Christophe Barraud https://www.christophe-barraud.com/ Best Forecaster in the World Mon, 11 May 2026 04:58:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.christophe-barraud.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cropped-cropped-Christophe-Barraud-favicon-2-32x32.png Christophe Barraud https://www.christophe-barraud.com/ 32 32 Week Ahead: Trump-Xi Talks; Fed Transition; BOC and BOJ Minutes; U.S., China and India Inflation Reports; IEA and OPEC Monthly Reports https://www.christophe-barraud.com/week-ahead-trump-xi-talks-fed-transition-boc-and-boj-minutes-u-s-china-and-india-inflation-reports-iea-and-opec-monthly-reports/ Sun, 10 May 2026 09:00:38 +0000 https://www.christophe-barraud.com/?p=21605 From a meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to the Fed’s leadership transition and U.S. inflation data, here’s what you need to know for the week ahead

Monday

🇨🇳 China April CPI and PPI ⚠

🇰🇷 South Korea May trade data (10 days)

🇵🇭 The Philippine House of Representatives is expected to hold a plenary vote on whether to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte – Nikkei

🌍 The Africa Forward Summit, co-hosted by Kenya and France, is held in Nairobi through May 12, with French President Emmanuel Macron expected to attend – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 U.S. April existing home sales

🇺🇸 🇯🇵 U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to visit Japan to meet with top officials including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Discussion will likely cover currency issues, energy procurement and the Iran war. Through May 13 – Bloomberg and Nikkei ⚠

🇺🇸 U.S. Senate returns from recess, with votes scheduled including a motion related to Kevin Warsh’s nomination as Fed Chair – Bloomberg ⚠

🇺🇸 A court hearing in White House Correspondents’ Association dinner shooting case – Bloomberg

Tuesday

🇦🇺 Australia April NAB business confidence

🇯🇵 Japan March household spending,

🇯🇵 Japan March leading index

🇮🇳 India April CPI ⚠

🇯🇵 BOJ Minutes ⚠

🇳🇿 RBNZ Governor Anna Breman speaks on a panel at the SNB and IMF High-Level Conference on the International Monetary System – Bloomberg

🇦🇺 Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers unveils the government’s budget, the first since Labor’s 2025 election landslide – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 Informal meeting of EU energy ministers in Cyprus. Through May 13 – Bloomberg

🇩🇪 Germany May ZEW survey ⚠

🇮🇹 Italy March industrial production

🇪🇺 ECB Governing Council member Primoz Dolenc speaks at a financial conference in Portoroz, Slovenia – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 U.S. April CPI ⚠

🇺🇸 U.S. NFIB April small business optimism

🇺🇸 U.S. April Federal budget balance

🇺🇸 U.S NY Fed Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit ⚠

🇺🇸 NY Fed President John Williams participates in panel on monetary policy SNB-IMF conference, Zurich, Switzerland – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee speaks at the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Illinois – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 Nebraska and West Virginia Congressional primary elections – Bloomberg

Wednesday

🇰🇷 South Korea unemployment rate

🇨🇳 🇹🇼 Earnings from Chinese and Taiwanese tech companies are expected to draw increased attention from investors amid growing interest in artificial intelligence. Alibaba Group Holding is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter results, while Tencent Holdings will announce its first-quarter earnings – Nikkei ⚠

🛢 IEA and OPEC release their monthly oil market reports – Bloomberg ⚠

🌎 NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Polish President Karol Nawrocki and other European leaders attend the Bucharest Nine meeting to discuss regional security – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 Eurozone March industrial production

🇪🇺 Eurozone Q1 GDP (2nd estimate)

🇪🇺 ECB Governing Council member Radev speaks on euro adoption at conference in Sofia, Bulgaria – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 ECB Governing Council member Madis Muller gives press conference on Estonia’s financial stability – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane speaks in London – Bloomberg ⚠

🇪🇺 ECB President Christine Lagarde gives a speech at the dinner preceding the Charlemagne Prize ceremony in Aachen, Germany – Bloomberg ⚠

