By Kevin Yao BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s gross domestic product likely perked up in the first quarter of the year, a Reuters poll showed on Friday, as the end of strict COVID-19 curbs helped lift the world’s second-largest economy out of a crippling pandemic slump. GDP growth was seen speeding up to 4.0% in the…
By Liangping Gao and Marius Zaharia BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) – Liu Baoxiang, who runs a mahjong parlour in a city on China’s rust belt, no longer splurges on extravagant fashion items after seeing the two flats he owns lose roughly a third of their value over the past two years. “I was previously considered wealthy…
(Reuters) – Germany’s wholesale price index rose in March compared with the same month last year, according to data released on Friday. Wholesale prices increased by 2% on the year, the federal statistics office reported. Compared with February, the index was up 0.2%. The office offers more detailed economic data on its website. (Reporting by…
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Singapore’s central bank on Friday left its monetary policy settings unchanged, reflecting the city-state’s concerns about its growth outlook and surprising economists who had expected another round of tightening. The announcement came as Singapore’s economic growth for the first quarter missed expectations. It was the first time the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)…
By Danilo Masoni and Samuel Indyk MILAN/LONDON (Reuters) – European exchange stocks stand to benefit from a spike in volatility surrounding the downfall of Credit Suisse, as some investors turn towards bourse operators attracted by their defensive qualities and modest valuations. The exchanges’ share price performance has lagged the region-wide STOXX 600 index by up…
By Balazs Koranyi WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The European Central Bank should speed up the reduction of its balance sheet and could stop reinvesting cash from debt maturing in its largest bond buying scheme to complement further interest rate hikes, Belgian policymaker Pierre Wunsch said. Fighting stubborn inflation, the ECB has raised rates at its fastest…
A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole. Singapore’s central bank sprang the surprise of the Asian day by halting its tightening cycle when markets had expected a sixth straight round of restraint. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said there was enough currency appreciation – controlling the SGD…
By Sujith Pai and Veronica Dudei Maia Khongwir BENGALURU (Reuters) – Bank Indonesia is expected to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 5.75% for a third consecutive meeting on April 18 and for the rest of this year as it evaluates the impact of previous hikes on inflation, a poll this week by Reuters…
TOKYO (Reuters) – Following the Bank of Japan’s launch this month of a pilot programme to test the use of a digital yen, the Ministry of Finance plans to convene a meeting of experts on April 21 to discuss the way forward. The nine experts, who include academics, economists, a lawyer and a consumer group…
By Ariba Shahid KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) -Pakistan’s debt continues to be sustainable, International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday, after the government reiterated it had completed all requirements to receive a critical bailout from the IMF. Pakistan has less than a month’s worth of foreign exchange reserves and is awaiting a…
