The Bank of England's MPC voted 5-4 to keep Bank Rate at 4% at its November 5 meeting, in line with expectations. Four members favored a 25 bps cut to 3.75%, reflecting growing support for easing. Policymakers noted that CPI inflation has peaked and underlying disinflation is developing, aided by still-restrictive policy, lower wage growth, and easing services inflation. A sluggish economy and increasing labor market slack are also strengthening disinflation. The MPC said the risks to achieving the 2% target are now more balanced: inflation persistence has become less of a concern, while...
The EU and the U.S. are reportedly nearing a trade agreement that would impose a 15% tariff on most imports, including potentially cars and pharmaceuticals, Bloomberg News reported, citing diplomats. The proposed rate mirrors a similar deal the U.S. reached with Japan. While EU Commission officials briefed member states on the negotiations, any final decision would rest with U.S. President Donald Trump. The 15% tariff would not be added to existing U.S. duties, which average just under 5%. Certain sectors, such as the aircraft, lumber, certain medicines, and agricultural goods, may be...
The European Union and the US are moving toward a deal that would impose 15% tariffs on most products, according to diplomats briefed on the negotiations. Member states are likely ready to accept 15% tariffs, and EU officials are pushing for them to cover sectors including autos, diplomats said. Steel and aluminum imports above a certain quota would be subject to a 50% duty, one diplomat added. Diplomats said that while the EU is optimistic that a deal can be reached, they are also cautious that any final agreement would require the approval of US President Donald Trump, and his final...
US existing-home sales fell 2.7% from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.93 million units in June 2025, down from 4.04 million in May and below market expectations of 4.01 million. This marked the lowest sales pace since September 2024, as the median home price climbed to $435,300, the highest ever recorded for June and the 24th consecutive year-over-year price increase. Sales of single-family homes declined by 3% to 3.57 million, while condominiums and co-ops held steady at 360,000 units. Regionally, sales dropped in the Northeast (-8%), Midwest (-4%), and South...
The U.S. Federal Reserve's independence is under threat from mounting political interference, according to a clear majority of economists polled by Reuters, although no one expects a July interest rate cut despite a recent divergence in views among policymakers. President Donald Trump has made it almost a daily routine to personally attack Fed Chair Jerome Powell over the central bank's stance of holding rates due to tariff-related risks of higher inflation. A recent jump in inflation suggests businesses are now passing some of the tariffs onto consumers. Most Federal Market Open Committee...
Indonesia has agreed to eliminate tariffs on more than 99% of U.S. goods and scrap all non-tariff barriers facing American firms, while the U.S. will drop threatened tariffs on Indonesian products to 19% from 32%, the two countries said on Tuesday. Trump hailed the deal, which he first announced on July 15, in a posting on his Truth Social media platform, calling it a "huge win for our Automakers, Tech Companies, Workers, Farmers, Ranchers, and Manufacturers." Details of a framework for the accord were released in a joint statement by both countries, and a fact sheet issued by the White...
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...
The U.S. Supreme Court's tough questioning of President Donald Trump's global tariffs has fueled growing speculation that they will be overturned, but it also raises the potential for further...