The US economy is slowing, according to a monthly index released Monday, increasing the likelihood that policymakers will cut interest rates next month. The Chicago Fed's National Activity Index fell slightly to minus 0.19 in July from a downwardly revised minus 0.18 in June. A reading below zero indicates slower growth than the long-term average. Employment indicators remained negative on the index, a fresh sign of fragility in the US labor market. This weakness is one of the main reasons for a rate cut at the Fed's policy meeting next month. Central bank Chairman Jerome Powell last week...
The UK economy expanded 0.1% QoQ in the three months to December 2024 after showing no growth in the third quarter. The data beat the expected 0.1% decline in the reported period.The UK GDP increased 1.4% year-on-year (YoY) in Q4 vs. 1.1% expected and 0.9% recorded in Q3.The monthly UK GDP arrived at 0.4% in December, compared to a 0.1% increase in November, bettering the expectations of 0.1%.Meanwhile, the Index of services (December) came in at 0.2% 3M/3M vs. 0% prior.Other data from the UK showed that Industrial Production and Manufacturing Production grew 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively,...
Underlying US inflation last month rose by more than forecast, supporting the Federal Reserve's cautious approach to lowering interest rates. The so-called core consumer price index — which excludes food and energy costs — increased 0.4% in January after a 0.2% advance in December, Bureau of Labor Statistics figures showed Wednesday. From a year ago, it rose 3.3%. Economists see the core gauge as a better indicator of the underlying inflation trend than the overall CPI that includes often-volatile food and energy costs. The headline measure rose 0.5% from December...
The United States (US) Bureau of Labor Statistics will release January's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report on Wednesday at 13:30 GMT. As a key indicator of inflation, this report might influence the US Dollar's (USD) price action in the short-term horizon, although it's not expected to lead to any immediate changes in the Federal Reserve's (Fed) monetary policy stance.That said, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to show an annual increase of 2.9% in January—matching the previous month's reading. When you strip out the volatile food and energy prices to get a clearer picture, the...
Britain is set for solid growth and falling inflation this year but the Bank of England has little scope to cut interest rates further, the NIESR think tank predicted on Wednesday in a relatively upbeat set of forecasts. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research also said finance minister Rachel Reeves remained just on track to stay within her fiscal rules when the Office for Budget Responsibility updates its forecasts next month - though it said there should be a greater focus on long-term debt challenges. NIESR forecast the British economy would grow by 1.5% this year -...
Italy's second-largest lender UniCredit on Tuesday posted a fourth-quarter profit beat, raising shareholder returns amid market focus on the bank's M&A overtures.Net profit attributable to the group came in at 1.969 billion euros ($2.03 billion) in the fourth quarter, compared with an analyst forecast of 1.803 billion euros, according to a LSEG-compiled consensus.Revenues reached 6 billion euros over the period, versus analyst expectations of 5.898 billion euros.Other fourth-quarter highlights included:Return on tangible equity of 11.5%, compared with 19.7% in the third quarter.CET 1...
President Donald Trump said he would fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors if she does not resign her post over mortgage-fraud accusations from a top...
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained its cash rate at 4.1% during its April meeting, holding borrowing costs unchanged after slashing 25 bps in the February meeting, aligning with market...