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 & Shop and Food Lion grocery stores. The US government needs to quickly find a solution to the longest government shutdown on record "because it's very painful for people that nutritional support is no longer there," said Frans Muller, CEO of Ahold Delhaize, in an interview with Bloomberg TV. While Ahold hasn't seen a drop in sales due to the issues affecting the program that provides support...
Germany's HCOB Manufacturing PMI slipped to 48.5 in September 2025, down from 49.8 in August, surprising market expectations for stabilization at 50. The reading signaled the steepest contraction in four months. Production continued to expand but at the softest pace in two months, while new orders fell for the first time in four months, marking the sharpest decline since January. Export sales also dropped for a second consecutive month. Firms relied on existing backlogs to support output, though outstanding business was depleted at the fastest rate in nine months. Employment fell further,...
Wolfe Research said the latest call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping underscored a thaw in relations but cautioned that tariff relief is unlikely in the near term. The firm described the September 19 call as the capstone to "a week of positive noises on the US-China relationship," with both sides issuing upbeat readouts. Trump highlighted Xi's approval of the TikTok deal framework and "productive" talks on trade, fentanyl, and Russia-Ukraine. Beijing's statement was "pragmatic, positive, and constructive" but also warned that "the US side should avoid...
India's Trade Minister Piyush Goyal will visit Washington today, September 22, to push forward a long-pending trade deal, following renewed talks last week. "The delegation plans to take forward the discussions with a view to achieving early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement," an official statement said. On September 16, U.S. Assistant Trade Representative Brendan Lynch met Indian officials led by Chief Negotiator Rajesh Agrawal in New Delhi. Talks were described as "positive" and "forward-looking" after President Trump softened his stance following punitive tariffs on...
Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled on Thursday that he is open to raising certain taxes, especially on the wealthy, as the government struggles to make ends meet in the fourth year of the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported. The draft budget is expected to be submitted to parliament on September 29. Sources told Reuters that the government is considering raising the value-added tax rate to keep the budget deficit in check and maintain reserves. Meeting with leaders of parliamentary factions, Putin said that measures such as a luxury tax or a higher tax on stock dividends could be...
President Donald Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow him to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook while he fights Trump's attempt to oust her. This has drawn the justices into a high-profile legal battle that has major implications for the independence of the U.S. central bank. The Justice Department asked the court on Thursday to at least temporarily delay a Washington federal judge's ruling allowing Cook to remain in office for the time being. The emergency request comes after the Fed held its final meeting earlier this week, which Cook attended. Last month, Trump said he...
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...