health 2026, the organization's flagship annual conference.
Rimini Street, Inc. (RMNI), the Software Support and Agentic AI ERP Company?, and the leading third-party support provider for Oracle, SAP and VMware software, today announced first quarter debt reduction activities and a recent amendment to its credit agreement. This press release features multimedia.
NYLI MacKay DefinedTerm Muni Opportunities Fund (MMD) today announced monthly dividend distributions of $0.0675 per common share for the months of April, May, and June 2026. Portfolio and municipal market commentary will be published on or around April 1, 2026 and can be retrieved here.
* Futures up: Dow 0.51%, S&P 500 0.58%, Nasdaq 0.85% * Nike (NKE) slumps on forecasting surprise Q4 sales drop. * Private payrolls, retail sales rise more than expected. * Trump to address the nation on Iran war at 9 p.m. ET. By Purvi Agarwal and Twesha Dikshit.
U.S. Treasury yields came off their lows for the day after a pair of reports on Wednesday showed continued resilience for the world's largest economy, affirming expectations that the Federal Reserve will hold off cutting interest rates for some time. Both U.S. private payrolls for March and retail sales came in higher than expected.
US retail sales rose by 0.6% in February, more than the 0.5% increase expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and following the previous month's revised decline of 0.1%. Excluding a 1.2% increase in motor vehicle sales, retail sales were still up 0.5% compared with an expected 0.3% increase, after holding steady in January.
AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A- from B++ and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings to ?a-? from ?bbb+? of Grange Insurance Association and its fully reinsured subsidiary, Granwest Property & Casualty, collectively referred to as Grange Insurance Group.
ADP's monthly measure of private payrolls showed a 62,000 increase in March, well above expectations compiled by Bloomberg for an increase of 40,000. The March gain followed an upwardly revised 66,000 increase in February.
Cartrack, a leading global software platform for operational excellence and subsidiary of Karooooo Limited (KARO), has announced a strategic long-term partnership with the Maharishi Invincibility Institute to empower youth from marginalised communities through access to skills development and education, aimed at expanding employment opportunities and reducing the unemployment rate for youth in South A...
Policymakers at Chile's central bank briefly considered raising interest rates at their March meeting in the face of uncertainty stemming from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, the meeting minutes showed on Wednesday.
The two-year cross-market differential between Government of Canada bonds and United States Treasuries trades near 96bps early Wednesday, said National Bank of Canada. Despite the "choppiness," that's a similar level to where it resided in February and has cheapened only slightly relative to the onset of the war in the Middle East, noted the bank.
U.S. private payrolls increased steadily in March, the ADP's national employment report showed on Wednesday. Private employment rose by 62,000 jobs last month after an upwardly revised 66,000 gain in February.
U.S. private payrolls increased steadily in March, the ADP's national employment report showed on Wednesday. Private employment rose by 62,000 jobs last month after an upwardly revised 66,000 gain in February.
Advisor Intelligence is a new destination for deep coverage built to help municipal advisors better navigate the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the advisor landscape.
Advisor Intelligence is a new destination for deep coverage built to help municipal advisors better navigate the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the advisor landscape.
ROSELAND, N.J., April 1, 2026 Private sector employment increased by 62,000 jobs in March and pay was up 4.5 percent year-over-year according to the March ADP National Employment Report? produced by ADP Research in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab.
Businesses continue to act as if high oil prices will prove only a short-term disruption, with little evidence yet it has caused consumers to pull back on spending or shifted public inflation expectations in a worrisome way, Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Tom Barkin said.
The Canadian economy has grown just 0.6% in the past year, but there are some noteworthy supports below the surface that are consistent with the broader narrative, said Bank of Montreal. It noted real defense service output is up almost 5% from a year ago, as Canada pushes up its spending target.
Policymakers at Chile's central bank briefly considered the option of raising interest rates at their March meeting in the face of uncertainty stemming from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, the meeting minutes showed on Wednesday.
The dollar's modest rebound since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran started a little over a month ago will fade as its safe-haven appeal erodes, according to currency strategists in a Reuters poll who stuck to their long-held view the currency will weaken. Traditional safe havens have generally faltered, with U.S. Treasury yields markedly higher and gold slipping over 10% since the conflict started.
The US dollar fell against its major trading partners early Wednesday before another busy session, starting with ADP private payrolls for March at 8:15 am ET and retail sales data for February at 8:30 am ET. St. Louis Federal Reserve President Alberto Musalem is due to speak at 9:00 am ET, followed by Fed Governor Michael Barr at 9:10 am ET.
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.
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