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Surprise drop in Philly Fed index for December, as new orders slump
Activity at factories across the US mid-Atlantic region slowed more quickly than expected at the end of 2020, the results of a closely-watched survey showed.
Small rise in initial US jobless claims may mask negative trend
Jobless claims in the US rose only slightly over the preceding week, but masked a more worrying underlying trend, some economists said.
Federal Reserve 'tweaks' QE guidance to easier for longer
The Federal Reserve 'tweaked' its guidance for asset purchases on Thursday night, from time-based to outcome-based.
US homebuilding activity flattens in December, but new highs expected
US homebuilding activity eased in December after hitting record levels during the month before, a closely-followed gauge for the sector revealed.
S&P places AstraZeneca's debt on Credit Watch Positive on proposed purchase of Alexion
Standard&Poor's placed its rating on AstraZeneca's long-term corporate debt on so-called Credit Watch Positive following news of its intended purchase of US rare disease specialist Alexion.
US lawmakers edge towards agreement on fresh stimulus package
Hopes were growing on Tuesday that Washington could be close to agreeing pandemic relief worth $748bn after a compromise package of fiscal measures was presented by a group of bipartisan lawmakers.
S&P says UK sovereign debt rating might come under pressure in 'no deal' Brexit
One of the world's top three credit rating agencies said a 'no deal' Brexit could see its rating for the UK's sovereign debt come under pressure should it complicate the outlook for the economy and fiscal consolidation.
US consumer confidence surprises to the upside, but further economic stimulus may be key
US consumer confidence surprised to the upside last month as Democratic voters became "much more optimistic" following Joe Biden's win in the last presidential elections, the results of a closely-followed survey revealed.
BoE doing extensive work on possible impact of adopting negative interest rates
Extensive work was being carried out at the Bank of England on the possible implications and practicalities around adopting negative interest rates.
US November CPI edges past forecasts, some see much higher inflation ahead
Consumer prices in the US rose a tad more quickly than expected last month on the back of broad-based gains which some economists said heralded much higher inflation over the course of 2021.
BofA doesn't expect BoE to ease even if Brexit news is negative
Britain and the European Union will most likely agree a Brexit deal, but should they fail, then the Bank of England would restart its asset purchases and cut interest rates, by 50 basis points eventually, economists at Bank of America said.
Weekly US jobless claims jump as lockdown restrictions reimposed
The ranks of Americans filing for jobless claims for the first time grew far more quickly than expected last week, as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were reimposed.
ECB boosts Covid-19 asset purchase programme by €500bn, to conduct more liquidity auctions
Rate-setters in Frankfurt eased monetary policy further on Thursday, boosting the size of their asset purchase programme, as expected, alongside a barrage of other measures.
US small business confidence declines, but pricing power strengthens
Small business confidence in the US soured a bit last month, the results of a closely-followed survey revealed, although pricing power continued to strengthen, a possible indication of the price pressures that might lie ahead.
Treasury committee quizzes DMO on gilt sales
The UK's Debt Management Office is facing political scrutiny over whether it achieved the best price when selling more than £300bn of government bonds during the past decade.
ISM services gauge dips slightly in November
Activity in America's services sector slowed slightly in November as businesses try to cope with the recent surge in Covid-19 infections, the results of a closely-followed survey revealed.
Initial US jobless claims drop sharply, but some economists cautious
US jobless claims for the previous week surprised sharply to the downside, although at least one top-ranked economist was expecting the improvement to be short-lived.
TUI AG clinches 1.8bn euro support package including from German state
Travel operator TUI AG has clinched a financial support package with a group of investors that included the German government worth €1. 8bn.
Investors pay 2.95% to lend UK £1bn in Gilts auction
Investors competed to pay the UK almost 3% to lend the country £1bn in the latest auction of gilt-edged bonds.
China's manufacturing sector hits ten-year high
The Chinese manufacturing sector has hit a 10-year high, a private sector survey showed on Tuesday, as the economy continued to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic.