Fitch Ratings does not plan to downgrade France's top notch AAA credit rating in 2012, while ratings of Spain and Italy as well as other countries under review could be cut by one or two notches this year, said Ed Parker, head of EMEA sovereign ratings at Fitch on Tuesday.
Japanese stocks dropped on Friday as pessimism over Europe's economic prospects outweighed strong data from U.S. The Nikkei 225 lost 1.16%, or 98.36 points, to 8,390.35, while the broader Topix shed 0.91%, or 6.68, to 729.60.
Swiss stocks dropped for a third consecutive day on Monday as the Swiss National Bank President Philipp Hildebrand resigned after a scandal involving a controversial currency trade made by his wife.
U.K. luxury-home prices rose 0.8 per cent for a 14th consecutive month in December, said the Knight Frank LLP, as overseas buyers turned to safe haven assets and competed for a smaller number of properties for sale.
U.S. corporations, such as Cisco Systems Inc., ended 2011 with the slowest profit growth in two years amid global economic slowdown, estimated Bloomberg analysts.
German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Nicolas Sarkozy met on Monday to discuss how to promote Europe's economic growth and to finalize a deal on deeper fiscal union.
Japanese stocks dropped on Friday as pessimism over Europe's economic prospects outweighed strong data from U.S. The Nikkei 225 lost 1.16%, or 98.36 points, to 8,390.35, while the broader Topix shed 0.91%, or 6.68, to 729.60.
Swiss stocks declined for a second consecutive day on Friday on concern euro-area leaders have no additional measures to combat the debt crisis.
U.K. month-on-month house prices edged lower 0.9 per cent to 160,063 pounds in December, the lowest level in more than two years, said the Halifax Bank of Scotland on Thursday. Halifax Bank is the unit of London-based Lloyds Banking Group Plc, Britain's No.1 mortgage provider.
U.S. unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 8.5 per cent in December from 8.7 per cent in November as employment growth accelerated, offering the evidence the U.S. economy is gaining momentum. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 200,000 last month, the U.S. Labor Department said on Friday.
German factory orders tumbled the most since 2009 in November as the euro area economy headed toward a recession and global demand cooled. Orders declined 4.8 percent from October, when they rose 5 percent, said the Economy Ministry on Friday.
Japanese stocks fell on concern the European debt crisis is escalating as Prime Minister Lucas Papademos said Greece is at "risk of a disorderly default". The Nikkei 225 declined 0.83%, or 71.40 points, to 8,488.71, while the broader Topix decreased 0.90%, or 6.71, to 736.28.
Swiss stocks lost ground on Thursday, snapping five-day rally, on concern European banks will have to raise additional capital.
U.K. service sector grew in December at its fastest pace since July. The Markit/Cips services purchasing managers' index (PMI) advanced to 54 from 52.1 in November, said the Markit research agency on Monday. Reading above 50.0 indicates industry expansion.
The number of Americans claiming for unemployment benefits dropped to 371 thousand in the week ended December 31 from 387 thousand the week before, said the Department of Labor on Thursday. Economists expected the number of claimants to decline to 375 thousand.
French long-term bond yields rose on Thursday at its first auction in 2012 as investors are worried the country may lose its top notch AAA credit rating. France sold 4.02 and 2.165 billion euros of 10-year and 30-year bonds at an average rate of 3.29 and 3.97 per cent, respectively.
Japanese stocks rose on the first trading day of 2012 after a U.S. report showed manufacturing sector's growth is accelerating. The Nikkei 225 advanced 1.24%, or 104.76 points, to 8,560.11, while the broader Topix gained 1.97%, or 14.38, to 742.99.
Swiss stocks edged higher for a fifth consecutive day on Wednesday, rebounding from day's losses, after Germany and Portugal sold government securities.
U.K. stocks lost ground on Wednesday after soaring on Tuesday. The benchmark FTSE 100 index lost 0.55%, or 31.46 points, to 5,668.45. The FTSE All-Share Index shed 0.59%, or 17.23 points, to 2,906.40.
Retail sales at shops open more than a year may have increased 4.5 per cent in December, more than expected, as Americans pursued holiday discounts, said the International Council of Shopping Centers in a statement on Wednesday.
Inflation in the euro zone declined for the first time since summer 2011, giving the European Central Bank room for more action. The inflation rate fell to 2.8 per cent in December from 3 per cent in November, said the European Statistical Office on Wednesday.
Japanese stocks edged higher on Friday amid hopes the U.S. economy is gaining steam. The Nikkei 225 rose 0.67%, or 56.46 points, to 8,455.35, while the broader Topix advanced 0.90%, or 6.49, to 728.61.
Swiss stocks edged higher on Tuesday after a report showed U.S. manufacturing sector accelerated at the fastest pace in half a year in December.
U.K. manufacturing sector contracted modestly in November, according to the data published by the Markit agency on Tuesday. The manufacturing purchasing managers' index rose to 49.6 in December from 47.7 in November. A reading below 50 signals contraction.