INFLATION

U.S. housing starts and permits rebounded in February from record lows, rising for the first time in 10 months, according to data on Tuesday that gave a glimmer of hope for the recession-hit economy.

New U.S. housing starts and permits unexpectedly rebounded in February, according to data on Tuesday that provided a rare dose of good news for the recession-hit economy and fractured housing market.

U.S. consumers' mood improved unexpectedly in March as confidence in government economic policy improved, but sentiment remained anemic overall and close to a record low, a survey showed on Friday.

A 5 percent surge in Japan's Nikkei average led a charge in Asian stocks on Friday, propelled by increasing confidence in the financial sector stemming from hopes that large U.S. banks will survive without a government takeover and may even profit.

The global economy may be nearing a turning point although financial markets are still underestimating the potential for a recovery, top central bankers said on Monday.

Warren Buffett said on Monday the U.S. economy had fallen off a cliff but would eventually recover, although a rebound could kindle inflation worse than that experienced in the late 1970s.

Warren Buffett said on Monday that the U.S. economy had fallen off a cliff and eventually would recover, although a rebound could rekindle inflation worse than experienced in the late 1970s.

The European Central Bank cut interest rates to an all-time low of 1.5 percent on Thursday, keeping up a record pace of reductions as the euro zone economy slides deeper into recession.

The Bank of England cut interest rates by 50 basis points to a record low of 0.5 percent on Thursday, and said it would pump 75 billion pounds of new money into buying assets, mostly gilts, in its battle with recession.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell more than expected last week, a government report showed on Thursday, but remained at high levels consistent with a severe recession.

Emergency credit market support from the Federal Reserve has sidestepped Congress and could expose the U.S. central bank to political pressure that hurts its independence, a top Fed policy-maker said on Monday.

The euro suffers from structural deficiencies. It has a central bank, but it does not have a central treasury, and the supervision of the banking system is left to national authorities.

The U.S. economy suffered its deepest contraction since early 1982 in the fourth quarter, shrinking at a much worse-than-expected 6.2 percent annual rate as exports plunged and consumers slashed spending.

The U.S. economy suffered its deepest contraction since early 1982 in the fourth quarter, shrinking at a much worse-than-expected 6.2 percent annual rate as exports plunged and consumers slashed spending.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday that he had an exit strategy from the U.S. central bank's recent massive monetary expansion that will keep inflation under control as the economy recovers.

The Federal Reserve stands ready to do everything in its power to combat the financial crisis and recession and buying long-term Treasury bonds could be helpful, a top Fed official said on Monday. Few of us imagined in our wildest dreams that our global economy could have turned so rotten so quickly, Richard Fisher, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said in remarks prepared for...

The U.S. economy is set to contract sharply in the first quarter, with the current cyclical downturn on track to rival the 1973-75 slump as soaring unemployment depresses demand, a survey showed.

slightly less than the 3.1 percent during the early '70s, the NABE said. The survey forecast the unemployment rate peaking at 9.0 percent in the fourth quarter, before edging lower from the second quarter of 2010. The U.S. jobless rate is currently at 7.6 percent, a 16-year high. Job losses are expected to persist through 2009, though steadily diminishing over the course of the year. Aver...

U.S. Consumer prices rose in January for the first time in six months as energy costs rebounded, government data showed on Friday, easing fears of deflation amid a severe economic downturn. The Labor Department said its closely-watched consumer price index rose 0.3 percent after dropping 0.8 percent in December. The modest uptick followed months of aggressive discounting by retailers seeking to s...

U.S. Treasury debt prices gained on Friday as deepening anxiety about the fragile state of the banking system pummelled financial stocks, sending investors scrambling into comparatively safe government debt.

they are sidelining the dollar strength, sidelining deflationary concerns and lower oil prices. They are very much buying gold as a safe-haven asset, Cooper said. There is potential for us to breach the $1,000 level. Saxo Bank senior manager Ole Hansen said the deteriorating macroeconomic picture and inflows into exchange-traded funds were currently the main influences on the gold price, n...