U.S. posts $39 billion January deficit after pension fund bailout
WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) – The U.S. government posted a $39 billion budget deficit for January after a $119 billion monthly surplus a year earlier, as revenues dipped and one-time costs, including the bailout of a union pension fund, pushed outlays sharply higher, the Treasury Department said on Friday.The report, which comes as Treasury employs […]
Debt talks can include everything but cuts to Social Security and Medicare, Republicans say
WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) – Republicans say they would not cut Social Security and Medicare programs but “everything else is on the table” in talks over raising U.S. government borrowing limits, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer said on Sunday.”We need to shore those programs up. They’re running out of money. But at the end […]
In State of the Union speech, Biden challenges Republicans on debt and economy
WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden challenged Republicans to lift the U.S. debt ceiling and support tax policies that were friendlier to middle class Americans on Tuesday in a State of the Union speech that served as a blueprint for his 2024 re-election campaign.Assailing oil companies for making high profits and corporate America […]
Morning Bid: Powell confesses ‘This time it’s different’
A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan.Jerome Powell calmed the horses, a bit.In attempting to parse last week’s blockbuster January jobs report, the Federal Reserve Chair on Tuesday reprised his take from last Wednesday’s policy meeting – essentially that another couple of Fed rate hikes were probably needed […]
China says it will set up yuan clearing arrangements in Brazil
BEIJING, Feb 7 (Reuters) – China’s central bank has signed a memorandum of understanding on setting up yuan clearing arrangements in Brazil, it said on Tuesday, in a move to help boost the currency’s global clout.The establishment of such arrangements for the renminbi (RMB), or the yuan, would be beneficial to cross-border transactions, and further […]
Global shares slide as interest-rate risk rises and geopolitics heat up
U.S. stock futures slip, European shares dropYen skids as market eyes possible BOJ governorInvestors ponder U.S. rates with host of Fed speakers dueLONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Global shares slipped on Monday, after a run of upbeat economic data suggested interest rates will have to rise further and stay higher for longer, while a stronger […]
Global factory activity contracted again in January, highlighting fragile recovery
U.S. manufacturing sinks further in Jan, but few layoffs – ISMEuro zone factories have passed their trough in activity – PMIChina’s Jan factory activity shrinks – Caixin PMI surveyWASHINGTON/LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Manufacturing activity across the United States, Europe and Asia contracted again last month, underscoring the fragility of the global economic recovery, although […]
Wall St gains over 1% after encouraging inflation data with Fed next
Nasdaq posts biggest January gain since 2001U.S. labor cost growth slows in fourth quarterExxon, UPS rise after results, Caterpillar slumpsFed decision on interest rates on WednesdayIndexes up: Dow 1.09%, S&P 500 1.46%, Nasdaq 1.67%NEW YORK, Jan 31 (Reuters) – Major U.S. stock indexes closed over 1% higher on Tuesday as labor cost data encouraged investors […]
Russia seeks ‘new level’ of China ties
MOSCOW, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Russia said on Monday that it wanted to take ties with China to a “new level” and was looking forward to face-to-face talks with Beijing’s leadership as a Russian newspaper reported that China’s top diplomat would visit Moscow in February.”We are convinced that the potential for Russian-Chinese bilateral cooperation is […]
Fed’s words in focus as markets bet rate hikes will soon end
Jan 30 (Reuters) – U.S. central bankers have unambiguously telegraphed this week’s policy decision: a quarter-of-a-percentage-point increase in their benchmark interest rate, the smallest since they kicked off their tightening cycle 10 months ago with one the same size.Less clear is whether they will continue to signal “ongoing increases” ahead for the policy rate as […]