Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said concerns about private-sector hiring have fueled his call for the central bank to cut interest rates this month. "The private sector is not performing as well as everyone thought," Waller said Friday in an interview on Bloomberg Television. The monthly employment report for June, released on July 3, showed a sharp slowdown in private-sector job growth and a slowdown in wage growth, even as the unemployment rate declined slightly. His comments followed a speech he delivered Thursday in New York in which he argued that with limited inflation...
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell to 220,000 in the week ended Dec. 15, 2024. That was down from the 229,000 estimate and from the previous weekly reading of 242,000, the Labor Department said Thursday (12/19). Source: @Newsmaker23
The Bank of England left the benchmark bank rate steady at 4.75% during its December 2024 meeting, in line with market expectations, as CPI inflation, wage growth and some indicators of inflation expectations had risen, adding to the risk of inflation persistence. However, three policymakers preferred to reduce the bank rate by 25bps to 4.5% on the back of sluggish demand and a weakening labour market. The central bank reinforced that a gradual approach to removing monetary policy restraint remains appropriate and that monetary policy will need to continue to remain restrictive for...
EUR/USD surged closer to 1.0400 during the European session on Thursday as the US Dollar (USD) strength took a breather after Wednesday's sharp rally. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, held gains near a fresh two-year high above 108.00. The greenback drew significant bids after the Federal Reserve (Fed) cut its key lending rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.25%-4.50% on Wednesday, as expected, but signaled fewer rate cuts for next year. In the latest dot chart, the Fed revised its projection for the number of interest rate cuts...
The United Kingdom (UK) Consumer Price Index (CPI) edged higher by 2.6% on a yearly basis in November after recording a 2.3% growth in October, according to the data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday. Data aligned with the market forecast of 2.6% and stayed well above the Bank of England's (BoE) 2.0% target. Core CPI (excluding volatile food and energy items) rose by 3.5% YoY in November, compared to a 3.3% increase in October while missing the market consensus of 3.6%. The UK November Services CPI inflation stayed unchanged at 5.0% YoY in November.The UK...
Retail sales rose faster than expected at the start of the holiday shopping season in November, pointing to steady growth in the U.S. economy. Sales at U.S. retailers rose 0.7% last month, the government said Tuesday. Retail sales account for about a third of all consumer spending and provide clues to the strength of the economy. What they do show is that the U.S. is ending 2024 on a strong note. Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal had forecast a 0.5% gain last month. Key details: Sales of new cars and trucks jumped 2.6% in November to lead the retail gain. Auto sales account...
China's official NBS Manufacturing PMI increased to 49.7 in June 2025 from May's 49.5, matching market expectations while marking the third consecutive month of contraction in factory activity.
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Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 hovered around the flatline on Friday, as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of further developments in trade talks between US President Trump and Chinese...
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he plans to send a single letter to over 150 countries outlining the tariff rate they will face, saying, "It's all going to be the same for everyone, for that...