SYDNEY, Feb 14 (Reuters) - A measure of Australian consumer sentiment slipped from four-year highs in February as wild swings in global financial markets seemed to spook some.A Melbourne Institute and Westpac Bank survey of 1,200 people published on Wednesday said its index of consumer sentiment dipped 2.3 percent in February from January, when it rose 1.8 percent.The index was still up 3.1 percen...Read More
Feb 14 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.The Times* Britain's statistics agency, the ONS, said it was changing its schedule for the release of labour market data to give lawmakers more time to understand the politically sensitive jobs figures ahead of parliamentary...Read More
SINGAPORE, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Singapore's monetary policy stance remains unchanged, a central bank official said on Wednesday, after data confirmed the city-state recorded its highest annual growth for three years in 2017. Many economists expect the central bank to tighten policy later this year as the economy recovers, possibly as soon as its next meeting in April."Monetary policy stance rem...Read More
(Adds details on consumer spending, imports, exports)* Q4 GDP expands annualised +0.5 pct vs f'cast +0.9 pct* Q4 GDP +0.1 pct qtr/qtr, vs f'cast +0.2 pct* Consumption +0.5 pct vs f'cast +0.4 pct* Capex +0.7 pct vs f'cast +1.1 pct By Stanley WhiteTOKYO, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Robust consumer spending drove Japan's economy to eight straight quarters of growth in October-December, its longest continuou...Read More
Feb 14 (Reuters) - Biotherapeutics company CSL Ltd reported a 35 percent rise in its first half profit on Wednesday and upgraded its earnings guidance for the fiscal year.Net profit after tax was $1.1 billion, the company said, compared with $805.5 million a year ago. CSL also upgraded its fiscal 2018 earnings guidance to about $1.55 billion-$1.60 billion from an earlier forecast of $1.48 billion-...Read More
The U.S. has been a net importer of energy since 1953, but that's set to change early next decade, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). In its highly anticipated Annual Energy Outlook 2018, the agency forecasts that the U.S. will become a net exporter of energy by as early as 2022, thanks in large part to the boom in shale oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production as we...Read More
Feb 14 (Reuters) - For other diaries, please see:Top Economic Events Polling Unit Diary Today in Washington Political and General News DATECOUNTRY AUCTION DETAILS14-FebGermany Auction of 30-year Federal bonds14-FebJapan Auction of 5-year government bonds15-FebJapan 3-month discount bill auction15-FebSpain Bond auction15-FebSwedenAuction of inflation-linked government bonds15-FebUnited KingdomAucti...Read More
Feb 14 (Reuters) - For other diaries, please see:Top Economic Events Government Debt Auctions Political and General News Events Index of All Diaries Guide to Economic Indicators -----------------------------------------------------------This Diary is filed daily** Indicates new events ----------------------------------------------------------- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14JAKARTA - Indonesia Central Bank...Read More
(Kitco News) - Markets are very much preoccupied with volatility in the equity space at the moment and many investors are overlooking serious geopolitical risks, which could push gold prices up, according to Saxo Bank.“The market is so focused on NASDAQ volatility that a lot of geopolitical risk is being ignored,” chief economist at Saxo Bank Steen Jakobsen said in a note published on...Read More
WELLINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Fletcher Building Ltd Chief Executive Ross Taylor said on Wednesday that the company's flagged breach of its finance covenants was not related to missing payments. Fletcher said it expected its embattled commercial building unit to post a NZ$660 million ($480.2 million) loss, breaching its financial covenants. "It's an accounting provision and because our covena...Read More
Feb 14 (Reuters) -For other diaries, please see:U.S. Federal Reserve Polling Unit Diary Today in Washington Political and General News ----------------------------------------------------------- This Diary is filed daily. ** Indicates new events ----------------------------------------------------------- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 ** BRATISLAVA - Peter Kazimir, the finance minister of Slovakia, update...Read More
SINGAPORE, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Singapore's fourth quarter economic growth was revised lower on a quarter-on-quarter basis on Wednesday, due to a contraction in the manufacturing sector which has come under pressure recently. The economy grew 2.1 percent in the fourth quarter from the previous three months on an annualised and seasonally adjusted basis, revised final figures from the Ministry of Tra...Read More
(Repeats to attach to additional alert)TOKYO, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Japan's economy grew at an annualised rate of 0.5 percent in October-December, posting the eighth straight quarter of expansion due to growth in consumer spending and capital expenditure.That marked the longest streak of growth since a 12-quarter stretch between April-June 1986 and January-March 1989 around the height of Japan's eco...Read More
TOKYO, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Japan's economy grew at an annualised rate of 0.5 percent in October-December, posting the eighth straight quarter of expansion due to growth in consumer spending and capital expenditure.That marked the longest streak of growth since a 12-quarter stretch between April-June 1986 and January-March 1989 around the height of Japan's economic bubble.The preliminary reading for...Read More
Dollar weakness continues to accelerate, with the dollar index breaking below 90 today. As of 4:00 PM Eastern standard time, the U.S. dollar index is trading off by 51 points and is currently fixed at 89.58. This marks the second consecutive day of lower pricing.The dollar has been in a defined, slow, and methodical decline since November of last year when the dollar index was trading at roughly 9...Read More
(Adds Cboe statement, comments from market participants, details throughout, bylines)By Saqib Iqbal Ahmed and John McCrankNEW YORK, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Wall Street's most widely followed gauge of future stock market volatility is being manipulated, a law firm representing an "anonymous whistleblower" alleged in a letter to U.S. regulators seen by Reuters on Tuesday.The accusations prompt...Read More
* Woodside to pay ExxonMobil $744 mln for Scarborough stake* Raising to also help fund projects in Australia, Senegal* Share offering at 13 pct discount to last trade (Adds Woodside comments)MELBOURNE, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Woodside Petroleum said on Wednesday it would raise A$2.5 billion ($1.96 billion) from shareholders to fund the purchase of ExxonMobil Corp's stake in the Scarborough gas field an...Read More
(Adds background)By Steve HollandWASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The White House has spoken with Loretta Mester, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, about the vice chair opening at the Federal Reserve Board, a person familiar with the process said on Tuesday.The source said the team considering nominees for the opening was impressed with Mester, but said there was no front-runn...Read More
No one believed Porter Stansberry nine years ago.As head of one of America's largest independent financial research firms, Mr. Stansberry's work back in 2008 led him to a bold, but worrisome, conclusion:That the world's largest mortgage bankers- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which at the time were responsible for nearly 50% of all the mortgages in America-would soon go bankrupt.In fact, in June of 2...Read More
(Adds details, updates to the close)Feb 13 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index fell modestly on Tuesday, pausing after racking up a hefty gain in the previous session, as industrial and energy shares fell along with the price of oil. * The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended down 25.41 points, or 0.17 percent, at 15,216.47.* On Monday, the index posted its biggest one-day...Read More