🇬🇧 BOE rate-setter Catherine Mann speaks at the London School of Economics on the UK’s “international exposures and vulnerabilities.” – Bloomberg

🇬🇧 U.K. State Opening of Parliament, with King Charles III delivering the King’s Speech outlining the government’s legislative agenda – Bloomberg

🇸🇪 Sweden April CPI

🇸🇪 Riksbank Minutes

🇺🇸 U.S. April PPI ⚠

🇺🇸 Fed President Susan Collins delivers remarks at the Boston Economic Club – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari takes part in a moderated discussion at a St. Paul Area Chamber event. Boston – Bloomberg

🇨🇦 BOC Minutes ⚠

🇨🇦 Bank of Canada External Deputy Governor Michelle Alexopoulos delivers a keynote on the impact of AI adoption – Bloomberg

Thursday

🇹🇼 Foxconn is also scheduled to announce its first quarter results – Nikkei

🇯🇵 Japanese automaker Honda is due to release its financial results for the year ended March – Nikkei

🇯🇵 BOJ Board member Kazuyuki Masu speaks in Kagoshima – Bloomberg

🇮🇳 BRICS foreign ministers meet in New Delhi ahead of the leaders’ summit later this year. Through May 15 – Bloomberg

🇬🇧 U.K. Q1 GDP ⚠

🇬🇧 U.K. March industrial production

🇬🇧 U.K. March trade data

🇬🇧 BOE chief economist Huw Pill delivers a speech at a NatWest roundtable – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 U.S. April retail sales ⚠

🇺🇸 U.S. weekly initial jobless claims

🇺🇸 U.S. April import and export price indexes

🇺🇸 U.S. March business inventories

🇺🇸 🇨🇳 President Donald Trump visits China for meetings with President Xi Jinping, in what could be a pivotal moment between the world’s two largest economies. Through May 15 – Bloomberg ⚠

🇺🇸 Kansas City Fed President Jeff Schmid speaks on payments innovation and community banking at the Future of Banking Conference Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack gives opening remarks at her bank’s “Conversations on Central Banking” event – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 Fed Governor Michael Barr speaks at the Money Marketeers – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 NY Fed President John Williams participates in a moderated discussion at Cnference of Business Economists Moody’s – Bloomberg

Friday

🇮🇳 India April trade data

🇯🇵 Japan April PPI

🇯🇵 Japan April machine tool orders

🇪🇺 ECB publishes its economic bulletin

🇪🇺 ECB Governing Council members Boris Vujcic and Primoz Dolenc join meeting of regional central-bank governors organized by Croatian central bank at Pula School of Economics – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 U.S. May empire manufacturing ⚠

🇺🇸 U.S. April industrial production ⚠

🇺🇸 Jerome Powell’s term ends. The Fed chair has said he may remain on the board until his term as a governor ends in 2028 – Bloomberg ⚠

🇺🇸 13F filings will offer a snapshot of the equity holdings of many closely watched hedge funds – Bloomberg

Earnings

Previews

*Focus on Asia

*Focus on Europe & UK

Focus on U.S. Economic Calendar

Top 10 Macro/Financial Charts of the Previous Week – w19

What Happened in the World Economy Last Week – in Charts – w19 (Bloomberg)

*Note: Previous reports can be found here

]]> Top 10 Macro/Financial Charts of the Week – w19 (2026) https://www.christophe-barraud.com/top-10-macro-financial-charts-of-the-week-w19-2026/ Sat, 09 May 2026 07:49:42 +0000 https://www.christophe-barraud.com/?p=21601 Find here the top 10 charts of the week, published on Twitter, that attracted attention among the macroeconomic and/or financial community.

