The head of the world’s largest hedge fund has said that President Donald Trump will be good for the US and world economy – but he fears the populist tide that took him to the Oval Office. Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, which manages $150bn, said populism was on a scale not seen since […]

China’s economy grew by 6.7% in 2016, compared with 6.9% a year earlier, according to official data, marking its slowest growth since 1990. The figure is in line with Beijing’s growth target of between 6.5% and 7%. But the data comes days after the leader of one Chinese province admitted GDP data was faked for […]

London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index reached its highest level to date on the last day of trading for 2016. The move upwards was tiny – 22.5 points or 0.32% – but it left the FTSE at an unprecedented 7,142.83. The last trading day of the calendar year in London is a short one, with dealings […]

The UK economy grew by 0.6% in the third quarter, according to official figures, faster than previous estimates. Growth for the July-to-September period had originally been estimated at 0.5%. New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested that the business and financial sector was more active than previously estimated. The ONS also said […]

The US Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark interest rate by 0.25%, only the second increase in a decade. The central bank voted unanimously to raise the key rate to a range of 0.5% to 0.75%, citing a stronger economic growth and rising employment. But the central bank said it expected the economy to need […]

Germany’s economy ended 2016 on a strong footing, with a key index suggesting growth accelerated in the fourth quarter. IHS Markit said its composite Purchasing Managers Index was at 54.8 this month after a reading of 55 in November, capping the economy’s strongest three-month period since the second quarter of 2014. That indicates economic growth […]

The US unemployment rate fell to a nine-year low in November, adding to expectations that US interest rates will rise later this month. Figures from the Labor Department showed the US economy created 178,000 jobs in November, while the jobless rate fell to 4.6% from 4.9% in October. The data adds to recent evidence of […]

Political uncertainty is putting the eurozone’s financial stability at risk, according to the European Central Bank. The Brexit referendum and the US election both ratcheted up what it calls its “composite indicator of systemic stress”. It says the 19 countries that use the euro could be hit by trade wars, higher inflation and rising US […]

The chair of the US Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen, has indicated that it could raise interest rates “relatively soon”. She said the job market had made further improvements this year and that inflation, while still below the Fed’s 2% target, had started to pick up. Financial markets are expecting the Fed to take action at […]

The British pound on Thursday recorded its largest slump in more than two weeks after the Bank of England hinted it could raise interest rates if inflation accelerates too quickly. Sterling GBPUSD, +0.4493%  rose 1.2% to $1.2455 late Thursday in New York, its largest daily jump since Oct. 18. By comparison, it traded at $1.2305 […]