Economic & Analysis News

ATLANTA & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE), one of the world’s leading providers of financial market technology and data powering global capital markets, today reported April 2026 trading volume and related revenue statistics, which can be viewed on the company’s investor relations website at https://ir.theice.com/ir-resources/supplemental-information in the Monthly Statistics Tracking spreadsheet. April highlights include: Total open interest (OI) up 23% y/...

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The pace of job growth among U.S. small businesses showed an increase in April, marking the second consecutive month of gains as employers continued to demonstrate resilience amid ongoing economic uncertainty, according to the latest Paychex Small Business Employment Watch. The national jobs index, which reflects employment growth in U.S. small businesses with fewer than 50 employees, rose 0.35 percentage points from March to April (99.16), the largest one‑mont...

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Shipper spending rose sharply in the first quarter of 2026 as tightening capacity and a surge in diesel fuel prices pushed freight costs significantly higher, even as shipment volumes remained largely flat, according to the latest U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index. National shipment volume edged down 0.3% from the fourth quarter of 2025, while shipper spending jumped 12.9% over the same period. This was the largest quarter-over-quarter increase since late 2020. Compa...

WESTLAKE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Schwab Trading Activity Index™ (STAX) decreased to 50.10 in April, down from its score of 56.04 in March. The only index of its kind, the STAX is a proprietary, behavior-based index that analyzes retail investor stock positions and trading activity from Schwab’s millions of client accounts to illuminate what investors were actually doing and how they were positioned in the markets each month. “Retail clients turned more cautious in April, leading to a secon...

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A majority of U.S. contractors are bracing for negative impacts from economic and policy pressures, yet nearly three-quarters (74%) remain optimistic about their business performance in 2026, according to a new study from Dodge Construction Network in partnership with CMiC. The report, Key Business Trends for U.S. Contractors in 2026 SmartMarket Brief, highlights a construction industry navigating a growing convergence of challenges—from tariffs and inflation to labor s...

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. retail projections remain balanced through 2026 in a just-released forecast from CoStar, the leading global provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets. Consistent with previous expectations, U.S. retail vacancy is anticipated to peak in the mid-4.4% range, edging slightly higher in 2026 before stabilizing and gradually tightening in 2027. Net absorption is forecasted to remain modest through the first half...

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce company, today announced the release of State of the LATAM Games Industry 2026, an exclusive industry report produced by GamesBeat and sponsored by Xsolla. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of Latin America's gaming market, examining the forces shaping player behavior, monetization, development, and esports across the region's most influential markets. The report is being released ahead of gamescom latam, taki...

DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to the Spring 2026 InspereX Pulse Survey of 783 financial advisors released today, the majority of advisors (70%) said they expect the S&P 500 to be up 5% or more by year-end 2026 compared to where it traded between March 27-April 7, 2026 (a low of 6,316.91 and a high of 6,618.26). More specifically: 31% expect the S&P 500 to be up 5% or more 30% expect the S&P 500 to be up 10% or more 8% expect the S&P 500 to be up 15% or more 21%...

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The latest credit card data analysis by global analytics software leader FICO (NYSE: FICO) shows the typical recovery in spending following January's post-Christmas decline. However, the structural affordability challenges that defined 2025 remain, with payment rates continuing to trend down and balance levels for accounts with missed payments higher than this time last year. These may increase going forward due to rising energy prices. Key Findings: Spending rose by 5....

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zilliant, the leader in pricing lifecycle management, today released its Pricing Without Control report examining how 300 senior executives across manufacturing and distribution are navigating pricing decisions amid persistent economic volatility. The research reveals a striking disconnect: nearly every company is adjusting prices, but only half feel confident they understand the financial impact. The research found that 99% of companies adjusted prices in respon...