*Note: Previous reports can be found here

]]> Pokémon Cards and the Financialization of Culture https://www.christophe-barraud.com/pokemon-cards-and-the-financialization-of-culture/ Fri, 08 May 2026 11:52:44 +0000 https://www.christophe-barraud.com/?p=21597 Pokémon cards are becoming something much more interesting than a simple collecting hobby. What started as a children’s trading card game now increasingly resembles a real speculative market, complete with price-tracking platforms, professional grading companies, vault storage solutions, resale marketplaces, investors, arbitrage opportunities, liquidity constraints and waves of FOMO-driven buying.

The fascinating part is not only Pokémon itself. It is what this phenomenon says about modern markets and the way value is created today. For decades, financial assets were mostly limited to traditional categories: stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies or real estate. But the internet changed the structure of markets. Today, almost anything can become investable the moment it combines scarcity, emotional attachment, a strong online community, transparent pricing and resale potential. Pokémon cards now sit directly at that intersection.

1- A Massive Global Ecosystem

By March 2026, more than 75 billion Pokémon cards had been produced worldwide, across 16 languages and distributed in more than 90 countries and regions. Interestingly, this figure is often confused with another number currently circulating online: the estimated market value of the Pokémon card ecosystem itself, which some trackers now place near $75 billion. This is no longer a niche collector market.

It is now a global ecosystem involving collectors, players, retailers, content creators, grading companies, auction houses, online marketplaces and increasingly, investors. Entire businesses have emerged around the Pokémon economy: card grading, sealed-product investing, livestream “breaks”, portfolio tracking apps and even secured storage for high-value collections.

Some ultra-rare cards now trade for six or even seven figures. Certain trophy cards and pristine vintage pieces have effectively become alternative assets. And yet, despite the enormous production scale, shortages remain extremely common. That paradox is one of the most interesting aspects of the market.

2- The Rise of Speculative Demand

Historically, demand came mostly from players and collectors. People bought packs to build decks, complete sets or simply enjoy the hobby. Today, a growing part of demand is speculative.

Many buyers are no longer opening packs to play the game. They are opening them to “hit” a rare card with explosive resale value. In some cases, the psychology resembles options trading more than traditional collecting: limited downside on a single pack, extremely asymmetric upside on a rare pull, and a powerful dopamine loop reinforced by social media and livestream reactions.

Platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Twitch amplified this dynamic dramatically. Pulling a rare card is no longer just a private experience. It has become entertainment content, speculation and social validation combined together. The result is a market increasingly driven by momentum, narratives and visibility.

3- Nostalgia as an Economic Force

The biggest structural driver behind Pokémon’s success is probably nostalgia. Millennials and Gen Z grew up with Pokémon. They watched the anime, played the games, traded cards in schoolyards and built a deep emotional connection with the franchise over decades. Now, many of them are entering their peak earning years.

A vintage Charizard is no longer perceived as a simple piece of cardboard. For many buyers, it represents childhood memories, cultural identity, status and financial optionality compressed into one single object. This is why Pokémon cards are so interesting from an investment perspective. Their value is not purely fundamental, but it is not purely irrational either. It exists at the intersection of scarcity, emotion, culture and market structure.

In many ways, the market behaves similarly to luxury watches, sneakers, fine art or vintage cars. Utility matters less than symbolism and perceived scarcity.

4- The Risks Beneath the Hype

Of course, rising prices inevitably attract speculation, and this is where the market becomes far more dangerous than many participants realize. Not every Pokémon card is rare. In fact, many modern products are printed in extremely large quantities. During hype cycles, buyers often underestimate future supply and overestimate long-term scarcity. The result is that some modern cards may eventually behave more like overproduced collectibles than genuine rare assets.

Liquidity is another major risk. In strong bull markets, almost everything finds a buyer. But when sentiment weakens, liquidity can disappear surprisingly fast, especially for mid-tier products. Unlike equities, Pokémon cards do not generate cash flows, earnings or dividends. There is no discounted cash flow model, no balance sheet analysis and no intrinsic valuation anchor. Ultimately, the price depends almost entirely on what the next buyer is willing to pay.

5- Bubble or Durable Asset Class?

