UK house prices dropped for the second straight month in April as geopolitical tensions drive inflation higher and trigger interest rate hike concerns, data published by the mortgage lender Halifax showed Friday. House prices dropped 0.1 percent on a monthly basis in April but slower than the 0.5 percent decrease in March.
Germany's industrial production declined unexpectedly in March as the war in the Middle East started to take its toll on industrial activity, official data revealed Friday. Industrial output dropped 0.7 percent in March, marking the second consecutive monthly decline, Destatis reported.
Industrial production and foreign trade from Germany and house prices from the UK are the top economic news due on Friday. At 2.00 am ET, Destatis releases Germany's industrial output and foreign trade figures. Economists forecast industrial output to grow 0.4 percent on a monthly basis in March, in contrast to the 0.3 percent fall in February.
The U.S. Dollar value advanced amid mixed reports indicating Iran attempting to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz while reviewing the U.S. memorandum to end the war.
With an increase in spending on private construction more than offsetting a dip in spending on public construction, the Commerce Department released a report on Thursday showing U.S. construction spending rose by more than expected in the month of March.
Labor productivity in the U.S. increased by much less than expected in the first quarter of 2026, according to preliminary data released by the Labor Department on Thursday. The report said labor productivity climbed by 0.8 percent in the first quarter after jumping by a downwardly revised 1.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025.
A report released by the Labor Department on Thursday showed first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits rebounded by less than expected in the week ended May 2nd. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims rose to 200,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week's revised level of 190,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to climb to 205,000.
The Indian rupee strengthened against the U.S. dollar in the European trading session on Thursday, amid renewed selling pressure on the price of oil in response to news reports that the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route to about 20% of the world's energy supply, may soon reopen. Investors pinned...
Norway's central bank raised its benchmark rate unexpectedly by a quarter-point on Thursday as the war in the Middle East pushed up inflation and raised substantial uncertainty about the economic outlook. The Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Committee of Norges Bank decided to raise the policy rate to 4.25 percent from 4.0 percent.
The Philippine economy expanded at the slowest pace in five years in the first quarter amid declining investment, weaker household spending and exports. Gross domestic product grew 2.8 percent on a yearly basis in the first quarter, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Thursday. This followed a 3.0 percent expansion seen in the fourth quarter and marked the weakest expansion since the first q
German factory orders grew at a faster pace in March as manufacturers rushed to secure raw materials ahead of potential future price increases and supply shortages. Factory orders increased 5.0 percent in March compared to February's revised growth of 1.4 percent, Destatis reported Thursday. The monthly increase significantly outpaced the 1.0 percent forecast.
The U.S. Dollar value edged lower after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the peace talks with Iran are showing good progress. In addition, media reports hinted that Iran is reviewing a one-page memorandum on ending the hostilities completely.
Payroll processor ADP released a report on Wednesday showing private sector employment in the U.S. jumped by more than expected in the month of April. The report said private sector employment shot up by 109,000 jobs in April after climbing by a downwardly revised 61,000 jobs in March. Economists had expected private sector employment to grow by 85,000 jobs.
Euro area private sector contracted for the first time in nearly one-and-a--half years as the ongoing war in the Middle East acted as a drag on services activity, final results of the purchasing managers' survey by S&P Global showed on Wednesday. The composite output index fell to 48.8 in April from 50.7 in the previous month. The reading was moderately above the flash estimate of 48.6.
The Japanese yen strengthened against other major currencies in the Asian session on Wednesday, amid potential large-scale government actions. During the current Golden Week festivities, Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama issued a warning about "decisive measures" against speculative actions. After...
May 01, 2026 15:54 ET Central banks dominated the economics news flow this week with almost all major ones announcing their latest policy decisions and many boosted expectations for a rate hike in June. In other news, several countries released the preliminary data for first quarter economic growth. In the U.S., comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell were also in focus as his term ends this month.