The global economy is showing surprising strength in the face of political crises, the International Monetary Fund said, in an update to its World Economic Outlook released Tuesday. With inflation coming down and growth steady, “the likelihood of a hard landing has receded,” the report said. It was just as…

By Mike Dolan LONDON (Reuters) -The China conundrum aside, a search for undervalued assets already seems to be tempting some investors back to emerging markets – but Western savers happily hunkered down at home may struggle to accept the case. In the slipstream of the global rate cut euphoria late…

The Bank of England on Thursday is expected to follow the European Central Bank last week and the Federal Reserve on Wednesday in leaving interest rates unchanged. The Bank Rate will remain at 5.25%, the highest since March 2008, for the fourth meeting in a row, according to bets in…

BANGKOK – UOB Thailand has entered into a strategic partnership with Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) to enhance foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country’s high technology sectors, with a focus on electronics and electric vehicles (EVs). This collaboration, under the guidance of UOB Thailand President Tan Choon Hin, is…

German inflation in January will rise at its slowest pace in more than two and a half years, according to data released Wednesday, bolstering hopes that the European Central Bank may be able to reduce interest rates from record levels in coming months. The Federal Statistics Office of Germany said…

By Judy Hua and Kevin Yao BEIJING (Reuters) -New bank lending in China rose less than expected in December, but 2023 lending hit a new record as the central bank kept policy accommodative to support an unexpectedly shaky economic recovery. Chinese banks extended 1.17 trillion yuan ($163.31 billion) in new…

The numbers: The cost companies pay to employ workers rose 0.9% in the fourth quarter to mark the smallest increase in two and a half years, another sign that rapid wage growth after the pandemic is waning. The rise in the employment cost index was the smallest since the spring…

By Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) – A $30 billion gush of debt issuance by developing countries since the start of the year is sparking hope that some of the more pressed emerging market nations might be able to regain market access in 2024. Recent falls in global interest rates combined…

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell used his press conference Wednesday to throw cold water on market expectations that the Fed would begin to cut interest rates in March. “Based on the meeting today, I would tell you that I don’t think it is likely that the committee will reach a…

(Reuters) – BofA Global Research said on Friday it now expects the Bank of England to keep its bank rate on hold at 5.25% until August 2024 versus its prior forecast of February 2025. The brokerage expects rate cuts of 25 basis points per quarter from there. “The UK will…