Calling Pokémon cards “just a bubble” feels too simplistic.

Pokémon is not a random speculative fad with no underlying cultural foundation. It is one of the most powerful entertainment franchises in the world, supported by decades of brand equity, gaming, media exposure and multi-generational fan engagement. That creates a level of durability many speculative trends simply do not have.

However, that does not mean every product is investable or that all prices are justified. The market will probably become increasingly segmented over time.

Truly rare, iconic and historically significant vintage cards, especially high-grade examples with low population counts, may continue to behave like collectible trophy assets. Meanwhile, overproduced modern products could remain much more exposed to corrections once hype fades. That distinction is likely to become increasingly important as the market matures.

Ultimately, Pokémon cards reveal something much bigger than the hobby itself. They show how financialization is expanding far beyond traditional finance. In a world dominated by online communities, transparent marketplaces, viral narratives and digital identity, culture itself can become investable. Scarcity is no longer only physical or industrial. It can also be emotional and cultural.

Sometimes, markets are built around earnings and productivity. Sometimes, they are built around memory.

]]> Morning Brief: From War Premium to Peace Optionality; The Pump Is Where America’s K-Shaped Economy Shows Up; EU Fails to Finalize U.S. Trade Deal https://www.christophe-barraud.com/morning-brief-from-war-premium-to-peace-optionality-the-pump-is-where-americas-k-shaped-economy-shows-up-eu-fails-to-finalize-u-s-trade-deal/ Thu, 07 May 2026 06:12:10 +0000 https://www.christophe-barraud.com/?p=21593 Find here our morning brief which compiled the main macro news — released on Twitter — concerning Americas, Asia and Europe.

Americas

Markets

Economic Indicators and Prospects

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2052249163849474193

Housing and Construction

Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

https://twitter.com/Sino_Market/status/2052225707741184324

*Focus on Middle East conflict

https://twitter.com/Sino_Market/status/2052242129003700339
https://twitter.com/politicalpen_/status/2052043030866038893
https://twitter.com/anadoluagency/status/2052003263466058052

Asia/Middle East

Markets

https://twitter.com/Sino_Market/status/2052212172198207935

Economic Indicators and Prospects

Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

Europe

Markets

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2052241056565989683

Economic Indicators and Prospects

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051935951425872293
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2052267482493161646

Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2052251580045431281

Other Areas And Global Economy

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051004586136060130

*Note: Previous briefs can be found here

]]> Morning Brief: U.S. Pauses Hormuz Security Plan; DeepSeek nears $45bn Valuation; China’s Tech Gauge Jumps to Record High https://www.christophe-barraud.com/morning-brief-u-s-pauses-hormuz-security-plan-deepseek-nears-45bn-valuation-chinas-tech-gauge-jumps-to-record-high/ Wed, 06 May 2026 07:28:40 +0000 https://www.christophe-barraud.com/?p=21588 Find here our morning brief which compiled the main macro news — released on Twitter — concerning Americas, Asia and Europe.

Americas

Markets

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051679701828071508

Economic Indicators and Prospect

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051667875341971847
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051888312147718183

Housing and Construction

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051913498301538625

Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

*Focus on Middle East conflict

Asia/Middle East

Markets

https://twitter.com/Sino_Market/status/2051856094457377055

Economic Indicators and Prospects

Monetary Policy

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051917184515887430

Fiscal Policy

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051916786119974994

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

Europe

Markets

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051647703998722466

Economic Indicators and Prospects

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051922982960845139

Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

Other Areas And Global Economy

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051004586136060130

*Note: Previous briefs can be found here

]]> Morning Brief: The Strait of Hormuz Becomes the Real Battlefield; RBA Delivers Third Straight Rate Hike; Swiss Inflation Jumps to Fastest Since 2024 https://www.christophe-barraud.com/morning-brief-the-strait-of-hormuz-becomes-the-real-battlefield-rba-delivers-third-straight-rate-hike-swiss-inflation-jumps-to-fastest-since-2024/ Tue, 05 May 2026 09:57:58 +0000 https://www.christophe-barraud.com/?p=21586 Find here our morning brief which compiled the main macro news — released on Twitter — concerning Americas, Asia and Europe.

