The number of Americans who have found a job in the private sector in January declined to 170 thousand from a revised 292 thousand the prior month, the ADP Employer Services said on Wednesday.
The European Commission has blocked a 9 billion dollar merger between Deutsche Börse and NYSE Euronext stock exchanges, saying that it would have stifled competition and created a monopoly in derivatives trading.
Japan's industrial output soared 4 per cent in December, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry reported on Tuesday, a sign the economy is gaining steam after flooding in Thailand and devastating earthquake the last year.
Swiss stocks closed mixed on Tuesday amid scepticism Greece is unable to tackle with spending cuts and labour reform effectively.
U.K. consumer confidence rose to seven-month high in January as consumers became more optimistic on the outlook of the country's economy, estimated GfK NOP Ltd. An index of sentiment rose to -29 from -33 in December.
U.S. consumer confidence declined in January as consumers became less optimistic on the outlook of the country's economy, the Conference Board Inc. said on Tuesday. An index of sentiment decreased to 61.1 from a revised 64.28 reading.
The leaders of 25 European Union member countries Monday signed a German-inspired pact for stricter budget discipline which will impose sanctions on countries that run excessive deficits and rack up unsustainable debts.
Japanese stocks fell on Monday after the U.S. economy expanded less than expected, a worrying sign for Asian exporters. The Nikkei 225 declined 0.54%, or 48.17 points, to 8,793.05, while the broader Topix shed 0.54%, or 4.12, to 757.01.
Swiss stocks lost ground on Monday after Greece and private bondholders failed to finalize a debt swap agreement the previous week.
U.K. month-on-month house prices remained unchanged in January, after falling 0.2 per cent in November and December, estimated the property researcher Hometrack Ltd. Values fell 1.6 per cent from January 2011.
U.S. consumer spending stalled in December said Bureau of Economic Analysis on Monday, a sign consumers attempt to restore depleted savings.
Euro-area economic confidence improved less than expected in January as the region's economy is moving toward a recession despite leaders' efforts to revive growth.
The KOF economic barometer, which indicates the expected performance of the Swiss economy over the following six months, declined to -0.17 January from 0.01 in December, the lowest level since July 2009.
U.K. stocks edged lower on Friday as the world's largest economy grew less than expected and uncertainty remained over a debt-swap agreement between the Greece and private bondholders.
The U.S. gross domestic product rose 2.8 per cent in the last three months of 2011, less then expected, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said on Friday.
Spain's unemployment increased to 22.8 per cent in the last three months of 2011 from 21.5 per cent the previous quarter and surpassed five million mark, said the National Statistics Institute on Friday.
NEC Corporation announced on Thursday it plans to cut 10,000 jobs, almost one-tenth of its workforce, in an attempt to decrease costs as weak global growth and fierce competition reduce demand for its computers and mobile phones.
Swiss stocks gained on Thursday as the Federal Reserve hinted it plans to keep interest rates at record lows through 2014.The Swiss blue-chip index SMI, a measure of the largest and most actively traded companies, gained 0.45%, or 27.07 points, to 6,100.43. The broader Swiss Performance Index rose 0.48%, or 26.27 points, to 5,514.98.
U.K. retail sales fell in January, said the Confederation of British Industry on Thursday. The index measuring sales declined to -22 from 9 in December. Above 0 indicates higher sales volume, below indicates lower.
The number of Americans claiming for unemployment benefits rose to 377 thousand in the week ended January 21 from 356 thousand the week before, said the Department of Labor on Thursday.
Talks on Greek debt swap resumed on Thursday as European finance ministers pressure private bondholders to take bigger losses on their Greek holdings.
Japan has published first annual trade deficit since 1980 putting into question how long the country can rely on exports to serve a huge public debt.
Swiss stocks erased two-day gains on Wednesday as health-care shares dropped on lower-than-expected 2011 financial results of Lonza Group AG, Novartis and Roche Holding AG.
The U.K. economy contracted 0.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011 from the previous three months, said the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday.