Economy

U.S. unemployment claims drop to four-month low in September, signaling economic strength amid rate cuts

Initial claims fell by 12,000 to 219,000 for the week ending September 14 

Bank of Japan maintains short-term rate steady at 0.25 percent, upgrades view on consumption

The Bank of Japan ended negative interest rates in March and hiked short-term rates to 0.25 percent in July

Bank of England holds rates at 5 percent, boosting pound to over two-year highs

The Committee unanimously cut U.K. government bond purchases by $93.77 billion, reducing the total to $523.58 billion

World Bank commits over $2 billion to support Bangladesh’s reforms

The Bank will reallocate $1 billion, totaling $3 billion in loans and grants for the fiscal year ending June 2025

U.S. retail sales rise 2.1 percent in August, signaling resilience ahead of Fed’s rate cut verdict

Online store sales rebounded 1.4 percent after falling 0.4 percent in July

China’s industrial output sees $6.4 billion export growth in August 2024

The industrial output, a key economic indicator, increased by 4.5 percent YoY in August

Indonesia targets 23 percent renewable energy share in total energy mix by 2025

This target encompasses a range of renewable sources, such as solar, wind, bioenergy, hydropower, and geothermal energy 

China welcomes 36,968 new foreign firms and $81.7 billion in FDI in first 8 months of 2024

The high-tech manufacturing sector accounted for 12.4 percent of the total FDI, amounting to 72.1 billion yuan

U.S. consumer sentiment surges to four-month high in September as price pressures ease

Index of consumer sentiment rose 1.1 points to 69.0 in September, from 67.9 in August

U.S. household wealth rises to record $163.8 trillion in Q2 2024

Household debt rose 3.2 percent annually, the fastest pace since the third quarter of 2022

U.S. aims for $250 billion in revenue with new corporate tax rules

This tax applies to companies with average adjusted income of $1 billion or more 

U.K. housing market shifts positively as surveyors report first price balance in nearly two years

Expected sales for the next three months reached their highest level since January 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic 

IMF supports U.S. Fed’s anticipated easing cycle as inflation risks diminish

IMF projects core U.S. PCE inflation to end 2024 at 2.5 percent, returning to the Fed's 2 percent target by mid-2025 

Russia’s Central Bank hikes interest rate to 19 percent, second increase this year amid ongoing inflation

Annual inflation in the country is currently at 9 percent, surpassing earlier predictions

U.S. weekly jobless claims rise marginally, signaling labor market stability

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 230,000 for the week ending on September 7

Japan’s wholesale inflation slows to 2.5 percent in August, easing BOJ price concerns

Currency's significant recovery last month impacted the import price index, which rose 2.6 percent after a 10.8 percent surge in July

Belt and Road Summit sees 19 agreements inked in key sectors on first day

Belt and Road Summit to explore the opportunities and potential areas of development as the initiative enters its next golden decade

U.S. market reactions to CPI results signal strong Fed rate cut expectations amid mixed economic signals

CPI showed annual inflation fell by 0.4 points to a lower-than-expected 2.5 percent

South Korea invests $3.7 billion to revamp medical education by 2030

Starting in 2025, 1,000 full-time faculty will be added at state medical schools by 2027, including 330 next year 

Australia’s business conditions hit 2.5-year low in August as employment outlook falls

The index for employment declined from +7 in July to +1 in August

Euro area banks rebound as ECB begins rate cuts, disbursing $78.5 billion in loans in July 2024

This resurgence is encouraging for Europe’s banks, which heavily depend on mortgage lending for profits 

India’s foreign exchange reserves reach new peak of $684 billion in August 2024, says Central Bank

RBI noted that the reserves have been on an upward trend for some time

Japan’s Q2 GDP growth revised down to 2.9 percent on slower corporate, household spending

Japan's central bank raised its key interest rate to 0.25 percent from 0-0.1 percent in July

GDP grows by 0.2 percent in Euro area and EU in Q2 2024, reports Eurostat

This follows a GDP increase of 0.3 percent in both regions during the Q1 2024