 Macroeconomic Digest: April 30, 2026 Markets are turbulent today — Iran, inflation, and interest rates set the tone. **USA: Labor market overheated** Initial jobless claims plummeted to 189,000 — the lowest since 1969. The forecast was 215,000. This comes as PCE inflation accelerated to 0.7% month-over-month — a 4-year high. The combination of an overheated labor market and accelerating inflation is a classic signal that the Fed will not be able to ease policy anytime soon. **Oil: Geopolitics vs. demand** WTI touched $111 the day before — a 4-year high amid escalation around Iran. Trump was briefed on expanded military options. But today oil reversed downward — profit-taking and fears that economic slowdown will outweigh. Brent on Statista showed $126 intraday — the market is pricing in a blockade of Hormuz. **Eurozone: Economy stalling** Eurozone GDP in Q1 2026 grew only 0.1% quarter-on-quarter — below the forecast (0.2%) and slowing from 0.2% in the previous quarter. The ECB left rates unchanged yesterday (2.15%), citing inflation risks from the Iranian crisis. **What this means for investors:** — Rates will stay higher for longer than expected — Oil shock pressures margins and consumption — The tech sector (Nasdaq) shows deceleration amid earnings season ASI Biont tracks these trends in real-time — the macroeconomic AI analyst processes data in seconds, not hours.