Bonds
US consumer confidence steady in May, but outlook clouded by Covid-19
Consumer confidence in the US steadied in May but uncertainty about the future course of the pandemic continued to cloud the outlook as did expectations for a sharp rise in prices, the results of one of the most closely-followed surveys revealed.
US personal consumption crashes in April, savings rocket
Personal incomes in the US shot higher last month as government transfers to contain the fallout from the pandemic kicked-in.
US pending home sales plummet in April but bottom falling into place, NAR says
A key lead indicator for US home sales registered its largest ever recorded drop last month, albeit amid signs that a bottom might now be in place.
US firings continue at torrid pace, but hiring picks up
Firings in the US continued at a furious pace during the past week, albeit at a moderately slower pace, and hirings picked up.
EU set to propose 750bn euro reconstruction fund
Brussels will propose a €750bn reconstruction fund on Wednesday evening financed through jointly-issued debt, the majority of which will be disbursed as grants.
UK public borrowing soars to record high
Public borrowing soared to an historic high in April, after the government brought in a raft of measures to support the economy during the Covid-19 pandemic, official data showed on Friday.
US existing home sales plummet in April, but prices gain
Sales of second-hand homes slowed as expected last month, registering their largest one month drop since July 2010, yet prices continued to rise.
Philly Fed index continued to drop at accelerate pace in May, details stronger
Factory activity in the US mid-Atlantic region continued to shrink at extraordinarily sharp pace in May, the results of a closely-followed survey revealed.
Covid-19 continues to weigh heavily on UK economy - survey
The UK's private sector struggled in May, a widely-watched survey published on Thursday found, as Covid-19 lockdown measures weighed heavily on the economy.
UK government sells first bond with negative yield
Investors paid the UK government to borrow money for the first time on Wednesday as Britain sold a bond at a negative yield.
US housing starts drop sharply in April, but recovery anticpated
New home construction in the States fell rapidly last month as the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the nation.
German economic output to fall further, warns Bundesbank
German economic output will be “significantly” lower in the second quarter, the country’s central bank warned on Monday, despite the easing of some lockdown measures.
Japanese economy slides into recession
Japan’s economy has slid into recession for the first time since 2015, government data showed on Monday.
Federal Reserve chairman reiterates that more government support may be needed
Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell doubled down on a previous call for further government economic support.
US retail sales crater again in April
US retail sales collapsed last month as lockdowns to brake the Covid-19 pandemic's advance across the country kept consumers indoors and Americas kept their wallets shut even as many were forced to join unemployment queues.
Government spending to soar as furlough scheme is extended - OBR
Government plans to support workers and businesses through the Covid-19 outbreak could cost more than £123bn, the budget watchdog said on Thursday, after the furlough scheme was extended until the end of October.
Weekly US jobless claims fall by less than expected
Significantly more jobs were lost in the US during the previous week than economists had anticipated.
US producer prices crater in April amid plunge in energy prices
Producer prices in the US cratered last month as the Covid-19 pandemic rolled across the country.
Fed's Harker stresses need for 'intelligent' response to pandemic
The strength of the economic recovery will hinge on authorities' ability to balance the risks from reopening the economy with healthcare issues, the head of the Federal Reserve bank of Philadelphia said.
UK furlough scheme extended until end of October
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until the autumn, it was announced on Tuesday.