The total value of new capital expenditure in Australia was down a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent on quarter in the fourth quarter of 2024, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday - coming in at A$43.961 billion. That missed forecasts for an increase of 0.6 percent following the 1.1...
Australia will on Thursday release Q4 numbers for private new capital expenditure, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. Capex is expected to add 0.6 percent on quarter, moderating from 1.1 percent in the three months prior. New Zealand will see February results for the business...
Finishing off this week's series of announcements of the results of its long-term securities auctions, the Treasury Department on Wednesday revealed this month's auction of $44 billion worth of seven-year notes attracted slightly above average demand. The seven-year note auction drew a high yield...
A report released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday showed a substantial pullback by new home sales in the U.S. in the month of January. The Commerce Department said new home sales plunged by 10.5 percent to an annual rate of 657,000 in January after spiking by 8.1 percent to an upwardly revised rate of 734,000 in December.
Crude oil inventories in the U.S. unexpectedly decreased in the week ended February 21st, according to a report released by the Energy Information Administration on Wednesday. The report said crude oil inventories fell by 2.3 million barrels last week after surging by 4.6 million barrels in the previous...
Iceland's jobless rate increased further in January to the highest level in four months. The jobless rate rose to a seasonally adjusted 4.8 percent in January from 3.8 percent in December. In the same month last year, the unemployment rate was 4.0 percent. The number of unemployed persons increased to 11,300 in January from 9,000 in the preceding month.
Austria's manufacturing contraction softened amid slower declines in both production and new orders. The UniCredit Bank Austria Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 46.7 in January from 45.7 in December. However, any score below 50.0 suggests contraction.
South Africa's consumer price inflation increased further in January to the highest level in four months. The consumer price index, or CPI, climbed 3.2 percent year-on-year in January, following a 3.0 percent rise in the prior month. Nonetheless, the inflation rate remained within the Reserve Bank's target range of 3-6 percent.
Consumer sentiment in Germany is set to continue its negative trend as higher prices, economic and political uncertainty weigh on households' income expectations and their willingness to buy, a closely watched survey showed on Wednesday. The forward-looking consumer sentiment index unexpectedly fell to -24.7 in March from -22.6 in February, a survey jointly published GfK and NIM revealed.
The Thai central bank reduced its key interest rate on Wednesday to address the increasing downside risks to the economy amid persistently low inflation. The Monetary Policy Committee of Bank of Thailand voted 6-1 to cut the policy rate by 25 basis points to 2.00 percent from 2.25 percent. One rate-setter preferred to keep the rate unchanged.
Taiwan's gross domestic product, or GDP, advanced 2.90 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter, slower than the 4.21 percent increase in the September quarter. In the flash report, the rate of growth was 1.84 percent. Looking ahead, Taiwan's GDP is projected to grow by 3.14 percent in 2025, revised downward by 0.15 percentage points due to the stronger-than-expected economic performance in 2024
Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan unveiled the budget on Wednesday that largely focused on government spending cuts with minimal impact on people's livelihood and underscored the importance of artificial intelligence to enhance competitive edge. The government estimated a consolidated deficit of HK$87.2 billion for 2024-25, which was smaller than the HK$100 billion previous projection.
France's consumer confidence continued its recovery trend for the second straight month in February. The consumer sentiment index rose to a four-month high of 93 in February, as expected, from 92 in the previous month. However, the index remained well below its long-term average of 100.
Spain's producer prices increased at the fastest pace in almost two years in January amid an accelerated rise in energy costs. The producer price index posted an annual increase of 2.6 percent in January, faster than the 2.3 percent rise in December.Further, this was the highest inflation rate since February 2023, when prices had risen 8.0 percent.
Producer prices in Sweden increased at the fastest pace in nearly two years in January.The producer price index rose 3.5 percent year-on-year in January, faster than the 2.0 percent rise in the previous month. Further, this was the steepest increase since March 2023, when prices had risen the same 3.5 percent.
February 21, 2025 10:15 ET Minutes of the Federal Reserve meeting in January was among the highlights of this week that also had key housing data released in the U.S. Investor survey data from Germany was in focus ahead of the federal election. In the U.K., inflation figures were among the main statistical data out this week. In the Asia-Pacific, all eyes were on the Australian central bank that announced its latest policy move.