Currencies

US labor costs growth cools in fourth quarter

Growth in U.S. labor costs unexpectedly slowed in the fourth quarter, leading to the smallest annual increase in 4-1/2 years, as softening demand for labor restrained wage gains.  The...

US retail sales stall in December; underlying weakness emerging

U.S. retail sales were unexpectedly unchanged in December as households scaled back spending on motor vehicles and other big-ticket items, potentially setting consumer spending and the economy on a...

DAX Struggles to Gain Traction as AI and Interest Rate Worries Weigh on Investors

After a buoyant start to the week, investors on European stock markets hit the brakes on Tuesday. The German benchmark index DAX drifted listlessly around the 25,000-point mark, while the...

Telegram app faces further restrictions, possible fines as Russian authorities clamp down

Telegram, an important platform for public and private communications in Russia, will face further restrictions from authorities because it has failed to correct previous violations, the state...

India in talks over critical minerals deals with Brazil, Canada, France, Netherlands, sources say

India is in talks with Brazil, Canada, France and the Netherlands over deals to jointly explore, extract, process and recycle critical minerals, sources said, as it broadens its global outreach to...

Fed's Miran says data suggests Americans aren't shouldering tariff hit

Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran on Monday argued the Trump administration's policy of trade tariffs has proved more benign than many had feared, in comments that argued that foreigners and...

Stock indexes gain with US technology shares; yen strengthens

Stock indexes rose on Monday, with U.S. technology shares leading Wall Street higher, as investors sought bargains in markets beaten down last week, while the yen strengthened following the resounding...

Fed's Miran says weaker dollar not affecting monetary policy choices

Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran said Monday a weaker dollar isn't much of an issue for the central bank right now. The kind of decline seen in the dollar doesn't matter that much...

French central bank governor's departure unlikely to shift ECB policy course

The surprise resignation of Francois Villeroy de Galhau as French central bank governor is unlikely to change the European Central Bank's steady policy course at a time of rare unity among the euro...

NY Fed survey: January near-term expected inflation lower amid better job market views

Americans were less worried about the direction of inflation and labor market prospects as of last month, although concerns about the state of their finances continued to mount, the Federal Reserve...

Wall St slips as AI concerns linger, key economic data awaited

Wall Street's main indexes opened lower on Monday after a week when AI disruption concerns caused technology stocks to tumble, while investors awaited crucial economic data for insight into the U.S....

US reaches nuclear deal with Armenia as Vance pushes peace dividend

Armenia and the United States agreed on Monday to cooperate in the civil nuclear sector as Washington sought to bolster ties with a former close ally of Russia, months after Washington brokered a...

ECB's Simkus sees equal chance of rate hike or cut

The European Central Bank is equally likely to raise or cut interest rates but it is hard to know when any such move will take place given the prevailing uncertainty about trade and geopolitics, ECB...

Contender for Bank of Korea governor backs higher property taxes to contain inflation

Lee Seung-heon, one of the leading candidates to become the next Bank of Korea governor, backs raising taxes on property ownership to stop surging home prices from stoking inflation but a policy pivot...

Japan's real wages down every month in 2025

Japan's real wages shrank in December for a 12th consecutive month, as nominal pay growth slightly undershot slowing consumer inflation, labour ministry data showed on Monday. Wage...

US Treasury's Bessent says Fed will take its time on balance sheet moves

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday he would not expect the Federal Reserve to move quickly to shrink its balance sheet, even under Fed chief nominee Kevin Warsh, who has criticized...

Fed's Daly sees labor market vulnerabilities, room to cut interest rates

San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly on Friday said she thinks one or two more interest rate cuts may be needed to counteract weakness in the labor market, where workers are walking a...

Argentina trade deals with US do not box out China, minister says

A deal on critical minerals between Argentina and the U.S. signed this week does not rule out Chinese investment in the country's mining sector, Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said on...

ECB's safety net is part of EU plan to court new allies

The ECB's plan to make it easier for foreign central banks to secure funding in euros is the latest part of Europe's emerging strategy to win trade and political friends and hold its own against the...