Global Indices & Market News
Global Equity Markets Review
Global Equity Markets generally fell last week. The S&P 500 Stock Index slightly slid by 1.07%. Nikkei 225 index got down by 5.88%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropped by 1.73%.
Japan Current Account Surplus data weaker than expected
Japan’s Finance Ministry announced that the surplus in the current account, the broadest measure of Japan's trade with the rest of the world, stood at ¥336.3 billion ($3.48 billion) in June before seasonal adjustment. That was narrower than expected by economists surveyed, who estimated a surplus of ¥385.0 billion.
BOJ Keeps Key Policy Unchanged
The Bank of Japan kept its key policy unchanged in August. Following a two-day meeting, the BOJ decided not to upgrade its assessment of the economy, using the same phrasing it used in July. The central bank said the economy is starting to recover moderately last Thursday.
U.S. initial claims for jobless benefits edge up to 333,000
According to U.S. Labor Department weekly report, in the week ending August 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 333,000, an increase of 5,000.
ECB Forecasters Lower Euro-Zone Growth View
According to a European Central Bank survey published last Thursday,economists lower their growth expectations for the euro zone for this year and next. Forecasters now expect euro-zone economic activity to contract by 0.6% in 2013, the ECB said in its quarterly Survey of Professional Forecasters. Euro-zone growth is subsequently expected to rise 0.9% in 2014.
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