Retail sales were flat last month in the U.K., limiting the boost to wider economic growth at the start of the year. Total sales volumes were no higher in March than in February, according to figures released Friday by the Office for National Statistics. This was a weaker reading than had been forecast, with economists polled by The Wall Street Journal expecting sales to climb 0.3% on month. February's total was revised slightly higher, however. For the quarter as a whole, sales were 1.9% higher than in the previous three months, which were marked by a disappointing Christmas sales season....
Swiss inflation accelerated in September, marking a turnaround and likely introducing an expected rebound set to last into 2024. Consumer prices rose 1.7% from a year earlier, up from 1.6% the previous month, Switzerland's statistics agency said on Tuesday. The increase isn't as pronounced as predicted in a Bloomberg survey, which had seen a median estimate of 1.8%. The speedup was mainly due to leisure-time courses, fuel and heating oil and clothing and footwear. Underlying inflation, which strips out volatile elements like energy, slowed to 1.3% from 1.5%. After...
A measure of US factory activity contracted in September by the least in nearly a year, offering hope that the worst may be over for the nation's producers. The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing gauge rose to 49, the highest since November, from 47.6 the month before, according to data released Monday. While readings below 50 indicate contraction, the latest figure exceeded most forecasts in a Bloomberg survey of economists. After hitting a multi-year low in June, the index has advanced 3 points to mark the biggest three-month gain since March 2021. The September...
Consumer sentiment improved slightly at the end of September, but Americans were unsure about the future of the economy. The final reading of the sentiment survey rose to 68.1 from 67.7 earlier in the month, the University of Michigan said Friday. The index had touched a nearly two-year high in July before retreating. Higher gas prices and rising interest rates are pinching households more than they were earlier in the year. The consumer-sentiment survey reveals how consumers feel about their own finances as well as the broader economy. Key details: A gauge that measures what consumers...
The Federal Reserve's preferred measure of underlying inflation rose at the slowest monthly pace since late 2020, while consumer spending edged up. The core personal consumption expenditures price index, which strips out the volatile food and energy components, rose 0.1% in August, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis report out Friday. The overall PCE price index jumped 0.4%, reflecting a pickup in energy costs. Inflation-adjusted consumer spending rose 0.1% last month. On a nominal basis, personal outlays increased 0.4% in August. The report...
Inflation in Tokyo slowed for a third straight month in September, supporting the Bank of Japan's view that prices are set to cool further. Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.5% in the capital, decelerating from 2.8% in August, according to the ministry of internal affairs Friday. Economists had forecast a reading of 2.6%. A deeper measure of the inflation trend that strips out fresh food and energy prices decelerated to 3.8%, slowing for the first time in three months. Tokyo data is a leading indicator of the national trend. Behind the steady...
Asia-Pacific markets tumbled after U.S. inflation for March came in hotter than expected, stoking worries that the Federal Reserve may keep interest rates higher for longer.
U.S. consumer price...
Stocks tanked on Wednesday after March inflation data came in hotter than expected, likely pushing off interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve that investors have been anticipating.
Investor...
U.K. consumer prices accelerated well beyond the Bank of England's target for a second month, propelled by the global disruption in supply chains that pushed up transport costs.
Consumer prices...
Australian inflation eased from 33-year highs in the first quarter as the cost of living saw the smallest rise in more than a year, while core inflation dipped below forecasts suggesting less...