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economy and the numbers

  • Australia Household Spending Growth Accelerates May 05, 2026 02:13 ET

    Australia's household spending increased at a faster pace in March, driven by higher fuel prices, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said Tuesday. Household spending increased 1.6 percent on a monthly basis, faster than the 0.3 percent rise posted in February. A similar faster growth was last seen...

  • Australia Hikes Key Policy Rate By 25 Bps May 05, 2026 00:50 ET

    Corrects first para The Reserve Bank of Australia raised its key interest rate by a quarter-point on Tuesday as risks to inflation remain tilted to the upside. The policy board, governed by Michele Bullock, decided to lift the cash rate target by 25 basis points to 4.35 percent. This decision...

  • Australia Services PMI Jumps To 50.7 In April - S&P Global May 04, 2026 22:08 ET

    The services sector in Australia swung sharply into expansion territory in April, the latest survey from S&P Global revealed on Tuesday with a services PMI score of 50.7. That's up from 46.3 in March and it moves above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction. Sustained...

  • Australia Rate Decision Due On Tuesday May 04, 2026 18:00 ET

    The Reserve Bank of Australia will wrap up its monetary policy meeting on Tuesday and then announce its decision on interest rates, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. The RBA is widely expected to hike its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points, to 4.35 percent from 4.10...

  • Brazil Manufacturing Growth Strongest In 14 Months May 04, 2026 10:52 ET

    The Brazilian manufacturing activity expanded at the quickest pace in over a year in April amid a rebound in international sales growth. The purchasing managers' index, or PMI, for the manufacturing sector climbed to 52.6 in April from 49.0 in March. Production volumes increased for the first time in a year and to the greatest extent since March 2025.

Global Economics Weekly Update - April 27 – May 01, 2026

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.

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