What parts of the world are seeing the strongest manufacturing performances? Here is a ranking of major countries with the strongest recent figures on manufacturing PMI (Note: any figure above 50 indicates expansion in the factory sector. A reading below 50 indicates contraction):
Malaysia will on Monday release November numbers for consumer prices, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. In October, inflation was down 0.1 percent on month and up 1.3 percent on year. Taiwan will see November data for unemployment; in October, the jobless rate was 3.33 percent. Hong...
Consumer sentiment in the U.S. rebounded by less than previously estimates in the month of December, according to revised data released by the University of Michigan on Friday. The University of Michigan said its consumer sentiment index for December was downwardly revised to 52.9 from a preliminary reading of 53.3. Economists had expected the index to be upwardly revised to 53.4.
Existing home sales in the U.S. saw a modest increase in the month of November, the National Association of Realtors revealed in a report released on Friday. NAR said existing home sales rose by 0.5 percent to an annual rate of 4.13 million in November after jumping by 1.5 percent to an upwardly revised rate of 4.10 million in October.
The declining trend in German producer prices deepened in November. Producer prices dropped 2.3 percent year-on-year in November, faster than the 1.8 percent fall in the prior month. Moreover, this was the quickest decline since April 2024, when prices decreased 3.3 percent. A 9.0 percent plunge in energy prices largely drove the decline amid cheaper costs for natural gas and electricity.