Economic news

Mixed economic data did not sit well with the safe-haven yellow metal as it traded lower on Friday’s trade in Asia. Gold futures edged down 0.12% to $1,766.15. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the United States improved 6.4% quarter-on-quarter in the first three months of 2021 to go along with 553,000 initial jobless claims filed […]

European stock markets slightly edged down on Friday as investors digest discouraging Chinese growth data and ahead of key economic data figures and first-quarter earnings season. Germany’s DAX futures contract was 0.1% lower on early Friday trade. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 futures inched down 0.2%. The CAC 40 futures in France were unchanged. The European […]

The dollar index fell to a fourth consecutive week of decline on Friday as the U.S. Federal Reserve stuck to maintaining ultra-low interest rates for longer.  The dollar index was set to end the week 0.2% lower, bringing its losses to 2.8% in April. The loonie rose to a more than three-year high of C$1.2273 […]

Oil prices fell on Friday, taking a breather after hitting their highest level in six weeks as worries of wider lockdowns in India and Brazil offset a bullish outlook on summer fuel demand and pandemic recovery. Brent crude dropped 0.4%, or 29 cents, at $68.27 per barrel, the last trading day for the front-month June […]

China’s manufacturing activity expanded in April, accelerating at the fastest pace in four months after the country saw an increase in demand. However, price hikes in raw materials and input costs dimmed the outlook. The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index was read at 51.9 in April. The reading reversed from an 11-month low of 50.6 […]

Asian share markets performed poorly during their early Friday trade. Stocks failed to track Wall Street’s overnight rally as a slew of economic figures across the region dampened investors’ enthusiasm. China’s Shanghai Composite recorded a 0.61% drop, while the Shenzhen Component traded 0.47% lower. The series of declines followed after the country’s Purchasing Managers Index […]

U.S. stocks barely moved on Monday trade ahead of the report of key economic data and a Federal Reserve meeting this week. The Dow futures contract added 20 points or 0.1%. The S&P 500 Futures gained 4 points or 0.1%, lower. The Nasdaq Futures fell 44 points or 0.3%. This week, investors anticipate the corporate […]

The dollar fell on Monday amid speculation that Fed Chairman Jerome Powell will shun talk of tapering bond purchases at a policy meeting later this week.  The euro climbed to a near two-month high against the dollar ahead of the release of German business sentiment data, which is expected to boost the economic outlook for […]

Oil prices dropped on Monday on worries that rising COVID-19 cases in India will lower fuel demand in the country. Investors adjusted positions ahead of an expected increase in OPEC+ oil production from May. Brent crude futures fell 0.6%, or 38 cents, at $65.73 per barrel, after a 1.1% increase on Friday. U.S. West Texas […]

Japan saw an increase in services prices in March as advertising and transportation fees advanced, data showed on Monday. The jump suggests that the country’s economy is faring better now than last year when the pandemic wrought disruptions. The services producer price index gauges how much charge companies ask each other for services and recorded […]