Unemployment falls in Germany, France

New economic data from the Eurozone has made it more likely than ever that the European Central Bank will raise interest rates when it meets June 8. The new data comes from several sources and shows that inflation is up, unemployment is down, and retail sales are up. The only real negative data […]

Overnight rate causes speculation that Bank of Japan might raise interest rates

In an attempt to keep overnight interest rates in check, the Bank of Japan put 1,500 billion ($13.5 billion) into money markets after rates again challenged the 0.1 percent ceiling set by the Banks current policy of keeping interest rates at zero for all practical purposes. The move, which came after the Bank put […]

Energy costs send US consumer price index up

New data released on Wednesday showed that consumer inflation in the United States rose more than expected in April. The consumer price index rose 0.6 percent in April, when it was expected to only go up by 0.5 percent. The core index, which takes costs for food and energy out of the equation, […]

UK interest rates held at 4.5 percent

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England decided on Thursday to leave interest rates at 4.5 percent. The decision was expected by most analysts, but the majority now believes that there may be a rate increase by the end of the year. This is a change of position based on recent […]

Consumer income, spending up in US

New data on a number of measures of the US economy were released on Monday, showing that the economy continues to grow. Construction spending, personal income and personal spending were all up, as was manufacturing.The Institute for Supply Management said that its manufacturing index was up to 57.2 in April, surpassing Marchs 55.2. […]