ECONOMY & MARKETS

The dollar hit a 20-year high against rivals on Thursday as the Bank of Japan doubled-down on its dovish policy, sending the yen to its weakest level since 2002, while the euro hit a five-year low on growth concerns for the region.

The global economy will expand more slowly than predicted three months ago, according to Reuters polls of over 500 economists, who said higher commodity prices and an escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war could prompt another downgrade.

Canada's economy is overheating, creating domestic inflationary pressures, and higher interest rates are needed to cool things down, the head of the Bank of Canada said on Wednesday.

The Bank of Japan is set to maintain ultra-low interest rates on Thursday and warn of heightening risks to the economy from soaring raw material costs, signalling its resolve to focus on boosting growth with massive monetary stimulus.

The Bank of Japan on Thursday doubled down on its commitment to maintain its massive stimulus programme and a pledge to keep interest rates ultra-low, triggering a fresh sell-off in the yen and sending government bonds rallying.

The Bank of Japan on Thursday doubled down on its commitment to maintain its massive stimulus programme and a pledge to keep interest rates ultra-low, triggering a fresh sell-off in the yen and sending government bonds rallying.

U.S. data due out Thursday is expected to show slower economic growth in the first quarter, mainly due to a less robust jump in business inventories, but the overall economy remains strong, a senior Biden administration official told Reuters on Wednesday.

Argentina, battling a deep and costly energy deficit, is looking to attract some $10 billion in private investment to help it jump start exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2027, economy minister Martin Guzman said on Wednesday.

U.S. consumers appear to have online subscription and streaming fatigue, a lethargy that may be a reflection of where the wider economy is heading.

After months focusing on central banks' response to raging inflation, financial markets are being jolted into the realisation that a global economic downturn may now loom.

The U.S. trade deficit in goods widened to a record high in March likely as businesses who are worried about shortages front-loaded imports after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, raising the risk that economic growth stalled in the first quarter.

Companies in North America and Europe plan to give more employees an equity stake in their businesses to help retain talent amid a pandemic-induced "Great Resignation", a survey showed on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks edged higher on Wednesday, as strong earnings from Microsoft and Visa lifted investor spirits dented by concerns around slowing global growth and a more aggressive monetary policy.

The S&P 500 ended higher on Wednesday following a steep drop the day before, with strong revenue forecasts from Microsoft and Visa helping to alleviate worries about slowing global economic growth and rising interest rates.

With inflation running at its highest levels in four decades, Utah business owner Steve Allred is concerned about the declining purchasing power of the U.S. dollar.

India's power minister has told states to step up coal imports for the next three years, four sources told Reuters, reporting remarks that imply prolonged support for already elevated global prices for the fuel.

India has urged its states to step up coal imports for the next three years to build up inventories and satisfy demand, four sources told Reuters, a move set to benefit global prices of the fuel, already running high because of war in Ukraine.

India has urged its states to step up coal imports for the next three years to build up inventories and satisfy demand, four sources told Reuters, a move set to benefit global prices of the fuel, already running high because of war in Ukraine.

Climate change could see 4% of global annual economic output lost by 2050 and hit many poorer parts of the world disproportionately hard, a new study of 135 countries has estimated.

Central banks risk losing the battle for stable prices as long-dormant inflation narratives and memories reawaken, adding a more complex psychological twist to task than simply tightening monetary policy.

Russia's Gazprom halted gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday over their failure to pay in roubles, cranking up an economic war with Europe in response to Western sanctions imposed for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Lloyds Banking Group reported better-than-expected first quarter profits on Wednesday, as Britain's largest mortgage lender largely shrugged off the early impact of the country's worsening cost of living crisis.

A blank-cheque firm backed by VMS Asset Management has paused plans to go public in Hong Kong due to highly volatile markets, said a person with knowledge of the matter, clouding Hong Kong prospects for special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs).

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indonesia soared 31.8% on a yearly basis in the first quarter in rupiah terms, the country's investment minister said on Wednesday, boosted by a broader rise in investments in resource processing industries.

Credit Suisse reported a 273 million Swiss franc ($283.6 million) first-quarter loss on Wednesday that worsened its financial pain and prompted a fresh management reshuffle at the lender.

Indonesia widened the scope of its export ban on raw materials for cooking oil to include crude and refined palm oil, among other products, its chief economic minister said on Wednesday, just hours before the restriction comes into force.

Indonesia widened the scope of its export ban on raw materials for cooking oil to include crude and refined palm oil, its chief economic minister said on Wednesday, leaving markets in shock over the latest policy reversal.

Thailand's finance ministry on Wednesday reduced its 2022 economic growth forecast to 3.5% from a previous forecast of 4.0%, due to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on global growth and inflation, a ministry official said.

Gold prices fell on Wednesday as the dollar consolidated at its highest level in more than two years and pressured demand for greenback-priced bullion.