WSJ Economy

The result was partly driven by businesses rushing to avoid supply disruptions and price rises as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.

Income expectations picked up, but only slightly, and consumers remained less optimistic about their financial future than before the Middle East conflict.

The Bank of Japan should raise interest rates steadily and consider speeding up the pace of tightening if inflation risks intensify, policy board member Naoki Tamura said.

Plus, big banks ace an annual stress test, and more bald men shake their heads at hair transplants and toupees.

The minutes showed an agreement among the top six senior policymakers that leaving the benchmark rate unchanged was appropriate to balance the risks of upward price pressures and a weak economy.

Sales of new U.S. single-family homes fell to 580,000 in May, from 626,000 in April, compared with economists’ expectations of 632,000 sales in May.

The Ifo business-climate index nevertheless remains at a subdued level, having plummeted after the outbreak of the war in Iran.

The Bank of Thailand kept interest rates on hold and raised the country’s economic growth forecast for 2026 to 2.3%.

Opinions from the Japanese central bank’s recent meeting show a growing sense of worry about inflation and a need to lift interest rates at a steady pace to avoid falling behind the curve.

Australia’s consumer price growth eased in May amid cooling fuel prices, but underlying inflation continued to strengthen as businesses passed on higher costs resulting from the Middle East conflict.

People around the world are feeling the sticker-shock of higher prices, but recent inflation has taken a larger psychological toll on the continent.

The legislation streamlines some federal approvals for housing, but it doesn’t address local regulations, where most policy is made.

The number of those worth more than $30 million jumped by 14.4% last year.

Rates eased briefly on ceasefire talks, but a hawkish Fed means the spring housing freeze is likely to stretch through the year.

Excess global imbalances are widening again, with risks of an economic disruption heightened by an increasing share of financial activity being conducted outside of the regulated banking sector, says Canada’s top central banker.

The return of inflation after the pandemic has left a question mark over whether the Put still exists—and plenty of debate about whether it is a good thing.

Greenspan made the Fed famous. For him, and the institution, it was a blessing, and a curse.

Few policymakers left a deeper mark on the American economy than the towering Fed chairman.

The hit Canadians took at the pumps last month pushed inflation to a 29-month high, though price pressures beyond gasoline remained largely contained.

The European Commission’s flash consumer-confidence indicator rose to minus 17.7 in June, continuing its tentative recovery from a three-year low in April.