Concerns among central banks about geopolitical tensions have surged dramatically this year and are now viewed as the top global risk, according to a new survey of central banks managing more than $9.5 trillion in reserves. The survey of almost 100 institutions by Central Banking Publications was conducted between January and March.
* Volatile inflation and rates remain key 5-year concern, but less dominant than last year. * Trust in U.S. dollar in question, gold holdings tick higher. By Marc Jones. Concerns among central banks about geopolitical tensions have surged dramatically this year and are now viewed as the top global risk, according to a new survey of central banks managing more than $9.5 trillion in reserves.
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson on Tuesday reiterated his view that short-term borrowing costs are set appropriately to allow the central bank to respond as needed to the uncertain effects of rising energy prices and the conflict in the Middle East on the Fed's two mandates of price stability and full employment.
The latest U.S. jobs report delivered a headline surprise, but some economists say the strength is overstated. March payrolls rose by 178,000, more than double expectations, yet much of that gain came from temporary factors. The unemployment rate fell. Bob Schwartz, senior economist at Oxford Economics, said the data tells a very different story beneath the headlines.
Wall Street recovered earlier losses to end mostly flat on Tuesday, as traders awaited the deadline later in the evening that U.S. President Donald Trump has given Iran to re-open the Strait of Hormuz and get oil and gas supplies flowing again.
"The steady tone talks to the underlying demand" for munis, NewSquare Capital's Kim Olsan said. "For the moment, munis are holding steady with a watchful approach.
Scorpio Tankers Inc. (STNG) announced today its intention to offer $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2031 in a private offering to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to market conditions and other factors.
CHICAGO, April 7, 2026 ?Ziegler, a specialty investment bank, is pleased to announce the successful closing of Mennonite Village's $86,215,000 Series 2026AB Bonds through the Hospital Facility Authority of the City of Albany, Oregon.
Illinois curently plans $3.2 billion of bond sales in FY2027 under Gov. JB Pritzker's executive budget, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability said, adding additional authorization requests are expected.
Brazil's trade surplus fell short of expectations in March, shrinking 17.2% from a year earlier to $6.4 billion, as import growth outpaced the increase in exports, official data released on Tuesday showed. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a surplus of $7.35 billion.
* Canadian dollar gains 0.1% against the greenback. * Trades in a range of 1.3892 to 1.3929. * Ivey PMI falls to 49.7 in March. * Bond yields rise across the curve. By Fergal Smith.
Chicago Federal Reserve Bank President Austan Goolsbee said on Tuesday he is worried that the Iran war will drive inflation higher even as it slows the U.S. economy, putting the Fed in an uncomfortable position where there is no obvious "cookbook" for what to do.
* Iran shows no sign of accepting Trump's ultimatum. * US Fed minutes due on Wednesday. * China's central bank adds gold to reserves for 17th month. By Ashitha Shivaprasad. Gold prices drifted higher on Tuesday, with market attention on U.S. President Donald Trump's looming deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or risk devastating attacks on its infrastructure.
The California Municipal Finance Authority will issue $742 million in tax-exempt debt for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's first P3.
Financial stocks dropped in Tuesday afternoon trading with the NYSE Financial Index falling 0.3% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF easing 0.1%. The Philadelphia Housing Index fell 1.8%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF rose 0.2%. Bitcoin declined 0.6% to $68,456, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries gained 2.9 basis points to 4.36%. In corporate new...
An extended disruption of the world's oil trade from the Iran war could lift headline U.S. inflation to well over 4% by year-end, with even bigger increases possible in the short term, fresh research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas suggests.
* Strait of Hormuz closure could sharply raise inflation: Dallas Fed paper. * Closure would have a limited effect on long-term inflation expectations, research finds. By Ann Saphir.
World Bank President Ajay Banga said on Tuesday the war in the Middle East would result in some degree of slower growth in the global economy and higher inflation, regardless of how quickly it ended.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said on Tuesday that U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell would remain in charge of the central bank's key monetary policy function even if Kevin Warsh has not been confirmed as the new Fed leader by next month. "There's no issue of continuity. Williams was commenting on the unsettled succession process for Fed leadership.
* Fed's Williams says no uncertainty around FOMC leadership. * Williams indicates Chair Powell would lead FOMC until Warsh confirmed. * Little clarity when chair nominee Warsh will be confirmed. By Michael S. Derby.
Demand for US durable goods decreased more than estimated in February amid weakness in the aircraft component, government data showed Tuesday. Orders for tangible items with an average life of at least three years fell 1.4% sequentially to $315.50 billion in February, following a 0.5% drop the month prior, the Census Bureau said.
Kevin Kelly is in a tough spot. Thousands of miles away in India, gas shortages have closed dozens of plants that export aluminum products around the world.
* "The risks of recession are rising significantly," economist says as Iran war drags on. * Signs from across the globe of slower business activity as oil prices surge. * Sustained war, escalation would see economic impacts multiply. * China, U.S. relatively better placed, while Europe, other Asian countries exposed. By Howard Schneider, Timothy Aeppel, Sarah McFarlane and Sumit Khanna.
* Iran shows no sign of accepting Trump's ultimatum. * US Fed minutes due on Wednesday. * China's central bank adds gold to reserves for 17th month. By Ashitha Shivaprasad. Gold prices were little changed on Tuesday, as caution prevailed in the market ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's looming deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or risk devastating attacks on its infrastructure.
