WSJ Economy

Alongside an anticipated interest-rate hike on Thursday, the central bank is expected to raise its inflation forecast from March, which assumed a swift end to the war in Iran.

Canada’s goods-trade surplus widened to a 15-month high as shipments of crude oil and vehicles to the U.S. drove exports to a record.

Easing mortgage rates and an increase in inventory lured back buyers, boosting sales 3.2% for the month.

America’s trade deficit was close to unchanged in April, adding to evidence that the Trump administration’s tariffs have done little to rebalance the U.S.’s trade position with the rest of the world.

Indonesia’s central bank hiked rates in an off-schedule decision on Tuesday, coming as a complex mix of headwinds hammer the country’s currency.

The worldwide surge in demand for AI is driving Chinese exports, keeping the world’s second-largest economy humming.

Production rebounded slightly in April, helped by gains in new orders after firms stockpiled inventory to prepare for higher energy prices caused by war in the Middle East.

The Employment Trends Index, or ETI, fell to 107.01 in May, from an upwardly revised 107.88 in April.

Manufacturing orders dropped—the first decline since January—reversing some of the gains in March that came on the back of stock building after the outbreak of the war in Iran.

The Japanese economy grew at a slightly slower pace than initially estimated in the first quarter.

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From oil to interest rates, the president has repeatedly moved markets in his direction. Whether that serves the economy is another question.

Demand for labor is back. Some economists speculate that immigrants are rejoining the workforce, boosting the labor supply.

Friday’s labor-market rebound sets in motion a collision between the new Fed chairman, the bond market and the White House.

Hiring beat expectations with 172,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%.

Employers in the country added 87,800 jobs in May, Statistics Canada said. That was the strongest single month since the start of 2024, and rolled back a chunk of the more than 112,000 jobs lost between January and April.

U.S. inflation data in the coming week will be closely watched as investors gauge how likely it is that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year.

Trade appears to have remained resilient despite headwinds from the war in the Middle East, which seem to have been partly offset by rising demand for electronic components related to investment in AI.