ECONOMY & MARKETS

In a major blow to the United Kingdom, Moody's Investors Service stripped the country of its coveted triple-A sovereign rating on Friday, saying the nation's rising debt burden and weak growth prospects weigh on the economy. Moody’s lowered the U.K.'s domestic and foreign-currency bond rating by a notch from Aaa to Aa1.

The world's most accurate forecaster of the U.S. economy is a 26-year-old Frenchman who has never been to the U.S.

The latest PMI survey showed that the downturn in the euro zone’s businesses worsened unexpectedly in February, particularly in France.

A new report suggests that across-the-board discretionary spending cuts could cause GDP to slow this year.

ASEAN economies likely will see much more favorable demographics compared to Northeast Asia.

Japan posted its worst-ever trade deficit of $17.4 billion in January, despite a surge in exports. A weak yen led to higher fuel import costs.

German investor sentiment soared to its highest level in nearly 3 years in Feb., adding to signs that the worst of the euro crisis is over.

Global growth will still be fairly weak this year, but there’s no denying that industrial conditions have recently improved.

The Dow has vectored toward 14,000, but investors in U.S. stocks would be wise to keep one eye on Washington and one on the price of oil.

Japan’s industrial output rose 2.4 percent in December, but less than the initial estimate of 2.5 percent.

A bigger-than-expected GDP contraction in Q4 brought a dismal end to a very difficult year for the euro zone.

In 1974 the federal minimum wage was $2 an hour ($9.31 in 2012 dollars), higher than the current rate.

India’s headline inflation declined sharply to 6.62% in January from 7.18 percent in December – its slowest pace in three years.

Japan’s GDP fell 0.1% in the the fourth quarter. It had been expected to grow by 0.1%. Will its economy ever recover?

India's trade deficit widened to $20 billion in January from $17.7 billion in December.

The U.S. Department of Commerce will release its first monthly retail sales numbers for 2013 on Thursday.

Foreign-exchange traders will be closely watching the G20 meeting in Russia. Currency manipulation will likely dominate the discussions.

For many reasons, this is not “your father’s U.S. housing market,” hence buyers should consider these 6 tips before placing a home deposit.

Strong petroleum product exports and falling crude oil imports helped make December's trade deficit surprisingly small.

Concerns about the sustainability of China's recovery lessened Friday after officials released January's economic data.

China’s trade surplus dropped in January compared with that in the previous month but was better than expected.

The four-week moving average hit a near five-year low, pointing to an ongoing gradual recovery in the labor market.

India's gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to grow at an annual rate of 5 percent in the 2012/13 fiscal year -- much below the consensus estimate of 5.5 percent -- a government statement said Thursday, citing provisional estimates.

Japan’s core machinery orders posted a better-than-expected rise in December compared with the previous month.

The expiration of the U.S. payroll tax cut likely left consumers with 3.5% less personal disposable income in January.

As other central banks continue printing money, the European Central Bank seems to be moving in the opposite direction.

India's service sector continued to expand in January due to rapid and steady growth in new export orders.

China's service activity expanded in January at a faster pace than in December, according to the HSBC Services PMI.

The U.S. housing market remains a challenging one, but there are several tactics sellers can deploy that should help sell their home quicker.