News Tag: interest rates
March 18, 2010
The Labor Department today revealed the world’s largest economy appears to be under no inflationary pressure as consumer prices remained flat in February, as widely expected.
According to the Labor Department, the consumer price index remained unchanged during the month, although prices were 2.1% higher than in February 2009.
Meanwhile, core inflation, which excludes food and energy costs, saw a gain of ...
US consumer prices unchanged in February
by Kay Murchie
March 17, 2010
The US Labor Department has today reported a fall in producer prices of 0.6% in February - the biggest fall since July 2009.
The fall, which was worse than expected, was attributed to a 2.9% decline in energy costs.
Compared to February 2009, producer prices grew 4.4%, but they slowed from a 4.6% annualised rise in January and was slightly below ...
US producer prices in February fall
by Kay Murchie
Bank voted 9-0 to hold rates and QE programme
by Kay Murchie
BoJ elects to hold interest rates at 0.1%
by Kay Murchie
March 16, 2010
The Federal Reserve has today elected to keep US interest rates at the historically low level of between 0% and 0.25%, as widely expected.
After the one day meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted 9-1 to keep rates unchanged.
Interest rates in the world’s largest economy have been at the low level since December 2008 and the bank has previously ...
Fed leaves interest rates unchanged
by Kay Murchie
US housing starts and building permits fall in Feb
by Kay Murchie
Fed widely expected to leave interest rates on hold today
by Kay Murchie
March 15, 2010
The Government-led crackdown on credit card companies is expected to save consumers around £300 million a year.
The crackdown comes after the Government warned credit and store card firms to “clean up their act” after it launched a review of the industry in a consumer White Paper in July 2009.
According to Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, the cost of borrowing ...
Consumers to save millions under new credit card protection
by Kay Murchie
March 14, 2010
Industrial production in the euro zone exceeded expectations in January, posting growth of 1.7%, which represented the biggest monthly increase since records began in January 1990.
The increase boosted hopes that the 16-member bloc’s economic recovery is gathering pace.
It was recently revealed the euro zone economy grew by just 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2009 but many ...
Euro zone industrial production in record growth in Jan
by Kay Murchie
March 11, 2010
Official data today revealed Chinese consumer prices reached a 16-month high last month - the fourth straight monthly rise.
The National Bureau of Statistics said consumer price inflation rose to 2.7% in February compared with a year earlier and up from 1.5% in January.
Analysts had expected a rate of 2.3%.
As a result, some economists believe the Government will have to raise ...
Chinese inflation rises for fourth consecutive month
by Kay Murchie
March 4, 2010
The European Central Bank (ECB) today elected to keep interest rates on hold at the historic low of 1% for the tenth consecutive month, as widely expected.
Interest rates are expected to remain on hold until at least 2011, as a result of uneven growth and low inflation.
ECB President, Jean-Claude Trichet, said: “Overall, the governing council expects the euro area ...
Euro zone interest rates on hold at 1%
by Kay Murchie
BoE keeps interest rates and QE on hold
by Kay Murchie
BoE expected to keep interest rates on hold
by Kay Murchie
March 3, 2010
The UK’s closely-watched service sector recovered in February after experiencing a dip in January as a result of bad weather disrupting services, as well as the VAT rise.
The latest activity index from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS)/Markit PMI showed a reading of 58.4 in February, up from 54.5 in January.
Any reading above 50 indicates growth and February‘s ...
UK service sector recovers after snowy January
by Kay Murchie
Australian economy grows 2.7% during 2009
by Kay Murchie
March 2, 2010
As widely expected, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has raised interest rates from 3.75% to 4%.
The RBA has increased interest rates four times since October and many analysts believe interest rates could hit 4.25% in the short-term.
Australia is one of the few developed economies not to have fallen into recession like its counterparts throughout the world.
The economy only ...
Australia raises interest rates to 4%
by Kay Murchie
March 1, 2010
The European Union's statistics agency has today announced unemployment in the 16-member euro zone remained at 9.9% in January.
Unemployment rose by 38,000 during the month, leaving the unemployment rate flat at December's (downwardly-revised) 6-year high of 9.9%.
However, the amount of unemployment in the euro zone is at its highest since the single currency was introduced a decade ago, at almost ...
Euro zone unemployment rate unchanged at 9.9%
by Kay Murchie
February 26, 2010
The recovery in the world’s second largest economy appears to be gathering strength after figures revealed a rise in industrial output and retail sales.
Official figures have today revealed retail sales rose last month for the first time since August 2008.
According to the Economics Ministry, retail sales were up 2.6% from a year earlier. However, the rise was not unexpected ...
Japanese factory output and retail sales gain
by Kay Murchie
February 24, 2010
The Commerce Department has today revealed a fall in sales of new homes in the US for the month of January - the third consecutive month that sales have fallen.
According to the Commerce Department, new single-family home sales dived by 11.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 306,000 units - the lowest since records commenced in 1963.
The ...
US new home sales in third consecutive monthly fall
by Kay Murchie
Federal Reserve chairman pledges low interest rates for long-term
by Kay Murchie
