The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a slim 5-4 majority to cut the Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.0%. The decision reflects the substantial disinflation achieved over the past two years and an economy showing subdued growth and emerging slack. Despite this rate cut, the MPC noted that headline CPI inflation recently rose to 3.5% and is
In July 2025, the U.S. services sector showed marginal growth, with the Services PMI® at 50.1%, slightly down from 50.8% in June. Business activity remained in expansion at 52.6%, though growth slowed. New orders also expanded at 50.3%, while employment continued to contract, registering 46.4% for the second month in a row. Supplier deliveries slowed, with an index reading of
U.S. manufacturing activity contracted for the fifth straight month in July, as the ISM Manufacturing PMI fell to 48.0%, down from 49.0% in June. This signals a deepening slowdown in the sector, with most key components still under pressure. While production showed modest growth at 51.4%, demand remained soft—new orders registered at 47.1%, continuing a six-month decline, and order backlogs,
In the second quarter of 2025, U.S. real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 3.0%, according to the advance estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This marks a strong rebound from the first quarter, when real GDP declined by 0.5%. The Q2 growth was primarily driven by a decrease in imports, which are a subtraction
In June 2025, the number of job openings in the United States remained relatively unchanged at 7.4 million, with a job openings rate of 4.4 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the overall level stayed steady, there were notable shifts across sectors. Job openings declined significantly in accommodation and food services (down 308,000), health care and
The European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to keep its key interest rates unchanged, with the deposit rate at 2.00%, the main refinancing rate at 2.15%, and the marginal lending rate at 2.40%. This decision comes as inflation in the euro area has reached the ECB's medium-term target of 2%. Recent data supports the ECB's view that inflation is under
UK's economic performance slowed significantly in July. The Composite Output Index fell to 51.0 from a nine-month high of 52.0 in June. While this is the third consecutive month of growth, the pace is now marginal and equivalent to just 0.1% quarterly GDP growth. This slowdown was driven by a loss of momentum in the service sector, which faced a
In July 2025, manufacturing activity in New York State showed a modest recovery, according to the Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The General Business Conditions Index rose sharply by 22 points to 5.5, marking its first positive reading since February. New orders edged up, with the index increasing by 16 points to 2.0, while the shipments index rose 19 points to
Bitcoin has broken past the strong resistance level at $111,000, reflecting solid buying interest and strong market sentiment. If this momentum continues, the price could climb toward the next target at $125,000. The current strength also suggests that Bitcoin may keep trading above its simple moving averages, which often supports sustained bullish trends. However, the $120,000 resistance zone is expected
In May 2025, the UK's real GDP fell by 0.1%, following a 0.3% drop in April and a revised 0.4% rise in March. Despite the monthly decline, GDP grew by 0.5% in the three months to May compared with the previous three months, mainly due to growth in the services sector. Services output edged up by 0.1% in May after falling
The Reserve Bank Board held the cash rate steady at 3.85%, citing that inflation continues to moderate, though recent data was a bit stronger than forecast. Inflation has fallen sharply since 2022, helped by higher interest rates, but the Board wants more evidence it's sustainably heading to the 2.5% target. The outlook remains uncertain, with global risks like trade tensions
Economic activity in the U.S. services sector grew in June, rebounding after a brief contraction in May, according to the latest ISM® Services PMI® report. The index registered 50.8 percent, up from 49.9 percent in May, signaling expansion for the 11th time in the past 12 months. However, this reading remains below the 12-month average of 52.4 percent, reflecting modest
In June 2025, U.S. manufacturing activity contracted for the fourth straight month, with the Manufacturing PMI® rising slightly to 49% from 48.5% in May. This signals the sector is still shrinking, though at a slower pace, while the broader economy continues its long expansion. New orders fell for the fifth month in a row, dropping to 46.4%, showing continued weak
Australia's Monthly CPI Indicator for May 2025 shows that inflation rose 2.1% over the year, a slight easing from the 2.4% increase recorded in April. This suggests inflationary pressures are continuing to moderate across much of the economy. The main contributors to annual inflation were food and non-alcoholic beverages, which rose by 2.9%, housing at 2.0%, and alcohol and tobacco at
Existing-home sales rose by 0.8% in May 2025 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.03 million. However, sales were down 0.7% compared to May 2024. According to NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, high mortgage rates continue to dampen activity, but lower rates could boost both buyer and seller participation, supporting economic growth. The data includes single-family homes, condos, and co-ops,
Retail sales volumes in the UK saw a significant decline in May 2025, falling by 2.7% compared to the previous month. This marks a sharp reversal from the 1.3% increase recorded in April 2025, which was revised upward from an initial estimate of 1.2%. One of the key contributors to the decline was the drop in food store sales, which had
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has cut its interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 0%, starting June 20, 2025. This is due to falling inflation, which dropped from 0.3% in February to -0.1% in May, mainly because of cheaper oil and lower travel prices. Banks will now earn 0% interest on their deposits at the SNB, up to a certain
For the week ending June 14, 2025, seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims were 245,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week. The prior week's figure was revised up from 248,000 to 250,000. The 4-week moving average rose to 245,500, an increase of 4,750, making it the highest level since August 19, 2023. For the week ending June 7, 2025,
The Bank of Japan decided to keep its benchmark interest rate steady at 0.5%, maintaining a cautious approach amid global uncertainties and fragile inflation momentum at home. Alongside holding rates, the BOJ announced it will slow the pace of its balance sheet reduction starting in fiscal year 2026. Until March 2026, the bank plans to reduce Japanese government bond purchases
Oil prices surged more than 9% on Friday following Israel's airstrike on Iran, marking the highest levels in nearly five months. The dramatic escalation in Middle East tensions has raised serious concerns about potential disruptions to global oil supplies, particularly from a region that plays a critical role in energy markets. Price of crude jumped $6.29, or 9.07%, to $75.65 a
In May, consumer prices rose by 0.1%, which is slightly less than the 0.2% increase seen in April, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the past year, overall prices have gone up by 2.4%. Housing costs increased by 0.3% in May and were the main driver of the monthly price rise. Food prices also rose by 0.3%, both
In May 2025, the U.S. services sector experienced its first contraction since June 2024, with the Services PMI® slipping to 49.9 percent. This slight decline from April's 51.6 percent suggests increased economic uncertainty rather than a sharp downturn. The Business Activity Index held steady at 50 percent, showing flat output, while the New Orders Index dropped into contraction at 46.4
The U.S. job market remained steady in April 2025, with job openings little changed at 7.4 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The hiring rate also showed minimal movement, staying at 5.6 million, while total separations were unchanged at 5.3 million. Within job openings, declines were seen in accommodation and food services and in state and local government education.
U.S. manufacturing activity continued to contract in May, marking the third straight month of decline after a brief two-month expansion. The Manufacturing PMI® came in at 48.5%, slightly lower than April's 48.7%, signaling that the sector remains below the growth threshold of 50%. Despite this, the broader economy continued expanding for the 61st consecutive month. Demand indicators remained weak. The New