German investor confidence grew more than expected in September, as the ECB released a plan to buy government bonds to curb Eurozone's debt crisis. German ZEW economic sentiment index rose to -18.2, from -25.5 in the preceding month, the ZEW Centre for Economic Research said on Tuesday. Any reading above zero indicates optimism, while a reading below indicates pessimism.
Banks in Japan were closed on Monday in observance of Respect for the Aged Day.
UBS expects Swiss banks to see European clients withdraw up to 200 billion francs by 2016 of the 789 billion as a result of measures to stop foreigners using secret accounts to evade taxes. Switzerland is to impose taxes on German, British and Austrian citizens' accounts.
Home sellers in the U.K. cut asking prices for a third consecutive month in September, as prices in eight regions out of the 10 reported a decline in prices. Average asking prices in England and Wales fell 0.6% to £234,858, after erasing 2.4% in the prior month. Despite an overall fall in prices, house prices in London grew 0.3% in
Manufacturing activity in the State of New York fell more than expected in September, Federal Reserve Bank of New York announced on Monday. Region's general economic index fell to a seasonally adjusted -10.4, down from -5.8 in August. Analysts had predicted Empire State manufacturing activity to drop 2.0 points last month.
Eurozone's current account surplus narrowed more than expected in July, as exports from the 17-nation region erased 2% from June, and imports lost 1.2%, the ECB said on Monday. Current account shrank to 9.7 billion euros last month, from 14.3 billion euros in the previous month.
Industrial production in Japan fell less than expected in August, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Friday. Nation's industrial production showed signs of recovery, posting a final reading of -1.0%, up from -1.2% in July. Analysts had predicted Japanese industrial output to fall -1.2% last month.
Swiss stocks edged higher on Friday, as the Federal Reserve announced a fresh round of quantitative easing to shore up U.S. economic growth. On Thursday, the Fed said that it would buy $40 billion of mortgage-backed securities every month and would keep buying them until the labour market improves.
U.K. house prices picked up in August, posting a first gain in three months, as demand grew, data from a survey by Acadametrics and LSL Property Services showed on Friday. The average price of a home in England rose 0.1 per cent to 226,243 pounds last month, jumping 2.6 per cent from a year earlier.
U.S. retail sales grew to a seasonally adjusted 0.9% in August, up from 0.8% in the previous month, as demand for autos and gasoline rose sharply, the Commerce Department data showed Friday. Service-station sales added 5.5% last month, while auto sales jumped 1.3%.
Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Eurozone countries grew by 2.6% from a year ago in August, Eurostat announced on Friday. On a monthly basis, CPI inflation rose by 0.4% from -0.5% in July, in line with analysts' expectations. However, region's inflation rate remains above the ECB's 2% target level for this year.
Japanese stocks extended gains on Friday after the Federal Reserve said it will extend its asset purchase programme to help the world's largest economy recover.
The Swiss National Bank left the target range for the three-month Libor rate unchanged at 0.0-0.25% on Thursday, in line with analysts' expectations. The bank also trimmed its growth expectations with a GDP growth forecast of 1% for 2012, down from 1.5% projection made in June. Inflation target rates are -0.6% for 2012, 0.2% for 2013, and 0.4% for 2014.
The U.K. placed 3.81 billion euros of debt in an auction on Thursday, with nation's borrowing rates dropping sharply from the previous auction. The average yields on British government securities, due to mature in 2022, dipped by 0.93% to 1.822%. Demand strengthened slightly, with bids exceeding supply 1.82 times.
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.