Bank of Japan held interest rates steady
As widely expected, the Bank of Japan held interest rates steady, though the move showed a long-awaited exit from loose monetary policy may be a ways off yet. It kept short-term rates at -0.1% with […]
Economy
US economy expanded 2.1% in Q4
US economy growth was stronger than expected in the fourth quarter of 2016. It reached 2.1%, according to Commerce Department statistics. Economist Gus Faucher attributes the rise to increased consumer spending, prompted by higher employment […]
Data point to Chinese economy picking up momentum
Reports suggest that China’s economy is stabilizing and gaining strength. Retail sales rose 10.8% in November, industrial production gained 6.2% and for the first 11 months of the year, fixed-asset investment was up 8.3%. Bloomberg […]
Fed paints mostly optimistic picture of US economy
The Federal Reserve described the US economy’s outlook as “mostly positive” in its Beige Book, an anecdotal roundup of reports from its 12 districts. The economy is growing steadily and the labor market is tightening, […]