ASIA:   The major Asian stock markets had a mixed day today: NIKKEI 225 increased 186.23 points or 0.56% to 33,575.14 Shanghai decreased 42.46 points or -1.31% to 3,197.90 Hang Seng decreased 388.73 points or 1.98% to 19,218.35 ASX 200 decreased 42.90 points or -0.58% to 7,314.90 Kospi decreased 22.28 points or -0.86% to 2,582.63 […]

ASIA: India’s wholesale price-based inflation fell by 3.48 per cent in May on an annual basis as against a contraction of 0.92 per cent in April, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry stated on Wednesday. The inflation rate for the food index witnessed a contraction of 1.59 […]

Italy declared a national day of mourning this Wednesday to honor former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who passed at the age of 86 on Monday. Despite his controversial life, world leaders have offered messages of condolences to his family and the Italian people. Few of those offering condolences were true friends. The European Union even […]

ASIA: Singapore’s retail sales exceeded expectations, increasing by 3.6% year-on-year (YoY) and surpassing the projected contraction of 1.9% YoY. On a monthly basis, retail sales rose by 4.2%, with a similar increase seen when excluding motor vehicle sales. Despite elevated inflation, retail sales have remained strong, potentially due to the return of visitors to Singapore. […]

ASIA: India’s economic growth in the March quarter reached 6.1%, according to government data. This growth was driven by increased government and private capital spending, although private consumption remained sluggish. India continues to be one of the fastest growing emerging economies, particularly as China’s recovery falters. Despite the risks posed by a global slowdown, the […]

ASIA:   China’s benchmark lending rates have remained unchanged for the ninth consecutive month in May, aligning with market expectations. The decision was influenced by factors such as a weakening yuan and widening yield differentials with the United States, which limited the potential for significant monetary easing. Although recent data indicated a slowdown in the […]

ASIA:   India’s foreign exchange reserves experienced a continuous increase for the third week in a row, reaching $599.53 billion as of May 12. This level represents the highest amount since early June, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s statistical supplement released on Friday. The reserves saw a rise of $3.55 b billion compared […]

ASIA:   Japan’s economy experienced a faster-than-expected recovery in the first quarter, coming out of a recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth was primarily driven by increased consumption following the pandemic, which helped counter the challenges posed by global economic conditions. However, concerns have arisen due to signs of a slowdown in economic […]

ASIA: The Agricultural Bank of China, one of the country’s largest commercial lenders, has scaled up support for the manufacturing sector. As of the end of March, the bank’s outstanding loans to the manufacturing sector exceeded 2.69 trillion yuan ($388.42 billion), according to the bank. Newly-added loans to the manufacturing industry stood at over 390 […]

ASIA:   The UAE and India are expected to surpass their non-oil trade target of $50 billion this year, on their way to reaching the $100 billion goal by 2030. Bilateral non-oil trade reached $45.5 billion between May 2022 and March 2023, with a 7% increase from the previous year. In the first quarter of […]