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HONG KONG, China (AFP) – Asian stocks edged up Thursday on strong US growth forecasts, as traders braced for a series of key economic announcements. The muted start to trading comes ahead of the US House Republicans’ tax announcement and confirmation of President Donald Trump’s pick for the new Federal Reserve chair, as well as an important Bank of England meeting. Investors in Tokyo and Hong Kong built moderately on overnight gains in most world […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese factory activity stabilized in October, according to independent data released Wednesday, one day after a disappointing official reading suggested output growth had slowed. The world’s second-largest economy registered 6.8 percent growth in the third quarter of the year, down from 6.9 percent in the first two quarters. But experts have warned of a slowdown ahead as the country tightens financial controls to slow the pace of debt growth and reduces […]
by Omar Hasan Agence France-Presse DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday advised energy-rich Gulf economies to speed up their diversification away from oil after projecting the worst growth for the region since the global financial crisis. Oil exporters in the Middle East, especially those in the Gulf Cooperation Council, have been hit hard by the collapse in crude prices which provided a major part of their finances. Following the […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo stocks opened higher on Friday, boosted by exporters and banks as the yen fell against the dollar on hopes for US President Donald Trump’s much-anticipated tax cut. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.59 percent, or 129.16, to 21,868.94 in early trade, while the broader Topix index was up 0.44 percent, or 7.69 points, at 1,761.59. “Japanese stocks will test higher prices as investors cheer a rebound in the New […]
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) – Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen said Thursday that the end of China’s landmark party congress signals an “opportunity for change,” as she called for dialogue with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Tsai was speaking publicly for the first time since Xi was handed a second term during the 19th Communist Party meeting that concluded this week, which cemented the Chinese president’s grip on power. Ties between Taiwan and China have become increasingly frosty […]
by Jeremie Richard Agence France Presse REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AFP) — Iceland on Saturday holds its second snap election in just a year after a slew of scandals ensnaring its politicians in a nation whose economy is thriving thanks to tourism. Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson of the conservative Independence Party called the vote last month after a junior member of the three-party centre-right coalition quit the government over a legal scandal involving the prime minister’s father. […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo stocks opened higher Wednesday, with the benchmark index extending the longest winning streak in its nearly 70-year history as Japan kicked off its latest corporate earnings season. The Nikkei 225 rose 0.37 percent, or 80.78 points, to 21,885.95 in early trade, while the broader Topix index gained 0.34 percent, or 5.99 points, to 1,762.91. © Agence France-Presse
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Most business economists predict that US economic growth will surpass two percent over the next year, despite softening in some business conditions, according to a survey released Monday. The improving forecasts for US growth come amid a weakening profit outlook and continued uncertainty over thorny debates in Washington on trade and tax policy, said the National Association for Business Economics, summarizing a quarterly survey of 85 economists. “Policy developments, including those […]
MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Nearly 1,200 companies of all sizes have shifted their legal headquarters out of Catalonia to other parts of Spain since the region held a banned independence referendum, Spain’s commercial registrar said Friday. Between October 2, the day after the contested vote, and October 19 a total of 1,185 companies have relocated hoping to minimize instability, according to figures published by the Commercial Registries of Spain. The peak was reached on Thursday […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo stocks opened higher Thursday, helped by a tailwind from an upbeat Wall Street and a cheaper yen, as traders begin to factor in this weekend’s election in the world’s third-biggest economy. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.39 percent, or 82.33 points, to 21,445.38 in early trade, while the broader Topix index was up 0.30 percent, or 5.18 points, at 1,729.82. The dollar was higher at 113.05 yen in early […]
by Julien Girault Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — As Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares for a second five-year term, foreign investors will be watching for any sign that he finally intends to follow through on long-promised reforms to further open the world’s second-largest economy. Xi is expected to signal his future economic policies when he opens a five-yearly Communist Party congress on Wednesday that will renew his tenure as general secretary. While he […]
by Antonio Rodriguez Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — For the first time in years the International Monetary Fund is optimistic about global economic growth. But it sees a new problem: mounting debt in the world’s largest countries. “Debt levels are increasing in G20 economies,” Tobias Adrian, who heads the IMF’s monetary and capital markets division, said Wednesday. Among private businesses in those countries, leverage is higher than before the financial crisis. And the weight of […]
