International Economic
Weekly US crude oil inventories jump by 7.2m b/d, DoE says
US crude oil inventories jumped sharply last week, amid a rise in net imports, but some analysts believed the build-up would be short lived.
Facebook cannot guarantee no one will try to undermine EU elections
Facebook cannot guarantee that no users of the site will interfere in the European elections due to be held in May, but its CEO Mark Zuckerberg tried to reassure an audience that it is now much better at doing so than in 2016.
Russian conflict playing central role in Ukrainian elections
As Ukraine approaches its decisive run-off elections later this month, the nation's conflict with Russian-backed separatists is weighing heavily on the race.
China and US nearing trade agreement - report
Negotiations for a trade deal between the US and China are drawing close to a resolution as most outstanding issues have now been agreed upon, according to a report on Wednesday.
US services sector activity slows more quickly-than-expected in March, ISM says
Economic activity in the States slowed more quickly-than-expected outside of manufacturing last month, as growth in levels of output and new orders fell back, but a gauge of employment continued to point to a monthly pace of non-farm payrolls growth of roughly 200,000, according to economists.
Watchdog launches latest stress test for Europe's clearing houses
The European Union’s markets watchdog is launching its latest stress test of clearing houses, with City firms such as LCH only included if the UK does not crash out of the bloc.
US private sector adds fewer jobs than expected in March
Private sector employment in the US grew less than expected in March amid trade uncertainty and fading fiscal stimulus, according to data released by the ADP on Wednesday.
Eurozone retail sales surpass forecasts
Retail sales in the eurozone beat expectations in February, as “resilient” consumers continued to spend despite concerns about region's economic outlook.
Eurozone business activity sluggish in March
Growth in the eurozone services sector was stronger than expected in March, but overall business activity remained sluggish, held back by weak manufacturing, according to data released on Wednesday.
China services PMI hits 14-month high in March
Services activity in China rose to a 14-month high in March, according to figures released on Wednesday.