New Zealand inflation fell to the lowest level in 18 months in the final quarter of 2014 amid cheaper petrol and vegetables prices, providing room for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to keep interest rates unchanged for longer than previously thought.
Despite falling slightly, US homebuilders' confidence stayed close to the highest level in nine years in January, adding to signs the residential real estate sector is set to grow this year.
German investor confidence strengthened for the third consecutive month to reach the highest level in 11 months in January.
New Zealand's business confidence remained solid in the final quarter of 2014, with the nation's economy's buoyancy encouraging business growth.
Japan's industrial output fell less than initially estimated in November, according to the final data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The malaise of low inflation is gradually spreading around the world, slowly creeping to the South Pacific country.
UK house prices rebounded unexpectedly in January after falling in the preceding two months as demand from first-time buyers rose due to stamp duty changes, while the supply continued to lag behind, according to Rightmove.
The Euro zone current account, a measure of the financial health of the currency bloc, narrowed on a seasonally adjusted in November, according to the European Central Bank.
Retail sales in the Alpine country unexpectedly fell in November, the Federal Statistics Office reported a day after the Swiss National Bank dropped a bombshell by discontinuing its three-year-old cap on the Swiss Franc against the Euro.
It is expected that UK may soon follow the path of the Euro zone and slid into deflation in the coming months, thus forcing the Bank of England to postpone a hike of interest rates until 2016.
Consumer prices in the world's number one economy dropped in December from a month earlier, posting the sharpest decline since April 2013.
German inflation fell to a dangerously low level in December, providing the ECB Governor Mario Draghi with more prerequisite to launch a full-blown bond-purchasing programme during the board meeting on January 22.
The previous week was full of unexpected events that shocked financial markets and analysts. Like a bolt from the blue, the SNB decided to discontinue keeping its three-year-old cap of 1.20 franc per Euro and slashed its deposit interest rate to –0.75%. The decision came just one week before the European ECB board members meet to discuss government bonds purchases,
Australia's unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped in December as more than forecasted jobs were added in the reported month.
Like a bolt from the blue, the Swiss National Bank decided to discontinue keeping its three-year-old cap of 1.20 franc per Euro and slashed its deposit interest rate to –0.75%.
House prices in the UK increased at the slowest annual rate since May 2013 at the end of 2014, as buyer demand was subdued by stricter lending rules as well as a looming national election due on May 7.
US unemployment claims unexpectedly surged to the highest level in four months last week a slight setback for the labour market that has marked 2014 as the best year of job gains in more than a decade.
The Euro zone' trade surplus widened in November, as exports rose, while imports dropped, amid a weaker Euro and falling oil prices that are softening the impact of a precipitous decline in sales to Russia.
Japan's core machinery orders increased less than expected in November amid falling orders in the manufacturing sector, as companies remain cautious about capital expenditure due to concerns over domestic demand as well as renewed worries about global growth.
The number of UK mortgage approvals dropped 12% to 55,600 in November from the preceding month, while the volume of loans dropped 13% to 9.2 billion pounds, as demand for mortgages cooled at the end of 2014.
US retail sales unexpectedly fell in the busiest month of the year, as consumers pulled back on spending at retailers in December.
The European Court of Justice gave a non-biding opinion that the ECB's OMT programme is legal and compatible with the European law, despite the fact that the scheme's legitimacy was questioned by German economists and politicians.
Although Japan's current account surplus shrank in November, but it remained close to the highest level in three months reached in October.
China's trade surplus narrowed in December for the first time in three months, but came in better than economists' expectations on the back of stronger exports.