Category: Economies

ECB Can’t Yield Digital Money Space to Private Sector: Panetta

FRANKFURT—The European Central Bank needs to issue a digital euro as yielding the space entirely to private sector initiatives like stablecoins could endanger financial stability and weaken the role of the central bank, ECB executive board member Fabio Panetta said. The ECB has been working on designing a digital currency, a direct claim on the…


US Employers Added 531,000 Jobs in October, Beating Expectations

U.S. employers added over half a million jobs in October, beating market expectations and painting a picture of labor market recovery on more solid footing than the prior month’s dismal job creation numbers pointed to. The Labor Department’s jobs report, released Nov. 5, shows that non-farm payroll employment rose by 531,000 last month, substantially above consensus forecasts…


Euro Zone Housing Cost May Be Adding More to Inflation Than Thought: Holzmann

VIENNA—Housing costs may be adding more to euro zone inflation than once thought, European Central Bank policymaker Robert Holzmann said on Friday, weighing in on a key issue that has been a focus of policymakers this year. When asked how much owner-occupied housing costs could increase headline inflation, Holzmann, Austria’s central bank chief, said it…


Kaisa, Units Trading Suspended as China Property Debt Crisis Routs Developers’ Shares

HONG KONG/SHANGHAI—Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd. and three of its units had their shares suspended from trading on Friday, a day after an affiliate missed a payment to onshore investors as China’s snowballing property debt crisis jolts other developers. Shenzhen-based homebuilder Kaisa, which has guaranteed the wealth management product, said in a statement on Thursday it…


Bank of Ireland Share Sale Extended, State Recoups 249 Million Euros

DUBLIN—The Irish government on Friday extended the gradual sell down of its shares in Bank of Ireland to May 2022, having raised 249 million euros ($287.79 million) in the last three months by cutting its stake to 9.3 percent from 13.9 percent. The government announced in late June that it intended to cut its shareholding…


Futures Extend Gains After October Payrolls Blow Past Expectations

U.S. stock index futures sharply extended gains on Friday after data showed U.S. job growth accelerated at a much faster than expected pace in October, adding to optimism sparked by a batch of strong earnings reports. At 8:35 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were up 120 points, or 0.33 percent, S&P 500 e-minis were up 19.75…


Wall Street Extends Record Rally on Strong Jobs Report

Wall Street’s main indexes hit record highs in a broad-based rally on Friday as data showing strong jobs growth in October, coupled with Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill update, boosted sentiment about economic growth. Ten of the 11 major S&P sectors advanced in early trading, with economy-sensitive energy, financials, and industrials gaining more than 1 percent each….


Oil Rises After OPEC+ Rebuffs US Call to Boost Output

LONDON—Oil prices rose above $81 a barrel on Friday after OPEC+ producers rebuffed a U.S. call to raise supply to cool the market, sticking to plans for a gradual increase in output after cuts made in the face of the coronavirus crisis. Brent crude rose 52 cents, or 0.65 percent, to $81.06 a barrel by…


JPMorgan Cuts China Growth Forecast for Fifth Time Since August

LONDON—JPMorgan cuts its fourth quarter growth forecast for China to 4.0 percent quarter-on-quarter from 5.0 percent on Friday, citing the impact of power shortages and the recurrence of COVID-19 clusters hitting consumer spending and services. “Looking back, we have downgraded China’s growth forecasts five times since August,” JPMorgan’s Haibin Zhu said in a note, adding…


Japanese Carmakers’ Chinese Sales Tumble in October

BEIJING—Japanese automakers Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co., and Toyota Motor Corp.’s sales in China tumbled again in October as a microchip shortage hit vehicle production in the world’s biggest car market. Honda said it sold 148,377 vehicles in China last month, down 18 percent from a year earlier, while Nissan said it sold 113,876…