India’s annual retail inflation rate eased to 3.34% in March 2025, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. This marks the fifth consecutive month of decline and falls below the 3.61% recorded in February, offering significant relief to policymakers and consumers alike. The main factor contributing to this moderation is the continued softening of food prices, which make up a large portion of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Food inflation dr

Poonam Gupta, a prominent economist with global expertise, has been appointed as the new Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Her appointment marks a historic milestone, as she becomes the first woman in over a decade to assume this high-ranking position at India’s central bank. She succeeds Michael Patra, who retired in January 2024. Gupta brings with her nearly two decades of international experience, having worked with the World Bank, International Monet

The stock market suffered a sharp sell-off on Friday as fears over inflation, declining consumer confidence, and doubts about artificial intelligence investments combined to push major indexes lower. The S&P 500 dropped 2%, making it the second-worst trading day of 2025 for the broad-based index, while the Nasdaq Composite tumbled 2.7%, breaching its lowest point for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also slumped, losing 1.7% as investors reacted to concerning economic signals.

Bitcoin saw a strong rebound on Wednesday, reaching $98,800, up by 2% after the US Labour Department released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for December. The CPI showed a 2.9% increase, which was in line with expectations. The Core CPI, excluding volatile items like food and energy, came in slightly under expectations at 3.2%. This data eased fears of severe inflation, bolstering investor confidence and supporting the bullish outlook for Bitcoin. Crypto prices, including Ether

Snack prices are feeling the impact of rising palm oil and potato costs, pushing many packaged food products to become more expensive. While domestic supply issues have caused potato prices to spike, global disruptions and increased import duties have made palm oil—a key ingredient in many snacks—costlier. As of recent reports, palm oil prices have hit their highest in over two years, with an all-India average price of Rs 130.5 per kg. Snack manufacturers, including Bika

India's inflation rate, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), moderated to 5.48% in November, down from 6.21% in October, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. This easing, however, is still above the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) target of 4%, with food prices continuing to drive inflationary pressure. The food inflation rate surged by 9.04%, continuing its trend of high costs. Economists had forecast a median inflation estimate of 5.5% fo

In November, the median perception of current inflation among households increased to 8.4%, up by 30 basis points from the previous survey round in September, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Households’ Inflation Expectations Survey. Meanwhile, expectations for inflation over the next three months moderated slightly by 10 basis points, reaching 9.1%. However, households' expectations for inflation a year ahead inched up by 10 basis points to 10.1%. The survey

On Friday, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced it would keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.5% for the 11th consecutive time. This decision comes despite the GDP growth rate for the July-September quarter falling to a 7-quarter low of 5.4%, which was below the RBI's earlier projection of 7%. The RBI paused its rate hike cycle in April last year after raising rates by 250 basis points since May 2022. In the fifth bi-monthly monetary policy review for the current fiscal year,

The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is expected to maintain the status quo on the benchmark repo rate at 6.5% in its upcoming meeting from December 4 to 6. Despite India's GDP growth slowing to 5.4% in the July-September quarter, economists suggest that inflation concerns will likely take precedence, making a rate cut unlikely in December. Retail inflation rose to 6.2% in October, exceeding the RBI’s target range of 2-6%. Though a repo rate cu

In just two days, equity investors faced a staggering loss of ₹13 lakh crore in market valuation as the BSE benchmark Sensex saw a sharp 2.27% drop. The benchmark index shed 1,805.2 points, with a 984.23-point decline on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, ending at 77,690.95. Experts cited soaring retail inflation, which hit a 14-month high of 6.21% in October, persistent foreign fund outflows, and muted corporate earnings as the primary reasons behind the significant market correction

In October, the U.S. economy added just 12,000 jobs, marking the slowest job growth since late 2020, as hurricanes and labor strikes affected employment. The nonfarm payrolls increase fell sharply from September and was well below the Dow Jones estimate of 100,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This is the smallest monthly gain since December 2020. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, matching expectations. A broader measure of unemployment, which includes

Inflation inched up in September, approaching the Federal Reserve’s target, according to a Commerce Department report released Thursday. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation measure, rose by 0.2% for the month on a seasonally adjusted basis. Year-over-year, inflation was at 2.1%, aligning with Dow Jones forecasts. While the Fed's goal remains a 2% annual inflatio

India's wholesale inflation experienced a notable increase in September, driven largely by rising food prices, as reported by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) climbed by 1.84% compared to 1.31% in August on a year-on-year basis. This uptick in inflation comes amidst a broader context of economic fluctuations. The inflation rate for manufactured products, which constitutes a significant portion of the index, saw a slower growth rate of 1% in

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is taking a cautious approach to inflation management following a slight rise in the latest inflation readings. During a policy address on Wednesday, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das emphasized the need to keep inflation on a "tight leash" due to potential upside risks stemming from adverse weather conditions and ongoing geopolitical tensions. In August, India's retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), edged up to 3.65%,

Understanding Inflation: Causes, Effects, and Strategies for Investors   Inflation is a persistent increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. While moderate inflation is considered normal and even desirable for economic growth, high or volatile inflation can erode purchasing pow