Market Pulse - Currencies
Euro area trade surplus wiped out in April
The single currency bloc's trade surplus with the rest of the world vanished in April as export sales fell at nearly twice the pace of purchases from overseas.
Chinese output may have recovered to 2019 levels in May, economists say
The latest batch of Chinese economic indicators came in below economists' forecasts but some analysts said they would still lead to upwards forecast revisions.
Europe open: Stocks skid lower amid worries over second wave, Brexit
Stockmarkets across Europe are set to start the week lower on the back of concerns of a second wave of the novel coronavirus epidemic and around Brexit.
US Treasury's Mnuchin backs calls for fourth stimulus package
US Treasury Secretary backed calls for further fiscal stimulus which he credited with having already saved at least 50m jobs.
Chinese money supply data point to faster growth in 2021
Money supply growth in the People's Republic of China picked up noticeably last month, leading some economists to push back on expectations for further interest rate cuts - at least for the moment.
Downside surprise in May CPI as energy prices weigh
The cost of living in the US continued to fall last month amid a sharp drop for energy prices and apparel, bringing the country to the brink of deflation.
Job openings and 'quits' drop in April, JOLTS survey shows
The number of job openings and of voluntary separations in the US, or so-called 'quits', fell in April, as the Cobid-19 pandemic rolled across the country and job insecurity soared.
US-EU trade talks stall
Brussels's attempt to soothe strained transatlantic trade ties have stalled and a successful conclusion to the talks may have to wait until after the upcoming US presidential contest, the European Union's chief trade negotiator said.
Number of furloughed workers nears 9.0m - HM Treasury
Nearly 9 million UK workers have been furloughed, the latest government figures show, at a cost of £19. 6bn.
US open: Stocks extend advance after another historic jobs report
Stocks on Wall Street popped higher at the start of trading on Friday, defying skeptics, boosted by a gigantic beat on the May non-farm payrolls report when compared with economists' forecasts.
Euro bounds higher on news ECB rate-setters saw a 'unanimous need to act'
The European single currency bounded higher and government bond yields on the periphery caught a bid after the European Central Bank ramped-up its latest emergency bond buying programme.
Weekly US jobless claims continue to slowly fall back
Layoffs in the US continued at a furious, even if a bit slower, pace last week and a jump in so-called secondary unemployment claims appeared to show that gross hiring was recovering only slowly.
US Q1 labour productivity revised sharply higher
Labour productivity in the States fell by less than expected at the start of 2020, revised figures showed.
ECB boosts asset purchases under Covid-19 PEPP programme by 600bn euros
The European Central Bank more than delivered on economists' expectations for further easing.
Mass US layoffs continue in May but pace slows substantially, ADP says
The US jobs market continued to reel in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic last month, but by far less than feared, the results of a closely-watched survey showed.
Slump in US services sector eases in May, ISM says
The pace of contraction in America's services sector abated by more than expected last month, the results of a key survey of activity revealed.
French finance minister vows not to raise taxes
France's finance minister vowed not to pursue higher taxes to finance the emergency response to the Covid-19 crisis, saying that the country would instead continue to focus on raising the rate of economic growth.
Mortgage approvals slump to record low - Bank of England
Mortgage approvals tumbled to a near 30-year low in April as the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown measures brought the UK property market to a halt, official data showed on Tuesday.
Small UK businesses shift £10bn of exports away from EU
Small businesses in the UK are diverting over £10bn worth of exports away from the EU claiming that they are “jumping before they are pushed” as concerns over the success of the Brexit negotiations rise again.
EU budget head mulls possible levy to access single market - report
The European Union could charge companies to access the single market, Brussel’s budget commissioner has suggested, as it looks to fund the bloc’s economic recovery from Covid-19.