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051572701995688221

Americas

Markets

https://twitter.com/MikeZaccardi/status/2051264577594175594

Economic Indicators and Prospects

Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy

https://twitter.com/staunovo/status/2051524882169573830

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

*Focus on Middle East conflict

Asia/Middle East

Markets

Economic Indicators and Prospects

Monetary Policy

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

Europe

Markets

Economic Indicators and Prospects

Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

Other Areas And Global Economy

*Note: Previous briefs can be found here

]]> Morning Brief: U.S.–Iran Tensions Escalate as Trump Weighs Diplomacy Against Pressure; Transatlantic Rift Widens; Beijing Draws A Red Line https://www.christophe-barraud.com/morning-brief-u-s-iran-tensions-escalate-as-trump-weighs-diplomacy-against-pressure-transatlantic-rift-widens-beijing-draws-a-red-line/ Mon, 04 May 2026 06:55:11 +0000 https://www.christophe-barraud.com/?p=21574 Find here our morning brief which compiled the main macro news — released on Twitter — concerning Americas, Asia and Europe.

Americas

Markets

*Focus on positioning, sentiment

*Focus on AI

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050539927503294509
https://twitter.com/MikeZaccardi/status/2050931130530939309
https://twitter.com/MikeZaccardi/status/2050888231646802325

*Focus on Private Credit Debt

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050991128195866762

Economic Indicators and Prospects

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050125621708157235
https://twitter.com/MauiBoyMacro/status/2050217064628101305

Monetary Policy

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050991128195866762

Fiscal Policy

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

https://twitter.com/SPGEnergyOil/status/2051162433108992141

*Focus on Middle East conflict

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051188836089143397

Asia/Middle East

Markets

Economic Indicators and Prospects

Housing

Monetary Policy

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

https://twitter.com/MediaQSI/status/2050726279062958537

Europe

Economic Indicators and Prospects

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051161639068598625

Monetary Policy

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050510125576622251
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051168673830769127

Fiscal Policy

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050507110077665406

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050518942972625144
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050510915020247188

Other Areas And Global Economy

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051004586136060130
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050987260548423773

*Note: Previous briefs can be found here

]]> Week Ahead: U.S. and Canada Employment Reports; ASEAN Summit; U.S. Tariffs on EU Autos; British Local Elections; RBA Meeting; BOJ Minutes; ECB Wage Tracker; U.S. Treasury QRA https://www.christophe-barraud.com/week-ahead-u-s-and-canada-employment-reports-asean-summit-u-s-tariffs-on-eu-autos-british-local-elections-rba-meeting-boj-minutes-ecb-wage-tracker-u-s-treasury-qra/ Sun, 03 May 2026 18:20:25 +0000 https://www.christophe-barraud.com/?p=21571 From the U.S. jobs report to the major gatherings including the ASEAN summit, here’s what you need to know for the week ahead.

Monday

🌎 Japanese financial markets are closed for holiday through May 6; UK markets closed for May Day holiday.

🇺🇸 🇪🇺 On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that tariffs on cars and trucks imported from the European Union will be raised to 25% starting next week – Truth ⚠

🇮🇳 India’s state assembly election results to be declared – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 Euro-area finance ministers gather for regular meeting in Brussels – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, with dozens of leaders expected to attend.

