reuters
Wall St Struggles to Gain as Uncertainty Around U.S. Election Grows
November 4, 2024
By Chuck Mikolajczak NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. stocks oscillated between gains and losses on Monday, as investors prepared for a crucial week in which Americans will elect a new president and the Federal Reserve will announce its policy statement. The presidential election saw candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris both scrambling for an edge in the last full day of a race that polls show as extremely close. It could take days to determine the victor. Some of the so-called "Trump trades" unwound after a recent poll showed Harris leading in Iowa, sparking a drop in the U.S. dollar , Treasury yields <US10YT=RR> and bitcoin . Tr...
China Expands Visa-Free Policy to 9 More Countries Including South Korea
November 1, 2024
BEIJING (Reuters) - China will extend visa-free entry to citizens from nine additional countries, including South Korea, Norway and Finland, the foreign ministry said on Friday. Starting Nov.8, nationals from these countries, which also include Slovakia, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco and Liechtenstein, will be allowed to enter China for business, tourism, family visits, or transit for up to 15 days without a visa, the ministry said. The policy will be in effect through Dec.31, 2025. (Reporting by Ethan Wang and Ryan Woo; editing by Philippa Fletcher)...
Australia Household Spending Slips in Sept, Confounding Rebound Hopes
November 1, 2024
By Wayne Cole SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian household spending fell in September as consumers cut back on clothing and cars, data showed on Friday, further confirmation that billions of dollars in recent tax cuts were being saved rather than spent. That should be a downside surprise to the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) which had expected consumption to pick up in the second half of this year and could see it adopt a more dovish tone at a policy meeting next week. "The data looks very weak over the last three months and surprisingly soft," said Gareth Aird, head of Australian economics at CBA. "If the data is close to accurate th...
European Stocks Climb on Energy Boost; Headed for Weekly Losses
November 1, 2024
By Pranav Kashyap (Reuters) -European shares climbed on Friday, buoyed by a rally in energy stocks, but remained on track for their worst week in nearly two months as a tightly contested U.S. presidential election kept investors on edge. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.5% to 508.05, after falling more than 1% in the previous session. The benchmark was poised to record a drop of about 2% this week, marking its second consecutive weekly decline. As the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election approaches, the race remains too close to predict, with opinion polls showing a virtual dead heat. Investors are placing their bets on the...
Hong Kong September Retail Sales Fall 6.9%
November 1, 2024
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's September retail sales fell 6.9% from a year earlier, reflecting the continued impact of a change in consumption patterns, government data showed on Friday. Sales fell to HK$29.6 billion ($3.81 billion) in a seventh consecutive month of decline after a revised 10.0% decline in August, a 11.7% fall in July, a 9.7% fall in June, a 11.5% drop in May, a 14.7% drop in April and a 7% decline in March. "The near-term performance of the retail sector would continue to be affected by the change in consumption patterns of residents and visitors," a government spokesman said, adding China's stimulus measures, amon...
Booking Holdings Beats Quarterly Profit Estimates on Healthy International Travel
October 31, 2024
(Reuters) - Online travel agency Booking Holdings beat analysts' expectations for third-quarter profit and revenue on Wednesday, as resilient demand for international travel offset the weakness in domestic travel in the U.S. and China. Shares of the company rose 4.3% after the bell. International travel demand in Europe and many Asian countries has remained steady, making up for the domestic travel slump in the U.S. and China as consumer spending falls amid macroeconomic difficulties. "We are pleased to report third-quarter room night growth of 8%, which exceeded our prior expectations, driven primarily by stronger performance in Eur...
Low US Weekly Jobless Claims, Solid Consumer Spending Showcase Economy’s Strength
October 31, 2024
By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell to a five-month low last week and consumer spending increased more than expected in September, showcasing the economy's strength heading into the final stretch of 2024 and just days before next Tuesday's presidential election. Though prices pushed higher last month, inflation is firmly on a downward trend, with other data on Thursday showing labor costs posting their smallest gain in more than three years in the third quarter. The data likely keeps the Federal Reserve on track to cut interest rates next week and possibl...
Spain’s Economy Beats Forecasts With 0.8% Quarterly Growth
October 30, 2024
MADRID (Reuters) -The Spanish economy grew at a faster-than-expected rate in the third quarter to again outpace its European peers thanks to a strong tourism season and exports, preliminary data showed on Wednesday. Spain's gross domestic product grew 0.8% in the third quarter from the previous three months, the same pace of expansion as in the second quarter, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said. Year-on-year it grew 3.4%, an acceleration from the 3.2% registered in the previous three months. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected GDP to grow 0.6% quarter-on-quarter and 3.0% year-on-year. "Today's data show how strong and b...
