The ISM Services PMI rose to 52.4 in October 2025 from 50 in September, beating forecasts of 50.8, pointing to the strongest expansion in the services sector since February. Both business activity (54.3 vs 49.9) and new orders (56.2 vs 50.4) rebounded while the continued contraction in employmet (48.2 vs 47.2) shows a lack of confidence in the continued strength of the economy. "There was no indication of widespread layoffs or reductions in force, but the federal government shutdown was mentioned several times as impacting business activity and generating concerns for future layoffs",...
U.S. President Donald Trump set a new deadline on Monday of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine or face consequences, underscoring frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 3-1/2-year-old conflict. Trump has threatened both sanctions on Russia and buyers of its exports unless progress is made. The fresh deadline suggests the U.S. president is prepared to move forward on those threats after previous hesitation to do so. Speaking in Scotland, where he is holding meetings with European leaders and playing golf, Trump said he was...
US President Donald Trump said he would reduce the 50-day deadline he gave Russian leader Vladimir Putin to reach a ceasefire with Ukraine, saying he was disappointed with his counterpart over the ongoing war. "I'm disappointed with President Putin, very disappointed with him. So, we'll have to see, and I'll reduce the 50 days I gave him to a shorter time," Trump told reporters in Scotland on Monday as he welcomed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a meeting. Trump earlier this month issued a 50-day deadline and threatened severe economic sanctions against Russia if it did not end...
European governments and companies reacted with a mix of relief and concern on Monday (July 28th) to the framework trade agreement reached with US President Donald Trump. They acknowledged what they considered an unbalanced deal, but managed to avoid a deeper trade war. The agreement announced Sunday between the two countries, which account for nearly a third of global trade, will see the US impose 15% import tariffs on most EU goods – half the threatened tariffs, but much higher than Europe had hoped. However, many specific details of the deal remain unknown. "While awaiting the full...
The leaders of Cambodia and Thailand met in Malaysia on Monday (July 28) to try to reach a ceasefire agreement on the fifth day of their fierce border conflict, amid international efforts to halt the fighting. The Southeast Asian neighbors, engaged in their deadliest conflict in more than a decade, accused each other of starting the fighting last week, before escalating it with heavy artillery bombardment and Thai airstrikes along their 817-km (508-mile) land border. Photos from the Thai and Malaysian governments showed the Chinese and U.S. ambassadors to Malaysia attending Monday's...
The United States and European Union have reached a landmark trade agreement that includes a 15% tariff on EU goods entering the U.S., President Donald Trump announced Sunday while in Scotland. The broad-strokes deal encompasses significant EU purchases of U.S. energy and military gear, along with substantial investments in the American economy. According to Trump, the European Union has committed to purchasing $750 billion worth of energy from the United States. He also stated that the EU has agreed to make $600 billion in investments in the U.S. "They are agreeing to open up their...
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...