🇪🇺 Eurozone April S&P Global manufacturing PMI

🇪🇺 Eurozone May Sentix investor confidence

🇪🇺 ECB Survey of Professional Forecasters

🇪🇺 ECB Governing Council members Joachim Nagel, Martin Kocher, Gediminas Simkus, Francois Villeroy de Galhau and Primoz Dolenc speak at various events – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone speaks in a pre-recorded interview at a workshop on digital assets and monetary policy – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos presents ECB annual report in Brussels – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 U.S. March factory orders

🇺🇸 NY Fed President John Williams delivers keynote remarks at the Cynosure Group spring symposium in New York – Bloomberg

🇲🇽 President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will announce on Monday a series of measures aimed at strengthening private investment in Mexico, centered on a “radical simplification” of bureaucratic procedures – Bloomberg

Tuesday

🇦🇺 RBA rate decision ⚠

🇪🇺 Ecofin council of EU economics and finance ministers meets in Brussels to discuss tax fraud – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 ECB Governing Council member Fabio Panetta speaks on cross-border payments in London – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 ECB chief economist Philip Lane gives keynote speech at the Climate, Nature and Price Stability Conference in Frankfurt. President Christine Lagarde makes introductory remarks – Bloomberg ⚠

🇳🇴 Norges Bank Governor Ida Wolden Bache testifes before Norway’s parliament on the management of the government pension fund – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 U.S. March trade data

🇺🇸 US March new home sales

🇺🇸 U.S. March job openings ⚠

🇺🇸 U.S. April S&P Global services and composite PMIs

🇺🇸 U.S. April ISM Services ⚠

🇺🇸 Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman speaks at the Women in Housing and Finance Symposium in Washington – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 Fed Governor Michael Barr and UK Prudential Regulation Authority CEO Sam Woods speak at an event at Oxford University – Bloomberg

Wednesday

🇨🇳 China April RatingDog composite and services PMI ⚠

🇳🇿 Q1 New Zealand unemployment rate

🇰🇷 South Korea April CPI

🇪🇺 Eurozone S&P Global services and composite PMIs,

🇪🇺 Eurozone March PPI

🇪🇺 ECB Wage Tracker ⚠

🇪🇺 ECB chief economist Philip Lane speaks on a central bank independence panel at a conference Berlin – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone gives a keynote speech at AsVis Sustainable Development Festival in Milan – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 Supervisory Board chair Claudia Buch makes a presentation at a House of the Euro event in Brussels – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 U.S. April ADP employment report

🇺🇸 U.S. Treasury Department holds quarterly refunding announcement ⚠

🇺🇸 St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem participates in a discussion at the Mississippi Bankers Association annual convention – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 The Chicago Fed’s Austan Goolsbee speaks at the Milken conference – Bloomberg

Thursday

🌏 ASEAN foreign ministers meet ahead of the leaders meeting – Nikkei

🇦🇺 Australia March trade data

🇨🇳 China April foreign reserves

🇯🇵 BOJ meeting minutes ⚠

🇬🇧 U.K. voters go to the polls for local elections in England, Wales and Scotland in a critical political test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer – Bloomberg ⚠

🇩🇪 Germany March factory orders ⚠

🇪🇺 Eurozone March retail sales

🇪🇺 ECB’s Kocher speaks at St. Gallen Symposium – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 ECB Governing Council member François Villeroy de Galhau speaks at the Global Interdependence Center conference in Paris – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 European Financial Integration conference is held in Frankfurt, with speakers to include ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos and Executive Board member Frank Elderson – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 ECB chief economist Philip Lane speaks at BOE’s annual BEAR research conference in London – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 ECB Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel delivers a lecture at the London School of Economics – Bloomberg

🇳🇴 Norway rate decision

🇸🇪 Sweden rate decision

🇺🇸 U.S. March construction spending

🇺🇸 U.S. weekly initial jobless claims

🇺🇸 NY Fed President John Williams participates in a moderated discussion on regional economic matters in Newburgh, New York – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack speaks in a fireside chat at the 2026 Ohio CEO Summit – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari participates in fireside chat at Northern Michigan University in Marquette – Bloomberg

🇲🇽 Mexico April CPI

🇲🇽 Mexico rate decision

Friday

🌏 ASEAN Summit begins in Cebu, Philippines. Through May 9 ⚠

🇩🇪 Germany March industrial production ⚠

🇩🇪 Germany March trade data

🇪🇺 ECB President Christine Lagarde makes opening remarks at Banco de Espana LatAm Economic Forum in Roda de Bara, Spain – Bloomberg ⚠

