Economic & Analysis News

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, today released the results of its Milliman 100 Pension Funding Index (PFI), which analyzes the 100 largest U.S. corporate pension plans. The funded status of the Milliman 100 PFI plans improved by $18 billion during May, driven by investment returns of 2.22%. The funded ratio rose from 108.2% as of April 30 to 109.6% as of May 31—the highest mark since July 2001, when it stood at 109.9%. Plan liabilities a...

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. existing-home sales jumped 2.8% month over month in May to their highest level since October 2022, according to a new report from Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket. Overall home sales—including both existing and newly built homes—also rose to their highest level since October 2022, rising 3.8% month over month. While closed sales surged, pending sales—a more current market indicator—flattened as mortgage rates rose. There are several reasons home...

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New listings of U.S. homes for sale are down 1.3% week over week, one of the biggest declines of the year. That’s according to a new report from Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket. Prospective home sellers are backing off because homebuying demand has slowed down. Pending home sales ticked down 0.2% week over week during the week ending May 31—a small decline, but the third in a row. Mortgage-purchase applications fell to their lowest level in six week...

AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has maintained its stable outlook on Spain’s non-life insurance segment, noting that while the segment continues to grow profitably, rising claims costs could narrow margins. In its new Best’s Market Segment Report, “Market Segment Outlook: Spain Non-Life Insurance,” AM Best states that it expects Spain's non-life segment to achieve moderate growth in 2026, supported by growth in the country's gross domestic product, as well as by further rate increases. Juan...

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, today released the latest results of its monthly Public Pension Funding Index (PPFI), which analyzes data from the nation’s 100 largest public defined benefit plans. The funded status of the Milliman PPFI plans improved by $266 billion during April, driven by estimated aggregate investment returns of 4.7% for the period. This lifted the plans’ funded ratio to 87.6% as of April 30—in stark contrast to the 8...

MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best is maintaining its stable outlook on Costa Rica’s insurance industry due to steady premium growth and a stable regulatory environment. According to the new Best’s Market Segment Report, “Market Segment Outlook: Costa Rica Insurance,” Costa Rica’s insurance market premium grew by nearly 4% year over year in 2025, due primarily to a 7% increase in mandatory insurance and a 3% increase in voluntary insurance. Despite increased claims volume, the overall period...

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nationwide, 5.8% of all U.S. home listings were taken off the market in April, according to a new report from Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket. That’s tied with December 2025 for the highest share since March 2020, when the onset of the pandemic ground the housing market to a halt and spooked sellers. Prior to 2020, delistings were never as common as they are now. Delistings rose 3.8% month over month on a seasonally adjusted basis, the second straig...

MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best is maintaining its negative outlook on Colombia’s insurance industry, citing challenging economic conditions, including rising inflation and interest rates, and political uncertainty. According to the new Best’s Market Segment Report, “Market Segment Outlook: Colombia Insurance,” moderate and steady economic expansion is expected in 2026 and 2027. At the same time, the country’s insurance market grew by nearly 9% year over year in 2025. However, inflation i...

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HIP-4 brings binary outcome contracts onto a unified margin derivatives exchange, eliminating collateral fragmentation for institutional traders....

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cotality™, a leader in property information, analytics, and data‑enabled solutions, today released its Home Price Index™ with April 2026 data. Home price growth continued its slow but steady increase of 0.4% year-over-year for the second month. Cotality data reveals home prices have risen 0.8% since the beginning of 2026, a jump that is below average for recent years. The recent surge in mortgage rates has disrupted the spring homebuying season and reversed some...