Week Ending 18th January 2019 Stocks rallied to the highest level in six weeks as signs the U.S. and China are closing in on a trade truce and stronger factory numbers boosted investor confidence in the global economy. Treasuries slid and the dollar gained. The S&P 500 Index advanced for a fourth week, the longest […]

Growth in the UK’s economy slowed in the three months to November, expanding at its weakest pace in six months. The economy grew by 0.3% during the period, less than the 0.4% in the three months to October, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The ONS said manufacturers suffered their longest period of monthly […]

The US economy created many more jobs than expected in December, according to the latest government data. Employers added 312,000 jobs, far ahead of predictions of 177,000, the Labor Department said. The unemployment rate nudged higher to 3.9%, but is still near historic lows. Average hourly pay increased at an annual rate of 3.2% – […]

Week Ending 28th December 2018 U.S. stocks halted a two-day rally as thin trading added to already-volatile markets ahead of the weekend. Treasuries rose. The S&P 500 ended the session lower, but held onto its first weekly gain in a month. Trading was still volatile after a roller-coaster session Thursday that saw the biggest reversal […]

The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates again, in spite of warnings from Donald Trump against the move. Officials at the US central bank voted to lift the Fed’s key interest rate by 0.25%, to a target range of 2.25%-2.5%. But they also said future increases could come at a slower pace amid concerns about […]

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 […]