Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, in a letter on Thursday, rebutted criticism leveled at the central bank by a top White House official regarding the $2.5 billion renovation project. "We take seriously our responsibility to be good stewards of public resources as we fulfill the duties assigned by Congress on behalf of the American people," Powell wrote in the letter addressed to Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Powell's letter, which largely repeats information available on the Fed's new "Frequently Asked Questions" page about the construction...
European Union finance ministers will approve French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's deficit-cutting plan on Tuesday as it complies with the EU's recommendations to bring the French deficit below 3% of GDP by 2029, officials said. Senior officials of EU governments agreed last week to support Bayrou's plan, which will replace a more front-loaded scheme designed by his predecessor Michel Barnier that was rejected by the French Parliament in December. "We are determined to reach the 3% deficit target by 2029, to be below by 2029," French Finance Minister Eric Lombard told reporters as he...
European equity markets are set to open cautiously on Friday (17/1) as investors prepare for the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President on January 20, amid concerns over potential tariffs that could impact the European economy. Despite the uncertainty, regional benchmarks are on track for solid weekly gains, supported by signs of easing US inflation, which have strengthened expectations for further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year. Meanwhile, investors will be watching UK retail sales data and final Eurozone inflation figures. In pre-market trading, Euro Stoxx 50 and Stoxx...
US citizens filing new applications for unemployment insurance rose to 217K for the week ending January 10, as reported by the US Department of Labor (DoL) on Thursday. This print missed initial estimates and was higher than the previous week's tally of 203K (revised from 201K). Source: Fxstreet
US retail sales increased at a slower than anticipated month-on-month rate in December, in the latest data point that could paint a picture of the state of the American economy heading into the new year. Retail sales grew by 0.4% last month, down from an upwardly revised pace of 0.8% in November. Economists had called for a reading of 0.6%. Source: Investing.com
Inflation in the US, as measured by the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose 2.9% on a yearly basis in December from 2.7% in November, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Wednesday. This reading came in line with market expectations. On a monthly basis, the CPI rose 0.4%, following the 0.3% increase recorded in the previous month. The core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 3.2% on a yearly basis—below November's gain and analysts' estimates for a 3.3% increase. The monthly core CPI rose 0.2% in the last month of 2024. Souce: FXstreet
China's official NBS Manufacturing PMI increased to 49.7 in June 2025 from May's 49.5, matching market expectations while marking the third consecutive month of contraction in factory activity.
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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...
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he plans to send a single letter to over 150 countries outlining the tariff rate they will face, saying, "It's all going to be the same for everyone, for that...