<div id="readability-page-1"><div> Fed's Beige Book Sees a Stable Economy Still Facing Challenges; Private-Market Risks in Focus By Vicky Ge Huang Early 2026 data have painted an economy on steady footing, but with risks from stubborn inflation, a job market that has slowed and heightened uncertainty about economic policy. Most of those themes were on full display in the latest edition of the Federal Reserve's Beige Book. Meanwhile, SEC Chair Paul Atkins on Wednesday reiterated his commitment to opening private markets to more ordinary people, but Wall Street's top regulator cautioned that the expansion must be balanced with investor protections as concerns about the asset class mount. Bank of Canada Gov. Tiff Macklem also flagged the risks of private credit, calling on global authorities to step up surveillance of lending by nonbank players to minimize risks to financial stability. Top News Fed's Beige Book Sees a Stable Economy Still Facing Challenges The Beige Book is a hefty collection of nationwide economic anecdotes published by the Federal Reserve before each central-bank policy meeting. The new edition-published Wednesday, ahead of the Fed's March 18 decision-draws on surveys done by the Fed's 12 regional reserve banks through Feb. 23. This means it doesn't fully capture some of the latest developments, such as the Supreme Court's ruling overturning some of President Trump's tariffs, which came on Feb. 20, or the recent Middle East conflict. Here are some major takeaways from the February Beige Book. Private-Sector Hiring Solid Last Month, ADP Data Show U.S. Services-Sector Activity Continued to Rise in February SEC's Atkins Stresses 'Guardrails' for Investors in Private Markets The SEC's goal is &#34;embracing growth and innovation across all asset classes while protecting investors through guardrails that guide proper investment into these private assets,&#34; Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins said, speaking at a panel discussion organized by the regulator. The Trump administration wants to open private-markets investments such as private equity and venture capital to more ordinary investors, who in the past have been excluded due to concerns about the illiquidity and risks of these investments. Bank of Canada Gov: Regulators Must Catch Up on Private-Credit Risk Stronger banking regulations introduced following the 2008-09 financial crisis have shifted riskier activities to nonbank participants such as hedge funds, pension funds and asset managers, diversifying risk and improving access to financing, Bank of Canada Gov. Tiff Macklem said. &#34;But risks have not disappeared-they've migrated , &#34; Macklem said, adding that &#34;our global surveillance and regulatory frameworks haven't kept pace with the change.&#34; &#34;Risks may be growing faster than our ability to understand and mitigate them,&#34; he said. &#34;Economic uncertainty is already high-we cannot afford to add financial instability to the mix,&#34; he said. ECB Could Change Policy Stance If Iran War Drags, De Guindos Says An extended war in the Middle East could push up inflation expectations and prompt a change in the European Central Bank's policy stance, its vice president said Thursday. &#34;The outlook of the European economy now is clearly shaped by what is happening now in the Middle East,&#34; Luis de Guindos said at a conference in Brussels. Key Developments Around the World China Signals New Era of Slower Economic Growth China signaled that the world's second-largest economy is entering an era of slower expansion , setting a target for gross domestic product growth of between 4.5% and 5% this year. It is the lowest target set since at least the 1990s and follows three years in which officials called for growth of &#34;around 5%.&#34; Malaysia Holds Interest Rate Steady as Global Risks Rise Malaysia's central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.75% Thursday for a fourth consecutive meeting, citing stable economic conditions amid external uncertainty. Southeast Asia Authorities on Alert for Economic Impact of Iran Crisis Governments across Southeast Asia are taking steps to limit the economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East, keeping a wary eye on the impact of higher oil prices and supply-chain disruptions. Korea Warns That Prolonged Middle East Conflict Could Hurt Chip Industry Strait of Hormuz: The Oil Bottleneck Threatening the Global Economy President Trump's promise to protect the Strait of Hormuz with naval escorts and provide government-backed marine insurance underscores the urgent need to restore flows of energy from the Middle East before soaring prices rip through the world economy. See the Strait of Hormuz Shutting Down Middle East LNG Exports Forecast to Fall Sharply as Conflict Disrupts Financial Regulation Trump Urges Swift Passage of Crypto Bill Over Banks' Objections President Trump demanded Congress swiftly pass a bill to establish a regulatory framework for digital assets and attacked banks for holding the legislation &#34;hostage.&#34; Revolut Applies for U.S. Bank License in Expansion Push British digital bank Revolut said it filed an application for a national bank charter in the U.S. , joining a wave of fintech firms seeking to expand in the country under the Trump administration. Forward Guidance Thursday (all times ET) 7:30 a.m.: Challenger Job-Cut Report 8:30 a.m.: Preliminary Productivity and Costs 8:30 a.m.: Import &amp; Export Price Indexes 8:30 a.m.: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report - Initial Claims 11 a.m.: Global Services PMI 12 p.m.: Monthly U.S. Retail Chain Store Sales Index 1:15 p.m.: Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman speaks at New York Bankers Association event Friday 8:30 a.m.: Advance Monthly Sales for Retail &amp; Food Services 8:30 a.m.: U.S. Employment Report 10 a.m.: ABA Economic Advisory Committee economic forecast 1:30 p.m.: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins speaks at Springfield Regional Chamber Outlook 2026 event 3 p.m.: Consumer Credit Research Dollar's Recent Recovery Could Prove Temporary The dollar's recent recovery could prove short-lived as the U.S.-Iran conflict will probably last weeks rather than months, MUFG Bank's Lee Hardman says in a note. &#34;If this proves correct, dollar strength is likely to peak in the near term before reversing from the second quarter onwards.&#34; The conflict has boosted oil prices and the dollar due to America's energy independence and the reduced prospect of further Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts. Provided energy prices ease, the Fed has scope to cut rates in the second half of 2026, Hardman says, Furthermore U.S policy uncertainty is likely to remain elevated, he says. - Renae Dyer Basis Points Labor productivity for Canadian businesses continued to fluctuate into the end of last year , slipping slightly in the final quarter as economic activity pulled back. Eurozone retail sales fell unexpectedly in January despite a rise in consumer confidence at the start of the year, pointing to fragility in household sentiment even before this week's surge in energy prices. Industrial production in France rebounded in January , helped by a bump in transport output, continuing a resilient trend despite a dip at the end of 2025. About Us WSJ Pro Central Banking brings you central banking news, analysis and insights from WSJ's global team of reporters and editors. This newsletter was compiled by markets reporter Vicky Ge Huang in New York. Send your tips, suggestions and feedback to [vicky.huang@wsj.com]. This article is a text version of a Wall Street Journal newsletter published earlier today. <pre></pre> (END) Dow Jones Newswires March 05, 2026 07:20 ET (12:20 GMT)Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones &amp; Company, Inc.</div></div>

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美聯儲的褐皮書顯示，經濟保持穩定，但面臨通貨膨脹和就業市場放緩等挑戰。美國證券交易委員會主席保羅·阿特金斯強調，隨着私人市場的擴展，需要加強投資者保護。加拿大央行行長蒂夫·麥克勒姆警告私人信貸存在風險，並呼籲加強監管。此外，歐洲中央銀行可能會因中東衝突的持續而調整其政策，而中國則發出經濟增長放緩的信號。馬來西亞在全球不確定性中維持利率，東南亞國家為伊朗危機可能帶來的經濟影響做好準備

Fed's Beige Book Sees a Stable Economy Still Facing Challenges; Private-Market Risks in Focus

- 美聯儲《褐皮書》顯示經濟穩健但面臨通脹和就業市場放緩風險。  
- 加拿大央行行長呼籲加強對私人信貸的監控以保護金融穩定。  
- 中國設定 2026 年 GDP 增長目標為 4.5%-5%，為近幾十年來最低。

美聯儲的褐皮書指出經濟保持穩定但仍面臨挑戰，私人市場風險受到關注