The industrial output in Europe's second largest economy fell significantly in the beginning of 2013, adding to fears that French economy teetered on the brink of its third recession in four years.
Consumer prices in Switzerland increased for the first time since October in February, however, remained in negative territory year-on-year, lending support for the Swiss National Bank's case to maintain its cap on the Swiss Franc.
Japanese economy returned to growth in the last three months, according to the Cabinet Office.
Output in the U.K. construction sector fell sharply in January, adding to fears the economy may slip back into recession.
Job creation in the U.S. broke out in February, pushing the overall unemployment rate to the four-year low, a sign U.S. employers were undaunted by the budget impasse in Washington.
Industrial production in Europe's largest economy unexpectedly stagnated in January, as demand for its exports dropped sharply, the Economy Ministry said Friday.
Australia's central bank left its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the second month in a row, as downside risks in the global economy appeared to have eased, while there were signs previous cuts were working.
Two nominees for the Bank of Japan deputy governors, appointed by the government, offered contrasting policy views on Tuesday, raising questions as to how aggressive the BOJ's policy will be.
The growth of the U.K. service sector unexpectedly revved up last month, suggesting the economy may narrowly avoid a triple-dip recession, a survey by Markit Economics and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply showed on Tuesday.
The pace of growth in the vast U.S. services sector accelerated to its fastest rate in a year, indicating that executives of the biggest part of the economy were not concerned by the upcoming budget cuts.
Activity of the service sector in the 17-nation currency bloc contracted further in February, however, at a slower pace than previously, according to the Markit Economics.
The amount of cash Swiss commercial banks held with nation's central bank turned lower in the week to March 1, raising concerns that investors are getting more anxious over Eurozone's financial woes.
The Bank of Japan's newly nominated governor Haruhiko Kuroda said the bank will do whatever is needed to end 15 years of deflation in the world's third largest economy.
The start of automatic spending cuts in the U.S. has not altered a stalemate between Democrats and Republicans on America's fiscal future.
The output of Britain's construction sector shrank the most in more than three years in February, raising fears of a triple-dip recession, a report by the Markit and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply showed Monday.
The number of registered unemployed people in Spain rose less than expected last month, however, jumped beyond the 5 million mark for the first time, as the Eurozone's fourth-largest economy contracted and the government imposed steep spending cuts.
Switzerland's key manufacturing output index grew for a second consecutive month, albeit slower, as a slight appreciation in the Swiss Franc and renewed weakness in the Eurozone dragged on demand.
Consumer prices in the world's third largest economy dropped for the eighth time in nine months, highlighting the challenges facing the Bank of Japan in reaching its ambitious 2% target level.
Activity in the U.K.'s manufacturing sector unexpectedly contracted last month, reviving concerns that the economy may slip into a triple-dip recession.
Manufacturing activity in the world's largest economy expanded at the fastest pace in over a year and a half in February, due to a surge in new orders, the Institute for Supply Management's said Friday.
The rate of unemployment in the 17-nation currency bloc soared to a fresh record in January, indicating that the recession is engulfing more and more businesses, figures from the EU's statistics office, Eurostat, showed Friday.
Consumer prices in the 17-nation currency bloc turned lower to 2.0% from January 2012, down from 2.2% in December, and on par with the ECB's 2% inflation target, as consumers had to pay more for goods and services.
The growth of the Swiss economy slowed in the last three months of 2012. However, despite a slowdown it performed better than most analysts had forecasted and better than other European countries.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe nominated Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda to lead nation's central bank, as Abe seeks a more aggressive regime in order to overcome decades of deflation.