After reporting a notable deterioration in U.S. homebuilder confidence in the previous month, the National Association of Home Builders released a report on Monday showing an unexpected improvement in homebuilder confidence in the month of May. The report said the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index climbed to 37 in May after slumping to a seven-month low of 34 in April.
The U.S. Dollar rebounded and rallied emphatically against major currencies during the week ended May 15 as the Middle East conflict drifted farther from a diplomatic resolution bolstering safe haven demand for the U.S. dollar. The greenback was also lifted by the war-led and fuel-driven inflation spike that threatened to goad the Federal Reserve towards a hawkish monetary policy stance.
China's industrial production and retail sales logged weaker-than-expected growth in April, and investment shrunk signaling an economic slowdown in the second quarter as the ongoing Middle East conflict strain supply chains and push energy prices higher, official data revealed Monday. Industrial production rose 4.1 percent year-on-year in April, the National Bureau of Statistics reported.
The antipodean currencies such as Australia, the New Zealand and the Canadian dollars weakened against their major currencies in the Asian session on Monday, as Asian stock markets traded lower, as traders remain concerned about surging crude oil prices and rising global bond yields. They also remain...
Thailand's economy grew more than expected in the first quarter, underpinned by resilient domestic demand and strong exports, while regional peers reported weaker growth due to the impact of the war in the Middle East. Gross domestic product logged an annual growth of 2.8 percent in the first quarter, the National Economic and Social Development Council said Monday.
The U.S. Dollar value inched higher after the two-day U.S.-China summit failed to deliver any breakthrough on a possible Chinese role to end the gulf crisis. With reopening of the Strait of Hormuz delaying along with concerns of re-escalation in the Middle East, the dollar index moved higher.
The Federal Reserve released a report on Friday showing industrial production in the U.S. rebounded by much more than anticipated in the month of April. The report said industrial production climbed by 0.7 percent in April after falling by a revised 0.3 percent in March. Economists had expected industrial production to rise by 0.3 percent.
New York manufacturing activity grew strongly in the month of May, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in a report released on Friday. The New York Fed said its general business conditions index shot up to 19.6 in May from 11.0 in April, with a positive reading indicating growth. The increase surprised economists, who had expected the index to pull back to 7.8.
The British pound weakened against other major currencies in the European session on Friday, as investors weighed a potential leadership challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer from Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, as well as concerns over inflation risks. Burnham announced on Thursday that...
The Indian rupee weakened against the U.S. dollar in the European session on Friday, due to growing worries about India's foreign exchange reserves and the center's intention to raise import duties on gold and silver. The Indian government declared early on Wednesday that import taxes on gold and...
Malaysia's economy expanded at a faster than estimated pace in the first quarter, underpinned by household spending and investment, data from the Department of Statistics showed Friday. Gross domestic product logged an annual growth of 5.4 percent, which was revised up from the initial estimate of 5.3 percent. This followed a revised 6.2 percent expansion in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The antipodean currencies such as the Australia and the New Zealand dollars weakened against their major currencies in the Asian session on Friday as Asian stock markets traded lower, amid concerns over the re-escalation of the Middle East conflict after ship attacks and seizures near the Strait of Hormuz....
The U.S. Dollar value edges higher as Middle East tensions continue in the absence of a peace deal while market focus shifts to U.S.-China summit anticipating possible announcements on Chinese intervention to defuse the U.S.-Iran conflict.
Partly reflecting a jump in wholesale inventories, the Commerce Department released a report on Thursday showing U.S. business inventories increased by slightly more than expected in the month of March. The report said business inventories climbed by 0.9 percent in March after rising by 0.4 percent in February. Economists had expected business inventories to grow by 0.8 percent.
The Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing a substantial increase in import prices in the U.S. in the month of April. The report said import prices shot up by 1.9 percent in April after climbing by an upwardly revised 0.9 percent in March. Economists had expected import prices to jump by 1.0 percent.
May 15, 2026 15:25 ET Apart from the confirmation of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, the main news on the economics front this week included key price data from the U.S. and the first quarter economic growth figures from major economies. Both consumer prices and producer costs have started to reflect the effect of supply shocks due to the Middle East conflict. In Europe, GDP data was in focus, while inflation data from China dominated the news flow in Asia.