The number of people who filed unemployment benefit claims in the U.S. rose more than expected last week, the U.S. Department of Labor said on Thursday. Applications for U.S. jobless benefits jumped by 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 382,000 in the week ended September 8, up from 367,000 in the previous week. Analysts had predicted an increase of 3,000 to
Italian prices rose by 3.2% on an annual basis in August, 0.1 per cent up from the prior month, as fuel prices advanced year-on-year by 15.1% for petrol and by 17.5% for diesel. Public debt tumbled to 1.96 trillion euros in July, down from a record 1.97 trillion euros in June, said the Bank of Italy.
Japanese core machinery orders surged in July, mostly led by an increase in manufacturing sector orders. Machinery orders, which is a leading indicator of corporate capital investment, jumped 4.6% from the prior month, after adding 5.6% in June, the Cabinet Office said on Wednesday.
Swiss stocks were little changed on Wednesday, after Germany's Constitutional Court said it would not block ratification of the Eurozone's rescue fund.
The number of filed unemployment benefit claims in the U.K. declined the most in more than two years in August and employment rose, as businesses created more jobs. Jobless benefit claims fell by 15,000 to 1.57 million, the Office for National Statistics announced on Wednesday. Employment rose by 236,000 to 29.6 million, posting the biggest gain in two years.
U.S. import prices climbed for the first time in five months in August, as fuel prices jumped 4.1%. The prices for U.S. imports rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.7% in August, below expectations for a 1.4% increase, said the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday.
German Federal Constitutional Court cleared the way for Eurozone rescue fund (ESM) on Wednesday but gave parliament veto powers over any future increases in the size of the fund. The European Stability Mechanism with a total value of 500 billion euros is aimed to provide financial assistance to Eurozone's countries in financial difficulty.
Japanese Business Survey Index, a measure of sentiment among large manufacturers, rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.5 in the third quarter, up from -5.7 in the prior quarter. Analysts had predicted a decline to -6.1. A reading above 0.0 indicates optimism, below indicates pessimism.
Swiss stocks depreciated on Tuesday before a highly anticipated German court ruling on Wednesday.
The U.K. trade deficit narrowed more than expected in July, British Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday. Nation's trade gap fell to 7.2 billion pounds from 10.1 billion pounds in the previous month, as exports soared 2.2 per cent, posting biggest increase since records began in 1998.
The U.S. trade deficit widened a slight 0.2% in July to a seasonally adjusted $42.0 billion from $41.9 billion in the prior month, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis said on Tuesday. Overall U.S. imports fell 0.8% to $225.3 billion, down from $227.1 billion, while exports declined by 1% to $183.3 billion from $185.2 billion.
Germany's statistics office said that wholesale price index in Europe's biggest economy rose in August. Nation's wholesale price index climbed 1.1% month-on-month, up from 0.3% in July, and added 3.1% year-on-year, compared to a 2% climb in the previous month. In the meanwhile, forecasts were around 0.3% increase on a monthly basis and 2.2% on a yearly basis.
Japanese current account surplus came in at 625.4 billion yen ($8.0 billion) in July, up from 433.3 billion yen in June and despite a 373.6 billion yen trade deficit for the month. Analysts had predicted a surplus of 438.2 billion yen.
Swiss stocks tumbled on Monday, as investors are waiting for a German court ruling on Wednesday, with expectations high for the Federal Open Market Committee to announce another round of bond-buying on Thursday.
U.K. stocks were little changed, after last week's rally, as reports showed that Chinese imports tumbled and a level of confidence among British executives fell to a record low.
U.S. stocks turned lower Monday, after the Standard & Poor's 500 Index jumped to the highest level since 2008 last week and as Chinese fundamentals deteriorated, increasing worries over a slowing global economy.
Eurozone investor confidence rose in September for the first time since March largely due to optimism surrounding the ECB's bond purchasing plan unveiled last week. Investor confidence rose by 7.1 points to minus 23.2 in September, up from minus 30.3 in the preceding month. Any level above 0.0 indicates optimism, below indicates pessimism.
U.S. unemployment rate fell to 8.1% in August, down from 8.3% in the preceding month, Labor Department figures showed on Friday. In the meanwhile, U.S. employers added only 96,000 jobs last month following a revised 141,000 rise in July that was smaller than initially predicted. Moreover, hourly earnings were unchanged.
Germany's industrial production grew at a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.3% in July, after falling 0.4% in the preceding month, the Economy Ministry in Berlin said on Friday. Analysts had predicted German industrial production to rise 0.2% last month.
Japanese index of leading economic indicators fell for a fourth consecutive month in July, data released by the Cabinet Office showed on Friday. The leading index, which measures the direction of the economy in the months ahead, fell to 91.8 in July, down from 93.2 in the preceding month. Economists had expected a decline to 91.6.
Switzerland's unemployment was steady in August, figures from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs showed on Friday. The overall jobless rate remained unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 2.9%, from 2.9% in the preceding month.
British industrial output soared at its fastest pace for 25 years in July, official data showed on Friday. In a report, National Statistics said that industrial output rose by 2.9%, after dropping by 2.4% in the previous month. Moreover, manufacturing output rose by 3.2%, the fastest pace for 10 years, after falling by 2.9% in June. Despite strong rise in
Japanese stocks surged on Friday after the European Central Bank agreed on a new bond-buying program to lower Eurozone countries' borrowing costs.
Swiss stocks advanced on Thursday, as European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said policy makers agreed to an unlimited bond-purchase program to lower borrowing costs of countries such as Spain and Italy.