Despite huge lines recorded on Black Friday, the U.S. holiday retail sales this year were the weakest since 2008.
The heavily indebted Greece will miss tax reform goals set for this year, as the country cannot collect enough taxes from evaders, the European Union and International Monetary Fund said earlier this week.
Mario Draghi's pledge to do whatever it takes to save the Euro and the huge amount of cheap loans pushed indicators of stress in the continent's money markets down and eased tensions in the Eurozone this year.
Japanese next Prime Minister Shinzo Abe added more pressure on the Bank of Japan, saying he will consider changing the law governing the central bank, if they do not adopt a 2% inflation target.
The amount of cash Swiss commercial banks hold with nation's central bank fell more than expected in the week to December 21, a sign that investors are getting more anxious over Eurozone's financial woes.
Home prices in the U.K. dropped for a six consecutive month in December, and are expected to extend their drop in the next year as well, a survey done by Hometrack showed on Monday.
With only a week remaining for the Democrats and Republicans to avert huge tax increases and spending cuts, President Barrack Obama called for a partial deal in order to avert tax increases on the middle class and protect unemployment insurance, which are likely to expire soon.
The world's third biggest economy is expected to remain weak in the next several months, as investors are not showing their willingness to invest into Japanese economy.
The outlook for the Swiss economy remains bright and the business activity is expected to continue gaining momentum, the Swiss National Bank said Friday.
Britain's economy expanded less than was previously estimated, adding more pressure on Chancellor George Osborne, who pledged to support economic growth by any means necessary.
Demand for long-lasting manufactured goods rose more than expected last month, a sign U.S. companies are planning to expand in the next year.
German consumers are getting less confident about the economy in the next year, suggesting that recession in other Eurozone countries will hit the growth of Europe's largest economy as well.
The Bank of Japan decided to take additional easing measures on Thursday, as incoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to use any means in order to boost the economy.
Swiss trade surplus widened more than expected last month, posting the second biggest surplus ever recorded, boosted by the solid gain in exports.
Retailers in the U.K. failed to sell more goods in November than in the previous month, adding to concerns that the economy may shrink in the last quarter of 2012.
The world's biggest economy expanded more than previously estimated in the third quarter due to the increase in exports and government spending, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
German producer price inflation weakened to a four-month low in November, meeting analysts' expectation, the statistical office Destatis said Thursday.
German annual Producer Price Index rose in line with economists expectations in the month of November, the Federal Statistical Office reported on Thursday. The Destatis report showed increase of the PPI by 1.4% in November, following a 1.5% advance in the previous month. On monthly basis, the PPI dropped 0.1% reaching the same figure as the month before, while projections
Exports from the Japan dropped for the a consecutive month, while trade deficit widened more than initially expected, adding more pressure on the Bank of Japan to expand its asset-purchase programme.
The largest bank in Switzerland has agreed to pay $1.53 billion in fines to settle charges of rigging the Libor benchmark rate.
The U.K. economy is expected to shrink in the last quarter of 2012, while the inflation rate will exceed a 2% target level, the Bank of England policymakers said on Wednesday.
The number of homebuilding permits in the world's biggest economy touched its highest level in four years, suggesting the property market is gaining momentum and the recovery will extend into 2013.
Confidence among German investors brightened further in December, adding to sign the Europe's largest economy will pick up speed once again the beginning of 2013.
Japanese machine orders dropped in November, suggesting investors are getting more anxious over the future economic performance, the Japan Machine Tool Builders' Association said.