Interest

• Federal Reserve memutuskan untuk membiarkan suku bunga acuan federal funds rate tidak berubah pada kisaran 3,5% hingga 3,75% pada hari Rabu, dengan alasan kekhawatiran atas kenaikan inflasi di tengah perang di Iran. • Hal ini menandai kelanjutan dari jeda penyesuaian suku bunga Fed setelah tiga kali pemotongan masing-masing 25 basis poin secara berturut-turut pada September, Oktober, dan Desember 2025. • Ketua Fed Jerome Powell dijadwalkan untuk mengadakan konferensi pers pada pukul 14.30 ET guna membahas keputusan tersebut, yang kemungkinan menjadi pengumuman suku bunga terakhirnya sebagai ketua Federal Reserve.

• Pejabat Fed menyebutkan inflasi yang tinggi, lambatnya pertumbuhan lapangan kerja, dan ketidakpastian di Timur Tengah sebagai alasan untuk mempertahankan suku bunga. • Federal Reserve AS membiarkan suku bunga tidak berubah setelah rapat dewan terbaru, sekali lagi mengabaikan seruan Donald Trump untuk melakukan pemangkasan saat bank sentral bersiap menghadapi perombakan kepemimpinan bulan depan. • Pada hari Rabu, pejabat Fed terus menekankan bahwa inflasi yang tinggi, pertumbuhan lapangan kerja yang lambat, dan ketidakpastian di Timur Tengah menjadi alasan mengapa suku bunga tidak diubah.

Former Wall Street banker faces questions at confirmation hearing – but his biggest backer is also his biggest liabilityOn the face of it, Kevin Warsh looks like an ideal candidate to chair the Federal Reserve, the world’s most important central bank. The 56-year-old Ivy League economist, former Wall Street banker and presidential adviser ticks all the boxes. Unfortunately for Warsh, as he faces what could be a fraught nomination hearing, his biggest backer is also his biggest liability.In his second term, Donald Trump has attacked the Fed in a manner both unprecedented and unseemly. He has called current chair Jerome Powell – whom he also appointed – a “jerk”, “a stubborn MORON”, and repeatedly threatened to fire him. Continue reading...

Former US Fed chair says lowering rates to reduce debt service cost can lead to inflation getting out of controlBusiness live – latest updatesThe former US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen has attacked Donald Trump’s push for lower interest rates, comparing it to the actions of a “banana republic”.The US president has repeatedly urged the central bank to slash interest rates, in the hope of cutting the government’s borrowing costs on its $39tn (£29tn) debt. Continue reading...

Demand at online marketplaces could settle at a new, higher normal, with the crisis leaving consumers ‘scarred’Car buyers’ interest in electric cars has surged across Europe since the start of the war in Iran, as the rising cost of petrol highlights the cheaper power available from a plug.Online marketplaces in the UK, Germany, France and Spain reported huge increases in inquiries about electric vehicles since the start of the conflict in February. Continue reading...

PM pushes back after Trump’s threats to leave alliance and says European members must do more in light of Iran warKeir Starmer has said it is in the best interests of the US to stay in Nato and that Europe must do more to support the alliance in light of the war in Iran.The British prime minister, speaking at the end of a multi-stop trip around the Gulf to discuss the tentative ceasefire and options to fully reopen the commercially vital strait of Hormuz, pushed back against Donald Trump’s threats to leave the defence alliance. Continue reading...

• A pro-Iranian cybercrime group claimed responsibility for cyberattacks that knocked the websites of Chime and Pinterest offline in April, marking a significant coordinated breach affecting major U.S. tech platforms. • The attacks demonstrate the evolving threat landscape where state-affiliated or state-aligned cyber actors target critical infrastructure and consumer-facing platforms with increased sophistication. • The incidents underscore the vulnerability of major technology companies to coordinated cyberattacks and highlight ongoing concerns about foreign threat actors targeting U.S. digital infrastructure.

Markets now forecast one rate rise this year, down from two on Tuesday, although mortgage rates may not fall quicklyBusiness live – latest updates City traders have cut their forecasts for UK interest rate rises this year, after the US and Iran agreed a two-week ceasefire.The money markets are now fully pricing in only one rise in UK interest rates by December, which would take the Bank of England’s base rate back up to 4%. On Tuesday, two rate rises were fully priced in, as Donald Trump threatened that a “whole civilisation will die” unless Tehran complied with his demands to reopen the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

Analysis shows they are reliant on market investors such as hedge funds, which contributed $4tn last yearBusiness live – latest updatesEmerging economies are at greater risk of higher interest rates and currency shocks as a result of the Iran war because of increased reliance on market investors such as hedge funds, the International Monetary Fund has warned.The IMF’s analysis shows that a cumulative $4tn flowed into emerging markets last year from outside the formal banking sector – including from hedge funds and investment funds. Continue reading...

Minister says change for plan 2 and 3 loans in England and Wales will ‘protect borrowers’ from impact of global conflictUK politics live – latest updatesThe interest rate on plan 2 and plan 3 student loans will be capped at 6%, the Department for Education has announced.Graduates with plan 2 loans currently pay interest rates based on the retail price index (RPI) measure of inflation, plus up to 3% based on their earnings. Current students on plan 2 and plan 3 loans attract an interest rate of RPI +3% while they are studying. Continue reading...

