Renewed tensions between the United States and Russia have resurfaced following an incident involving an oil tanker, sparking market concerns about potential disruptions to global energy supplies. Washington's move, associated with tightening oversight and enforcement of sanctions on Russian oil shipments, is viewed by Moscow as provocative and could worsen relations between the two countries. Russia views these actions as an attempt by the United States to suppress Russian energy exports and strengthen its dominance in the global oil market. Meanwhile, Washington argues that these measures...
Activity at US service providers expanded in August at the fastest pace in six months on the sharpest acceleration in orders in nearly a year. The Institute for Supply Management's index of services rose 1.9 points last month to 52, the group said Thursday. Readings above 50 indicate expansion, and the figure topped all but one estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists. The new orders index jumped 5.7 points, the most since September, to 56. The business activity index, which parallels the ISM's factory output gauge, climbed to a five-month high of 55. The solid advance in...
High-stakes energy diplomacy in Beijing this week signals China's willingness to challenge US President Donald Trump's efforts to isolate Russia and assert US energy dominance. Chinese President Xi Jinping, sitting alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, used this week's military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II to demonstrate Beijing's military and diplomatic clout amid escalating trade tensions with Washington. China backed up the parade with action on Tuesday, when Russian gas giant Gazprom announced that both sides had signed a legally...
US applications for unemployment benefits rose to their highest level since June, adding to evidence that the labor market is cooling. Initial claims rose 8,000 to 237,000 in the week ending August 30. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists was for 230,000 applications. Continuing claims, a proxy for the number of people receiving benefits, were little changed at 1.94 million in the previous week, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. Companies are increasingly hesitant to hire as they assess the economic impact of President Donald Trump's policies. Hiring...
Hiring at US companies was lower than expected in August, consistent with other evidence of weakening labor demand. Private-sector jobs increased by 54,000, according to ADP Research data released Thursday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists was for a gain of 68,000. (alg) Source: Bloomberg
U.S. economic activity and employment were mostly little changed or unchanged in recent weeks while prices rose moderately or modestly, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday, a mixed report that highlighted the impact of tariffs and other Trump administration policies on households and businesses as the central bank weighs a cut in interest rates this month. "Contacts frequently cited economic uncertainty and tariffs as negative factors," according to the Fed's "Beige Book" report, a snapshot of the nation's economic health published two weeks ahead of each central bank policy meeting....
Asian stock markets fell in unison on Thursday, following Wall Street's decline. A brief rally in tech stocks led by Nvidia quickly faded, prompting investors to turn away from riskier assets like...
European stock indices closed marginally lower on Wednesday as equities took a breather from their recent strong momentum, while investors continued to assess the outlook for the ECB's policy this...
The upcoming Supreme Court ruling on the legality of President Donald Trump's massive tariffs, which rocked markets in April, is one of the next major tests for US stocks and bonds.
Equity markets...