Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said concerns about private-sector hiring have fueled his call for the central bank to cut interest rates this month. "The private sector is not performing as well as everyone thought," Waller said Friday in an interview on Bloomberg Television. The monthly employment report for June, released on July 3, showed a sharp slowdown in private-sector job growth and a slowdown in wage growth, even as the unemployment rate declined slightly. His comments followed a speech he delivered Thursday in New York in which he argued that with limited inflation...
A fact-finding mission mandated by the United Nations said on Monday that some of Israel's strikes on Iran may have broken international humanitarian law, citing the killing of civilians in an apartment block and three aid workers in Tehran. Israel began airstrikes on Iran in a surprise attack on June 13 that killed many of Iran's top commanders and has intensified attacks since, prompting an exodus from the capital. The United States joined on Sunday by hitting Iran's underground nuclear sites. "Among those killed in Tehran were dozens of residents of an apartment complex and three...
FOMC Governor Michelle Bowman indicated that if inflation pressures stay contained, she would be in favour of lowering the policy rate at the next meeting to align it more closely with its neutral setting and maintain a healthy labour market. Open to cutting rates as soon as the July FOMC meeting if inflation pressures stay contained.Should put more weight on downside risks to the job market going forward. It is time to consider adjusting the policy rate.Trade policy only likely to have ‘minimal impacts' on inflation. Data not showing much impact from trade policy shifts.Government policy...
The economic activity in the US' private sector continued to expand at a healthy pace in June, with the S&P Global Composite Purchasing Managers Index coming in at 52.8 (flash estimate), down slightly from 53 in May. In the same period, the Manufacturing PMI held steady at 52, while the Services PMI edged lower to 53.1 from 53.7. Both of these prints came in better than analysts' estimates. Assessing the survey's findings, "the June flash PMI data indicated that the US economy continued to grow at the end of the second quarter, but that the outlook remains uncertain while inflationary...
The S&P Global UK Services PMI rose to 51.3 in June 2025, from 50.9 in May and in line with market estimates, according to flash estimates. The latest data indicated another expansion in the country's services sector that was the strongest in three months. There was a rebound in new business intakes, but the rise was only slight, while exports continued to fall. Employment also continued to decrease. Source: Trading Economics
The United States (US) carried out airstrikes on three nuclear sites in Iran early Sunday, directly entering Israel's war with Iran despite US President Donald Trump's long-standing pledge to avoid new foreign conflicts, according to Bloomberg. The decision to directly involve the US comes more than a week after Israel attacked Iran. Trump said Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility had been "totally destroyed" and warned of a "much bigger" attack unless Iran agreed to peace. Trump noted that the US and Israel were "working as a team, as probably no team has ever worked before. He added...
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.
It...
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...