Employment at US companies rose in October, signaling stabilization in the labor market after two straight months of declines. Private-sector jobs increased by 42,000 after a revised 29,000 decline in the previous month, according to ADP Research data released Wednesday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists was for a gain of 30,000. (alg) Source: Bloomberg
US President Donald Trump is unlikely to follow through on his threat to impose 100% tariffs on countries buying Russian oil, as it would exacerbate politically damaging inflationary pressures. Similar threats against Venezuelan oil buyers have also met with limited success, particularly in China. This month, Trump said he would impose 100% secondary tariffs on countries buying Russian exports unless Moscow agrees to a major peace deal with Ukraine within 50 days, a deadline that expires in early September. The threat mirrors the March announcement that the US would impose tariffs on...
Orders placed with US factories for business equipment unexpectedly declined in June, suggesting companies remained cautious about capital spending due to trade and fiscal policy uncertainty. The value of core capital goods orders, a proxy for investment in equipment excluding aircraft and military hardware, decreased 0.7% last month after an upwardly revised 2% gain in May, Commerce Department figures showed Friday. Bookings for all durable goods — items meant to last at least three years and including orders for commercial aircraft and military equipment — fell...
UK retail sales rose 0.9% month-over-month in June 2025, rebounding from a revised 2.8% drop in the previous month but missing market expectations of a 1.2% gain. It marked the fourth increase so far this year. Food store sales volumes gained 0.7%, reversing a 5.4% decline in May, supported by improved supermarket sales, particularly beverages, amid warm weather. Automotive fuel sales jumped 2.8%, the largest monthly rise since May 2024, also helped by favorable weather. Online sales (non-store retailers) rose 1.7%, reaching their highest level since February 2022. Meanwhile, non-food...
President Donald Trump locked horns with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell during a rare presidential visit to the U.S. central bank on Thursday, criticizing the cost of renovating two historical buildings at its headquarters and pressing the case for lower interest rates. Trump, who called Powell a "numbskull" earlier this week for failing to heed the White House's demand for a large reduction in borrowing costs, wrapped up his visit to the Fed's $2.5 billion building project in Washington by saying he did not intend to fire Powell, as he has frequently suggested he would. "To do so is...
US President Donald Trump visited the Federal Reserve (Fed) headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Friday (July 25th). President Trump recently turned his attention to criticizing the long-planned renovation of the Fed headquarters. Trump, who oversaw a comprehensive renovation of the White House interior, adding gold accents, claimed that the Fed renovations represent an unnecessary expense for U.S. taxpayers in an attempt to further narrow the gap between the executive branch's ability to control the U.S. central bank, which is currently beyond the President's broad reach. During Trump's...
Asia-Pacific markets traded higher, tracking Wall Street gains overnight.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.41% after hitting a fresh record high on Thursday, while the Topix added 0.61%. South...
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...
American consumers struggling to access food assistance payments due to the government shutdown are unable to fill their shopping carts, and that's "hurtful," according to the company behind Stop...