Jobs growth seen in U.S. cities in 2015; still lagging pre-recession
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. cities will see strong job growth this year, but only about half will return to the employment peaks reached before the recession began more than seven years ago, according to an economic report released by the U.S. Conferen…
OPEC, oil companies clash at Davos over price collapse
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – OPEC defended on Wednesday its decision not to intervene to halt the oil price collapse, shrugging off warnings by top energy firms that the cartel’s policy could lead to a huge supply shortage as investments dry up.
U.S. single-family housing starts highest since early 2008
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Groundbreaking for U.S. single-family homes raced to the highest level in more than 6-1/2 years in December and permits surged, in a hopeful sign for the sluggish housing market recovery.
Netflix’s accelerated global rollout catches Wall Street off guard
(Reuters) – Netflix Inc’s faster-than-expected rollout in overseas markets took most analysts by surprise, setting off a flurry of price target increases on the stock.
IBM profit forecast, fourth-quarter revenue below estimates
(Reuters) – International Business Machines Corp posted a new 2015 profit target and quarterly revenue that both missed analysts’ estimates, as the one-time world technology leader continues to grapple with its journey from low-margin hardware maker to…
Oil export losses to reach $300 billion in Middle East
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Losses from lower oil exports should sap up to $300 billion from economies in the Middle East and Central Asia this year, as countries in the region adjust to falling crude prices, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesda…
U.S. mortgage applications rise in latest week: MBA
NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Applications for U.S. home mortgages rose last week as mortgage rates continued to slide, bringing activity to a 17-month high for a second straight week, data from an industry group showed on Wednesday.
BOJ cuts inflation forecast, governor signals no rush to ease
TOKYO (Reuters) – Two years into so-called Abenomics – a mix of aggressive monetary and fiscal policy plus structural reform – the Bank of Japan is struggling to reach an ambitious inflation target and convince Japanese that years of deflation are in the past.
Bonds, shares, gold supported ahead of expected ECB action
LONDON (Reuters) – European shares held close to a seven-year high on Wednesday and Asian shares hit a six-week peak investors bet the European Central Bank would unveil a stimulus drive to boost the flagging euro zone economy.
Central bankers lurch from ‘whatever it takes’ to ‘whatever next’
LONDON (Reuters) – The Swiss currency shock has raised an awkward question many investors have been fearful of asking – what if central banks become as unpredictable and fallible as they are powerful?