* US president's deadline raises oil prices, dampens Treasury safe-haven demand. * Fed's Williams says Middle East conflict may boost US inflation. * US capital goods orders rise in February. By Chuck Mikolajczak.
Consumer expectations for one-year US inflation growth increased to a 3.4% gain in March from a 3.0% gain in the previous month, according to a survey released by the New York Federal Reserve Bank on Tuesday. The median inflation expectations accelerated to a 3.1% gain from a 3.0% gain for the three-year period but remained at a 3.0% gain for five years ahead.
Americans, rattled by surging energy prices tied to war in the Middle East, are expecting higher near-term inflation and fresh challenges to their personal financial situations, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported on Tuesday. The bank said as part of the March findings of its latest Survey of Consumer Expectations that inflation a year from now is seen at 3.4%, up from 3% last month.
* Core capital goods orders increase 0.6% in February. * Shipments of core capital goods jump 0.9% * Durable goods orders drop 1.4% on commercial aircraft. By Lucia Mutikani.
Canadian economic activity contracted in March for the first time in four months as a measure of inflation pressures increased, Ivey Purchasing Managers Index data showed on Tuesday. The seasonally adjusted index fell to 49.7 last month from 56.6 in February, marking its first move below the 50 threshold since November.
Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton details some tools he finds useful to manage risk exposure, establish market trends and identify opportunities.
* Iran shows no sign of accepting Trump's ultimatum. * US Fed minutes due on Wednesday. * China's central bank adds gold to reserves for 17th month. By Ashitha Shivaprasad. Gold prices were little changed on Tuesday, as caution prevailed in the market ahead of the expiry of a U.S. ultimatum warning Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating attacks on its infrastructure.
U.S. stocks traded lower this morning, with the Dow Jones index falling around 200 points on Tuesday. Following the market opening Tuesday, the Dow traded down 0.45% to 46,460.40 while the NASDAQ fell 0.59% to 21,867.13. The S&P 500 also fell, dropping, 0.44% to 6,582.86. Leading and Lagging Sectors Energy shares climbed by 1% on Tuesday.
Multiple municipal bond offerings this week have a high exposure to climate risk, specifically high Wildfire and Flood Scores, according to ICE Climate Data. A $5 million offering from Pine-Strawberry Fire District, Ariz., records a Wildfire Score of 5.0 out of 5.0, ICE reports.
Gold was steady early Tuesday, with the dollar and treasury yields little changed, even as the war on Iran continues to raise inflation worries while a report showed a larger than expected drop in U.S. durable goods orders in February, showing a weakening manufacturing sector. Gold for May delivery was last seen up $1.60 to US$4,686.30 per ounce.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said on Tuesday the Middle East war energy shock will drive up overall inflation over the course of this year, while reiterating monetary policy is in the right place to deal with what happens in the U.S. economy.
* Gold edges up, rose 1% in early EMEA hours. * Iran defiant in face of Trump's deadline to unleash "hell" * IRGC threatens to disrupt regional oil, gas supplies for years. * China's central bank adds gold to reserves for 17th month. By Ishaan Arora.
ROSELAND, N.J., April 7, 2026 ?For the four weeks ending March 21, 2026, U.S. private employers added an average of 26,000 jobs per week, according to the NER Pulse, a weekly update of the monthly ADP National Employment Report. It was the third straight week of improvement in hiring. The NER Pulse is an estimate of the week-over-week change in employment based on a four-week moving average.
The state's latest water plan outlines $174 billion of capital water needs over the next 50 years. "The era of cheaper water is over," said one state water official.
SEOUL, South Korea, April 7, 2026 Amid evolving global economic conditions, South Korea is exploring a distinctive approach to economic stimulus ? one that goes beyond traditional fiscal or monetary measures, and instead focuses on mobilizing consumption.
The US dollar was mixed against its major trading partners early Tuesday -- up versus the yen and Canadian dollar, down versus the euro and pound -- ahead of the release of durable goods orders data for February at 8:30 am ET and weekly Redbook same-store sales at 8:55 am ET.
Atlas Energy Solutions (AESI) said Tuesday it priced a private offering of $390 million of 0.5% convertible senior unsecured notes due 2031, upsized from $300 million. The company granted the initial purchasers a 13-day option to buy up to an additional $60 million of notes.
* March UK new sales up 6.6% marking best month since 2019. * EV interest rises on fuel price uncertainty, but market share lags 2026 target. * BYD's UK registrations surged 134% in March, outpacing Tesla's 20% rise, SMMT reports.
Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. (AESI) today announced that it has priced its previously announced private offering to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended of $390 million aggregate principal amount of 0.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031.
* Gold rises some 0.6% * Iranian ambassador says Pakistan mediation efforts at critical stage. * China's central bank adds gold to reserves for 17th month. By Ishaan Arora. Gold prices gained on Tuesday, as the dollar softened and oil prices fell, while investors remained focused on any signs of progress to bring an end to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Commerzbank in its "European Sunrise" note of Tuesday highlighted: Markets: United States Treasury yields edge higher after Friday's U.S. payrolls print, consolidate on Monday, but rise again in Asia early Tuesday. Fed: Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack thinks a rate hike is possible if inflation persists.
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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