The European Central Bank (ECB) is feeling more optimistic about growth in the eurozone, having raised its forecast for GDP growth to between 1.4% and 1.8% for 2010, and between 0.5% and 2.3% in 2011. Explaining the revision, ECB president, Jean-Claude Trichet, said: “Euro area real GDP grew strongly on a quarterly basis, increasing by [...]
The US Institute for Supply Management (ISM) has offset fears of a double dip recession in America by reporting a rise in its index of factory activity, to 56.3 in August, up from 55.5 in July. A reading in excess of 42%, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy [...]
Latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show the country’s GDP growing by 1.2% in the second quarter of 2010, compared with 0.7% in the previous three month period. The spurt, which was driven by a 1.6% increase in household expenditure and an increase in exports of 5.6%, puts economic growth at 3.3% for [...]
India saw its economy grow by 8.8% in the three months to the end of June, when compared to a year earlier. GDP forged ahead at its fastest pace in over two years with the sectors registering significant growth, compared with the previous three month period, as follows: manufacturing 12.4%; trade, hotels, transport and communication [...]
Bank of Japan (BoJ) has announced new measures aimed at enhancing “easy monetary conditions” and holding back the rise in the value of the yen. Following an unscheduled meeting of its Monetary Policy committee, the Bank is to provide the country’s lenders with and additional 10 trillion yen in six-months funds, in a move that [...]
A survey of 2,000 households, conducted by market researchers Markit and YouGov, has revealed confidence has been knocked and households are under pressure financially. The reason for the fall in confidence comes as households are fearful of losing their jobs as the coalition Government embarks on massive spending cuts and tax hikes. Approximately 600,000 public [...]