The economic activity in the United States' (US) manufacturing sector continued to contract in October, with the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dropping to 48.7 from 49.1 in September. This reading came in weaker than the market expectation of 49.5. Other details of the PMI report showed that the Employment Index edged higher to 46 from 45.3 in this period, while the New Orders Index improved to 49.4 from 48.9. Finally, the Prices Pair Index, the input inflation component of the survey, declined to 58 from 61.9. Source: FXstreet
Copper miner Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX) posted a drop in fourth-quarter production on Thursday and said that its costs would rise more than expected this year, sending the company's shares down more than 4%. While the Phoenix-based company was able to post a better-than-expected quarterly profit, the results were fueled by higher copper prices during the quarter that offset a production drop in Indonesia. Freeport operates Indonesia's Grasberg, the world's second-largest copper mine, and had been building a smelter in the country as part of an operating agreement with Jakarta...
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose to 223,000 in the week ending Jan. 19, 2025. That was up from the estimate of 221,000 and the previous weekly estimate of 217,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Source: @Newsmaker23
Economic activity in Argentina likely fell again in November versus the same month a year earlier, but less than the 0.7% contraction in October, a Reuters poll of market analysts on Wednesday showed. The median forecast from 13 analysts sees economic activity shrinking 0.6% year-on-year in November, the sixth consecutive year-on-year contraction, if confirmed by officials. Poll estimates ranged from a 3.2% contraction to 1.6% growth. The slight improvement was driven by the key agricultural sector, analysts said, while construction continued to fare poorly. Despite the anticipated...
President Donald Trump said his team is discussing 10% tariffs on China and that the duties could go into effect as early as Feb. 1. "We're talking about a 10% tariff on China based on the fact that they're sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada," the president said, speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday evening. "Maybe February 1st is the date we're looking at," he added. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is an addictive drug that has caused tens of thousands of overdose deaths each year in the U.S. Reducing the supply of the illicit drug, whose precursors are largely produced...
European wind shares fell on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump axed support for new offshore wind power on his first day in office, adding to pain in an industry that had turned to the United States to help revive its fortunes. The biggest decliner, Denmark's Orsted (CSE:ORSTED), which plunged 17%, came under further strain from impairments on its U.S. ventures. The global offshore wind industry, which initially boomed, has been struggling to deliver the carbon reductions pursued by many governments as escalating costs, supply chain issues and planning issues have slowed...
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...
As the U.S. government shutdown disrupts federal employee paychecks across the country, it also exacerbates the financial hardship of attorneys who represent the poorest members of society when they...