International Economic
US mortgage applications start March with 11.2pc surge
US mortgage applications surged 11. 2% in the week ended 7 March, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association of America.
EU hits back as Trump's global steel tariffs take effect
Donald Trump’s trade war escalated on Wednesday, after worldwide tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to the US came into effect.
Ontario suspends electricity tariffs as US trade officials agree to talks
Ontario has suspended its 25% surcharge on exports of electricity to three US states after US officials agreed to talks with the Canadian province's Premier Doug Ford in Washington later this week.
Trump doubles tariffs to 50% on Canadian steel, aluminium
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium to 50%, sending global stock markets into turmoil once again.
US small business optimism weighed down by macro worries, inflation
Optimism levels among small businesses in the US has weakened for the second straight month as weaker economic expectations and worries about inflation hit sentiment.
Japanese GDP revised lower as BoJ meeting looms
Japanese gross domestic product was revised slightly lower for the fourth quarter of 2024, according to government figures released on Tuesday.
Eurozone investor sentiment improves as leaders ramp up spending
Investor sentiment in the eurozone improved this month, helped by European leaders stepping up investments into the region, according to results of a Sentix survey on Monday.
German January industrial production beats forecasts
German industrial production rose 2% in January compared with the previous month, the federal statistics office said on Monday, beating estimates of a 1. 5% increase.
Hiring in the US rose by 151,000 in February
Hiring in the US rose roughly as expected last month.
Eurozone Q4 GDP growth revised higher again
The eurozone economy grew slightly more than previously thought in the fourth quarter, according to revised estimates from Eurostat on Friday.
German factory orders slump by 7% in January
German factory orders fell sharply in January, according to official data published on Friday, highlighting the struggles faced by Europe’s largest economy.
Chinese imports unexpectedly shrink, exports slow
Chinese imports unexpectedly shrank in the first two months of 2025, while exports also decelerated amid escalating trade tensions with the US.
US small company hiring plans slip in February
Job openings at small companies in the US rose a bit last month, even as plans to hire continued to fall back, the results of a closely followed survey revealed.
US foreign trade balloons, set to drag Q1 GDP into the red
America's shortfall on trade with the rest of the world ballooned at the start of 2025, as companies and individuals tried to front run the imposition of new trade tariffs.
ECB says policy becoming 'meaningfully less restrictive'
Rate-setters at the European Central Bank announced a further interest rate cut and said that monetary policy was becoming "meaningfully less restrictive".
Initial weekly US jobless claims decline by more than expected
Unemployment claims fell by more than expected during the previous week and remained at a historically low level.
Eurozone retail sales continue to struggle
Retail sales fell in the Eurozone in January, official data showed on Thursday, as the European economy struggled to gain momentum.
Eurozone construction sector contracts sharply - PMI
The Eurozone’s troubled construction sector contracted sharply in February, a closely-watched survey showed on Thursday.
US cuts intel sharing with Ukraine
The US on Wednesday said it had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine in a follow up to the suspension of military aid to the war-torn country, hampering its ability to carry out long-range drone strikes on Russian targets.
US private sector adds fewer jobs than expected in February
Private sector employment in the US rose less than expected in February, according to data released on Wednesday by ADP.