International Economic
Biden may be set to announce a ban on imports of Russian oil
There was growing speculation that the Biden administration would announce a ban on imports of Russian crude oil as soon as Tuesday.
BoA anticipates months of uncertainty, but worse scenarios possible
Strategists at Bank of America forecast "months" of uncertainty, tough sanctions and high energy prices as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
NFIB small business optimism index declines for second month in a row
The National Federation of Independent Business' small business optimism index declined for a second consecutive month in February, dropping to 95. 7, down from 97. 1 in the previous month to the lowest seen since January 2021.
US foreign trade deficit edges past forecasts in January
America's shortfall on trade with the rest of the world edged past economists' forecasts at the start of 2022 as exports stalled.
Euro area GDP growth slows as expected, employment flat
Economic activity in the single currency bloc slowed sharply at the end of 2021 as the appearance of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 hit consumption.
China mulls investments in Russian companies - report
China is considering buying or increasing stakes in Gazprom, Rusal and other Russian energy and commodities companies, according to a report.
German industrial output surges
German industrial production strengthened in January, official data showed on Tuesday, beating expectations.
EU mulling major bond sale to fund energy, defence - report
The European Union is poised to launch a major bond sale, it was reported on Tuesday, as it seeks to boost energy and defence spending following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.