French nationwide strike to extend as pension reform fight intensifies
Protests against plans to raise pension age to 64Majority of voters reject reformGovernment, unions determined to stand their groundPARIS, March 7 (Reuters) – France’s nationwide strike against a planned pension reform, which disrupted train services, shut schools and halted fuel deliveries, will spill into Wednesday as unions seek to force a government retreat on the […]
Wall Street wobbles to mixed close, Treasury yields inch higher as Powell concludes testimony
NEW YORK, March 8 (Reuters) – The S&P 500 ended an indecisive session with a nominal increase and Treasury yields edged up on Wednesday as a spate of economic data appeared to support Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s reassertion, in his second day of congressional testimony, that the central bank would continue to ratchet up […]
U.S. companies and their backers seize on window to sell stock
NEW YORK, March 7 (Reuters) – Sales of shares in publicly listed U.S. companies had their strongest showing last week in more than a year, as companies and some of their shareholders, such as private equity firms, capitalized on the risk appetite of stock market investors.Stock sales reached $4.97 billion in the United States last […]
China says must advance relations with Russia as world becomes more turbulent
BEIJING, March 7 (Reuters) – China must advance its relations with Russia as the world becomes more turbulent, Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Tuesday.Speaking to reporters at an annual parliamentary session in Beijing, Qin said the close interactions between both leaders – President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin – provided the anchor for […]
China’s trade with Russia surges at double-digit pace in Jan-Feb
BEIJING, March 7 (Reuters) – China’s exports and imports with Russia surged at a double-digit pace in January-February from a year earlier, customs data showed on Tuesday, as China said it had to advance relations with its northern neighbour in an increasingly turbulent world.China’s exports to Russia jumped 19.8% in the first two months, to […]
Weak euro zone data point to cracks in recovery as inflation lingers
Bloc’s retail sales rebounded only feebly in JanuaryConstruction still contracted, sector’s PMI showedSurprise fall in morale in March’s Sentix indexExpect more ECB rate hikes after March, says LaneBig nations’ inflation rose in Feb, data showed last weekFRANKFURT, March 6 (Reuters) – The euro zone’s economic recovery is tentative and fragile, several indicators suggested on Monday, […]
Ex-BOJ gov Shirakawa urges re-examination of monetary framework, inflation targets
TOKYO, March 2 (Reuters) – Former Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Masaaki Shirakawa called on policymakers to reconsider central banks’ monetary framework based on inflation targets, given their limits that became apparent from the recent spike in prices seen in many countries.Before the recent spike in inflation, many central banks in advanced economies were “overwhelmingly” […]
US companies rush to issue corporate debt, busiest February ever
WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) – U.S. companies with the highest credit ratings sold a record $144 billion of debt securities so far in February to get ahead of further potential interest rate hikes, meeting strong demand from investors looking to capitalize on a spike in yields.Investment-grade rated corporate bond issuance in February has been the […]
Dollar slips after recent gains, recent uptrend intact
U.S. durable goods orders drop in January, weighs on dollarU.S. pending home sales rise; dollar sell-off persistsSterling, euro up sharplyNEW YORK, Feb 27 (Reuters) – The dollar fell from a seven-week high on Monday, tracking a slide in U.S. Treasury yields, as investors consolidated gains after the greenback’s recent rise and looked ahead for the […]
BIS urges central banks to ‘get the job done’
LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) – Central banks need to “get the job done” when it comes to getting inflation back under control, the Bank for International Settlements has said, urging them to avoid the mistakes of the 1970’s by declaring victory too early.The BIS, dubbed the bank for central banks, said it was vital authorities […]