The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), in its monetary-policy statement published on May 10, indicated that the Australian economy is witnessing subdued growth in household income and that the adjustment in the housing market is taking a toll on consumer spending.
There have been 22 federal government shutdowns in the United States since 1979, with three last year alone, including the most recent 35-day partial shutdown, which came into effect on December 22, 2018. Considered the longest in US history
China’s factory orders fell for the second month in a row, with the Caixin/Markit Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) indicating further contraction in the country’s manufacturing activity in January.
Brazil’s current account deficit (CAD) narrowed to $0.82 billion in December 2018 from $2.07 billion a year earlier on the back of a widening trade surplus in goods, even as the country’s services industry recorded an annual deficit.
The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) left key interest rates unchanged, in line with market expectations, following its September monetary-policy meeting. Interest rates on main refinancing operations currently stand at 0.00 percent
The Ifo Business Climate Index for Germany jumped to a six-month high of 103.8 in August, after climbing by 2.1 points from the previous month’s survey.
The University of Michigan Preliminary Consumer Sentiment Index slipped to 95.3 in August from July’s final reading of 97.9. The preliminary survey numbers were the lowest since September 2017 and sharply below market consensus of 98.0
China’s economy expanded at an annualised rate of 6.7 percent in the second quarter of this year, in line with broad market consensus. Compared to the first three months of the year, GDP (gross domestic product)
According to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Swiss economy expanded by 0.6 percent in the January-to-March quarter of 2018. The numbers more or less aligned with those in the previous three quarters, while exceeding market expectations of a 0.5-percent growth.
Aligning with market expectations, the Bank of Canada (BoC) left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.25 percent and the deposit rate at 1.0 percent, following the conclusion of its monetary-policy meeting on May 30.