Week Ending 14th December 2018 U.S. stocks closed at their lowest level since April, with Treasuries rising alongside the yen, as mounting concern over the health of the global economy overshadowed positive trade developments and signs of strength from the American consumer. The S&P 500 Index tumbled 1.9 percent Friday, after testing February lows, erasing […]

The euro has fallen against the dollar after disappointing French and German economic surveys dismayed the markets. In France, private sector business activity contracted for the first time in two and a half years as the “gilets jaunes” protests took their toll. In Germany, private sector activity slowed to a four-year low. The surveys pointed […]

US President Donald Trump and leaders from Canada and Mexico have signed the successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). The revised deal has been renamed as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. Renegotiating Nafta was a key pledge of Mr Trump’s 2016 White House campaign. The US President claimed the update “changes […]

Wall Street shares have risen sharply after the US central bank indicated there may not be as many future interest rate rises. In a speech, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said interest rates are “just below” a neutral level that neither hastens nor slows growth. Last month, he had said the bank had a “long […]

The UK economy grew by 0.6% in the three months to September, with warm weather boosting consumer spending, the Office for National Statistics said. The figure for the third quarter is in line with predictions from the Bank of England and other forecasters. However, buoyant growth in July was offset by a slowdown in August […]

Wages in the US grew at their fastest pace for nine years last month, the latest official figures show. The US Labor Department said wages grew at an annual rate of 3.1% in October, accelerating from a rate of 2.8% the month before. The economy also added 250,000 jobs last month, beating expectations, while the […]

China has reported its slowest quarterly growth rate since the global financial crisis. The growth figure for the July to September quarter was 6.5% from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said. The result fell short of Reuters analyst forecasts of 6.6%. Policymakers have moved to support the cooling economy in recent months. […]

Government borrowing fell by more than expected last month, to £4.1bn from £4.9bn a year earlier. It was the lowest borrowing figure for the month of September since 2007, the Office for National Statistics said. Borrowing for the year to date is 35% lower at £19.9bn, potentially giving Chancellor Philip Hammond room for manoeuvre in […]

The US unemployment rate fell to 3.7% in September, the lowest rate since December 1969. Figures from the Department of Labor also showed the US economy created 134,000 jobs during the month, fewer than were expected. Significant jobs growth was seen in professional and business services, healthcare and construction. Average hourly earnings rose at an […]

The U.S. economy is on track for another solid quarter after the fastest growth since 2014, with upbeat consumers in the driver’s seat and factories providing support even amid trade headwinds. Data released Friday showed shoppers took only a slight breather in August after a bigger spending spree at retailers and restaurants in July than […]