If it just seems like the first Friday of the month wasn't the same without being able to pore through the Bureau of Labor Statistics' hotly watched monthly jobs report, don't worry. You probably didn't miss much. While the BLS has gone dark with the shutdown in Washington, other reports outside the government data suggest the labor market just plodded along in September. The Dow Jones consensus forecast was for growth of 51,000 in nonfarm payrolls with the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.3%. High-frequency data that includes job postings, private payrolls and state-by-state figures...
The European Central Bank cut interest rates on Thursday and policymakers guided for a further reduction in March as concerns over lacklustre economic growth supersede worries about persistent inflation. It was the fifth ECB rate cut since June and markets expect two or three more this year, driven by arguments that the biggest inflation surge in generations is nearly defeated and the flagging economy needs relief. "We know the direction of travel," ECB President Christine Lagarde told a press conference after the decision. "At which pace, with what sequence, what magnitude, will be...
US citizens filing new applications for unemployment insurance rose to 207K for the week ending January 25, the US Department of Labor (DoL) reported on Thursday. The reading missed the preliminary estimate and was lower than the previous week's unrevised reading of 223K. The report also highlighted the seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate at 1.2%, while the four-week moving average eased to 212.50K, marking a decrease of 1K from the previous week's unrevised average. Furthermore, Continuing Jobless Claims fell by 42K to 1.858M for the week ending January 18.(AL) Source: FXstreet
German exports are expected to decline by 0.3% in 2025 due to weakening competitiveness as well as growing geopolitical and trade tensions, according to the government's annual economic report published on Wednesday. European governments and companies are on alert for possible new tariffs under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, while the question of how to revive Germany's flagging economy is central to a national election due on Feb. 23. The annual government report said economy - still Europe's largest - is expected to grow by 0.3% this year, down from a previously...
Australia's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.2% QoQ in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024, compared with the 0.2% increase seen in the third quarter, according to the latest data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday. The market consensus was for a growth of 0.3% in the reported period. The Australian monthly Consumer Price Index is foreseen at 2.5% in December. Quarterly CPI inflation expected to ease further below 3%, with core figures nearing RBA's goal. The Reserve Bank of Australia will meet on February 18 to decide on monetary policy. The Australian...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he plans to speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that Netanyahu would be traveling to Washington to meet with him. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump did not give a date for the face-to-face meeting, but said it would take place "very soon." The meeting comes amid a fragile six-week ceasefire that has brought a temporary pause to 15 months of fighting between Israel and militant group Hamas in Gaza. Trump also said Monday he wants Egypt to take in Palestinians from Gaza, where much of the population has been...
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. government shut down much of its operations on Wednesday as deep partisan divisions prevented Congress and the White House from reaching a funding deal, setting off what could be a long,...