🇪🇺 ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos has a fireside chat in Madrid – Bloomberg

🇪🇺 Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel speaks at Reinoldimahl in Dortmund, Germany – Bloomberg

🇬🇧 BOE Governor Andrew Bailey speaks at the bank’s research conference in London – Bloomberg

🇳🇴 Norges Bank Governor Ida Wolden Bache speaks at parliament hearing Oslo – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 U.S. April employment report ⚠

🇺🇸 U.S. May University of Michigan consumer sentiment

🇨🇦 Canada April employment report ⚠

🇺🇸 Speakers to include Fed Vice Chair Michelle Bowman and Governor Christopher Waller, San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly and the Chicago Fed’s Austan Goolsbee at Hoover Institution Monetary Policy Conference at Stanford University – Bloomberg

🇺🇸 Fed Governor Lisa Cook speaks on tokenization and the financial system in Dakar, Senegal – Bloomberg

Earnings

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050987828868231632

Previews

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050990962956968099
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050989840259305659

*Focus on Asia

*Focus on Europe & UK

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050991747421860048
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2048343856349905379?s=20
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050990291197350023

Focus on U.S. Economic Calendar

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2051159449084010810
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050993643016561100

Top 10 Macro/Financial Charts of the Previous Week – w18

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050987260548423773

What Happened in the World Economy Last Week – in Charts – w18 (Bloomberg)

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050518250136510736

*Note: Previous reports can be found here

]]> Top 10 Macro/Financial Charts of the Week – w18 (2026) https://www.christophe-barraud.com/top-10-macro-financial-charts-of-the-week-w18-2026/ Sun, 03 May 2026 17:10:39 +0000 https://www.christophe-barraud.com/?p=21569 Find here the top 10 charts of the week, published on Twitter, that attracted attention among the macroeconomic and/or financial community.

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2050985325531406739
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2049364258299732382
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2049718658109165582

*Note: Previous reports can be found here

]]> Morning Brief: Trump Sustains Blockade of Iran’s Ports; FOMC Debrief; Focus on ECB and BOE Meetings https://www.christophe-barraud.com/morning-brief-trump-sustains-blockade-of-irans-ports-fomc-debrief-focus-on-ecb-and-boe-meetings/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:25:44 +0000 https://www.christophe-barraud.com/?p=21566 Find here our morning brief which compiled the main macro news — released on Twitter — concerning Americas, Asia and Europe.

Americas

Markets

Economic Indicators and Prospects

https://twitter.com/MacroMicroMe/status/2049679795597009303
https://twitter.com/MikeZaccardi/status/2049457671405785416

Housing

Monetary Policy

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2049718658109165582

Fiscal Policy

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

*Focus on Middle East conflict

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2049401302455566677
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2049518005126640107
https://twitter.com/Sino_Market/status/2049680657136357651
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2049735653408018639
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2049735684114559482
https://twitter.com/anadoluagency/status/2049677636255760492
https://twitter.com/ruswar/status/2049701889348898826

Asia/Middle East

Markets

Economic Indicators and Prospects

https://twitter.com/Sino_Market/status/2049670064392303047
https://twitter.com/Sino_Market/status/2049672989411872871
https://twitter.com/Sino_Market/status/2049672301239771242

Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy

https://twitter.com/Sino_Market/status/2049680518518870245

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

https://twitter.com/Sino_Market/status/2049735585607344343
https://twitter.com/Sino_Market/status/2049482859891904997

Europe

Markets

https://twitter.com/Sino_Market/status/2049704896765767986

Economic Indicators and Prospects

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2049413598733123596
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2049734539539263920
https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2049742498726039777

Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy

Trade, Politics and Geopolitics

Other Areas And Global Economy

https://twitter.com/C_Barraud/status/2048398234704282050

*Note: Previous briefs can be found here

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