The U.S. Dollar value ticked higher with the Strait of Hormuz continuing to remain closed keeping inflationary concerns alive amid reports of Iran sending a fresh peace proposal to the U.S. to end the gulf war eased escalation tensions which capped the gains.
Manufacturing activity in the U.S. expanded for the fourth consecutive month in April, according to a report released by the Institute for Supply Management on Friday. The ISM said its manufacturing PMI came in at 52.7 in April, unchanged from March. While a reading above 50 still indicates growth, economists had expected the index to inch up to 53.0.
UK mortgage approvals rose unexpectedly in March, reaching a four-month high, while consumer credit logged its fastest growth since early 2024, official data showed Friday. The number of mortgages approved in March rose to 63,531 from 62,708 in the previous month, the Bank of England reported. Approvals were forecast to fall to 60,000.
UK house prices logged a faster growth in April despite geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising energy prices, data published by Nationwide Building Society showed Friday. House prices grew by more-than-expected 3.0 percent on a yearly basis in April, following an increase of 2.2 percent in March. Prices were expected to rise again by 2.2 percent.
Mortgage approvals and final manufacturing Purchasing Managers' survey results from the UK are due on Friday. At 2.00 am ET, UK Nationwide house price data is due. House prices are forecast to grow 2.2 percent on a yearly basis in April, the same rate of growth as seen in March.
The Conference Board released a report on Thursday showing a pullback by its reading on leading U.S. economic indicators in the month of March. The report said the leading economic index slid by 0.6 percent in March, more than reversing the 0.3 percent increase in February.
MNI Indicators released a report on Thursday showing is reading on Chicago-area business activity unexpectedly slid into contractionary territory in the month of April. The report said the Chicago business barometer fell to 49.2 in April from 52.8 in March, with a reading below 50 indicating contraction. Economists had expected the business barometer to rise to 55.3.
Consumer prices in the U.S. increased in line with economist estimates in the month of March, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday. The Commerce Department said its personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index climbed by 0.7 percent in March after rising by 0.4 in February. Economists had expected prices to increase by 0.7 percent.
A report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday showed U.S. economic growth reaccelerated in the first quarter of 2026 but came in slightly below economist estimates. The Commerce Department said gross domestic product shot up by 2.0 percent in the first quarter after climbing by 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. Economists had expected GDP to jump by 2.1 percent.
The European Central Bank left its interest rates unchanged on Thursday, as expected, even as policymakers expressed increasing concern over the impact of the surging energy prices and the intensifying war in the Middle East.
The Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits fell by much more than expected in the week ended April 25th. The report said initial jobless claims slid to 189,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week's revised level of 215,000.
The Bank of England left its key interest rate unchanged on Thursday but cautioned that there is a risk of material second-round effects from the energy price shock, caused by the war in the Middle East, which could lead to future rate hikes. The BoE Monetary Policy Committee, led by Governor Andrew Bailey, voted 8-1 to hold the bank rate at 3.75 percent.
The Japanese yen strengthened against other major currencies in the European session on Thursday, as Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama issued a clear intervention warning. Katayama confirmed that the "timing for decisive action is near" and that the Japanese government is moving closer to...
The German economy logged an unexpected faster growth in the first quarter, despite challenges posed by the war in the Middle East. Gross domestic product grew 0.3 percent sequentially in the first quarter, slightly faster than the revised 0.2 percent expansion seen in the fourth quarter of 2025, preliminary estimate from Destatis revealed Thursday.
France's economy remained flat in the first quarter due to sluggish domestic demand and weaker exports and consumer price inflation hit the highest since mid-2024, driven by surging energy prices, official data showed Thursday. Gross domestic product stalled in the first quarter after expanding 0.2 percent in the fourth quarter, according to the first estimate from the statistical office INSEE.
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.