New legislation comes amid push from big oil, as critics warn polluters’ profits prioritized over Americans’ healthUtah has made it nearly impossible for residents to hold fossil fuel companies legally accountable for climate damages in a move one advocacy group described as putting “profits for the biggest polluters over communities”, with other states expected to follow suit.The new state legislation comes as part of a push from big oil and its political allies – including groups tied to rightwing impresario Leonard Leo – for legal immunity in red statehouses and Congress, with a goal of winning state and federal legal immunity similar to the liability waiver granted to the firearms industry in 2005. Continue reading...

Injecting $1.5bn via petrol subsidies into an inflated economy may change things for the Reserve Bank board at its next meetingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastEconomists will say that what millions of motorists gain in cheaper fuel through the prime minister’s three-month fuel excise cut, they will lose in more expensive mortgages.It may be good politics, but injecting $1.5bn via petrol subsidies into an economy that is already struggling with a resurgent inflationary problem is not going to make the Reserve Bank of Australia’s job any easier. Continue reading...

• The Embassy of Switzerland's Foreign Interests Section in Tehran has temporarily closed due to the deteriorating security situation in Iran, effective until further notice. • The closure reflects heightened tensions in the region as the U.S. and Israeli military operations continue against Iran, now entering their fourth week. • The suspension of Swiss diplomatic operations, which typically represent U.S. interests in Iran due to the absence of direct U.S.-Iran diplomatic relations, indicates serious concerns about personnel safety in the capital.

Homebuyers lose confidence amid higher rates and Iran war-linked price rises across the economy, buyers agent saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSurging numbers of homes are being passed in at auction as higher interest rates weigh on demand and the number of properties for sale hits highs not seen since 2021.The national auction clearance rate last week was just under 57%, the lowest this year, with Sydney’s at 55%, Cotality data shows. The remainder includes both houses that did not sell at auction and houses withdrawn before auction. Continue reading...

Investors believe Bank of England is likely to act amid sustained rise in inflation from Iran warBusiness live – latest updates‘Trumpflation’: how the Iran war’s economic storm could affect BritonsThe Bank of England will raise the cost of borrowing four times this year, pushing UK interest rates from 3.75% to 4.75% amid the conflict in the Middle East, according to financial market speculators.In a blow to mortgage payers, international investors are betting that the UK is vulnerable to a sustained rise in inflation after the US-Israel attack on Iran. Continue reading...

Online searches for electric and hybrid cars increase as war-linked fuel prices hit highest levels in nearly three yearsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxUS car buyers are showing a surge in interest in electric vehicles after Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran helped cause a major jump in gasoline prices.The cost to refuel a vehicle in the US is at its highest level in nearly three years, with the average national price of gas standing at $3.90 a gallon on Friday. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Federal Reserve decided to hold interest rates steady on March 19, 2026, in its first move since oil prices spiked due to the Iran war. • Officials cite inflationary pressures from energy disruptions but project stability if conflict de-escalates. • The decision impacts American consumers facing higher gas prices, influencing mortgage and loan rates nationwide.

Decision comes as concerns mount over economic fallout from conflict bringing fresh cost of living shockBusiness live – latest updatesThe Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold amid growing fears over an inflation shock triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.As households brace for a rise in living costs, the Bank’s rate-setting monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority to keep its key base rate at the current level of 3.75%. Continue reading...

• The Federal Reserve's policy committee decided to hold the federal funds rate steady at 3.5% to 3.75% on March 18, 2026, citing elevated uncertainty about the economic outlook and the implications of Middle East developments for the U.S. economy. • The Fed noted that while economic activity continues to expand at a solid pace, job gains have remained low and unemployment rates have shown little change, with inflation remaining somewhat elevated above the 2% target. • The Committee signaled readiness to adjust monetary policy if risks emerge that could hinder maximum employment and price stability, indicating a cautious stance given current geopolitical and economic headwinds.

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsUK wage growth slows sharply as unemployment holds steadyFed holds interest rates steady as Iran war drives up oil prices and inflation fearsMiddle East crisis live: Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ entire South Pars gasfield if Iran strikes QatarUK wage growth has slowed to a five-year low, in a worrying sign for workers as the Middle East crisis pushes up energy costs.Average pay (excluding bonuses) rose by 3.8% in the three months to January, down from 4.1% in October-December 2025, the Office for National Statistics reports.“With unemployment staying steady at 5.2% and a rare gain in payrolls employment, this report paints a mildly more positive picture of the labour market. And with wage growth softer again, in normal times this would have been a relatively reassuring report for the Bank of England.But the report feels stale in light of the Iran conflict, and the inflation risks stemming from the large spike in energy prices. So while today’s Bank of England meeting had once looked like the likely point of the next rate cut, instead policy is set to be kept on hold today as policymakers give themselves more time to see how the conflict plays out. Continue reading...

Jerome Powell resists Trump pressure as policymakers weigh energy shock against a weakening US jobs marketSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady for the second time this year, a widely expected move amid turmoil in the Middle East and rising energy prices.Fed officials faced a confluence of issues to consider in their meeting this week: soaring oil and gas prices, fluctuating inflation that still remains above the Fed’s target of 2% and a weakened job market that unexpectedly saw 92,000 losses last month. Continue reading...

Reserve Bank of Australia’s second consecutive increase lifts cash rate target to where it was in February last yearFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Reserve Bank has increased interest rates amid a global energy shock that threatens to push Australian inflation towards 5%.The hike takes the RBA’s cash rate target from 3.85% to 4.1%, back to where it was in February 2025, wiping out the relief offered by two cuts last year. Continue reading...