By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks ended sharply lower for the day and week on Friday as investors worried about more interest rate hikes and the Israel-Hamas conflict spreading. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell more than 1% each. All of the ‘s 11 sectors ended lower…

The U.S. economy may be softer than the data suggest and this weakness may be helping to moderate inflation pressure, said Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin said Tuesday. “There’s a story — a plausible story — that weakening demand is already working to bring inflation down to 2%,” Barkin said…

The Federal Reserve needs to “wait, watch and see” how the economy evolves before making any interest-rate moves, said Fed Governor Christopher Waller on Wednesday. Although he didn’t say so specifically, Waller’s comments, in a speech in London, suggest he is in favor of holding interest rates steady at the…

By Nell Mackenzie LONDON (Reuters) – Global hedge funds last week sold food, beverage and tobacco company stocks at the fastest pace in 11 weeks, a Goldman Sachs note said, as these stocks, viewed as a proxy for bonds, could not match the recent surge in U.S. Treasury yields. Hedge…

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell may be more hawkish in his speech Thursday, at least relative to some of the speeches by his colleagues, economists said. “I don’t think Powell will take a definitive position as some on the FOMC have taken that interest rate hikes are behind us,” said…

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Dozens of China-listed companies announced plans on late Monday to buy back shares or scrap plans of stock selling, following a slew of measures authorities took to boost a flagging stock market. This follows more than a hundred Chinese companies committing to buybacks or withdrawing share sales…

The House’s temporary speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry, has seen a surge in his chances of getting the post on a more permanent basis, with one betting market putting them as high as 34% on Wednesday. The North Carolina Republican’s improved odds come as his party’s nominee for speaker, Rep. Jim…

South Africa’s fiscal stability is under threat as it negotiates a $1 billion loan from the World Bank for energy sector reforms. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has voiced concerns over the country’s escalating budget deficit, which is exacerbated by high interest rates, inflated wage bills, and losses from State-Owned Enterprises…

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Thursday said that the central bank is “attentive” to the recent economic data that shows resilient U.S. economic growth and demand for labor and if that trend continues, more interest rate hikes may be needed. “We are attentive to recent data showing the resilience…

By Sachin Ravikumar LONDON (Reuters) – Britain and South Korea have agreed to extend a period of low or zero tariffs on bilateral trade of products with parts from the European Union, the British government said on Monday, in a boost for the car industry. Without the two-year extension, British…