Equities around the world have been clattered by fears of a recession in major economies as central banks ramp up borrowing costs to combat the highest inflation in decades, which has been compounded by the Ukraine war and supply chain snarls.

With recent data showing US inflation rooted at four-decade highs, investors are increasingly pessimistic about the outlook for the global economy. Some observers have warned of a sharp recession in many countries caused by the huge rate increases, which are hitting families in the pocket.

Despite the recent slowdown, the US economy remains robust, which allows for more aggressive monetary policy tightening. The US consumer is particularly healthy, with households presenting a strong balance sheet with high levels of cash available (US$15.8 trillion), the report adds.

Stock markets and oil prices rallied Friday, with investors largely pricing in more interest rate hikes aimed at taming runaway inflation. The dollar slid one percent versus the pound and euro after recent hefty gains. London's stock market jumped more than 1.5 percent in morning deals, mirroring advances in Paris...

European Central Bank policymakers look set to hike interest rates again to tame runaway inflation amid a steep increase in the price of energy. The high inflation has sent the pace of consumer price rises to new high, with Eurozone inflation hitting 9.1 percent in August.

According to consensus, the unemployment rate for August should fall somewhere around 3.5 percent when official data is released at 1230 GMT. If the estimate turns out to be true, it would be the same rate as July when unemployment first returned to its pre-pandemic levels, which had been the...

Inflation-fighting measures, such as hiking rates and removing stimulus, was the main driver behind the recent correction in commodities that are likely to weather headwinds from an economic slowdown with supply of key commodities being equally challenged, he adds.

Stock slumped on Friday after Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell pledged to act "forcefully" against soaring inflation in a battle that will be painful for Americans. The Fed has been on a campaign to raise interest rates and Powell said at Jackson Hole that the fight against inflation is not...

World stocks sank Monday and the dollar rallied on concern the Federal Reserve will stick to its interest rate-hiking plans to combat inflation. Eurozone equities tanked as spiking natural gas prices sparked fears that winter energy shortages could cause recession, which helped push the euro down to a 20-year low...

All eyes are on a symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming where Fed boss Jerome Powell will deliver a speech that will be followed for an idea about the bank's next moves. A dip in price rises and signs of economic slowdown had raised hopes policymakers would ease up -- and...

A two-month rally from June lows appears to have run out of steam this week, with downward pressure coming after minutes from the Fed's most recent meeting showed it was determined to keep lifting borrowing costs until prices were brought under control.

Investors remain on edge as central banks hike interest rates to fight runaway inflation, but the monetary policy tightening could threaten to tip economies into recession.

A deal would mean that Iran's crude output of 2.5 million barrels per day would no longer be subject to international sanctions, which would help relieve supply constraints that have been pushing up prices.

The dollar's first-quarter increase of about 10% against a basket of international currencies may reduce the impact of imported inflation due to dirham's peg to the US currency.

If the official consumer price data Wednesday come in above analysts' forecasts, the markets could see a sharp sell-off, analysts warned. With inflation already at the highest level in 40 years, concern is growing that further interest rate increases by the world's major central banks could go too far and tip...

The BoE is tipped to lift its main rate by 0.50 percentage points the biggest amount in more than a quarter of a century. British inflation jumped to a four-decade high of 9.4 percent in June, worsening a cost-of-living crisis as workers' wages fail to keep pace. With inflation spiking...

Asian stocks rose Friday after data showing another contraction in the US economy boosted hopes that the Federal Reserve will slow its pace of interest rate hikes. After an extended period of pessimism on trading floors fuelled by soaring inflation and the central bank's monetary tightening campaign, investors are beginning...

US central bankers face an increasingly difficult balancing act as they struggle to douse scorching inflation while still keeping the economy growing, though they have made it clear they are willing to risk a recession.

Europe's main stock markets slid at the open on Thursday, as a fresh spike in US inflation reinforced expectations of more aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. In initial deals, London's FTSE 100 index lost 0.3 percent to 7,138.54 points compared with the closing level on Wednesday. In the eurozone,...

Recession worries pushed the price of Brent oil briefly back under $100 on Wednesday, and the euro moved closer to parity with the dollar. European stocks rebounded thanks to lower bond yields and bargain hunting, while US stocks also advanced, climbing after Federal Reserve minutes maintained a tough line on...

Adding to the uncertainty was a fresh flare-up of coronavirus cases in parts of China that has seen some cities locked down as part of officials' zero-Covid policy.

Tokyo stocks opened higher on Monday as investors took heart from gains on Wall Street while staying cautious over the economic impacts of inflation. The dollar fetched 135.02 yen in early Asian trade, against 135.28 yen in New York late Friday.

Asian and European stock markets nursed losses Wednesday on resurgent fears that sharp interest rate hikes aimed at tackling runaway inflation could spark recession.

With inflation rising sharply, and the Federal Reserve raising interest rates, the United States is facing an increased risk of a downturn, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Friday. But any temporary pain caused by a recession would be "a necessary price to pay" to defeat damaging inflation, she said.

Asian markets fell again Monday and oil prices extended losses on growing fears that central bank moves to rein in soaring inflation will induce a recession. And while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq saw gains on Friday, there is a sense that indexes still have some way down to go...

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller on Saturday threw his support behind another large interest rate increase next month. The Fed on Wednesday announced the biggest hike in nearly 30 years, raising the benchmark borrowing rate by 0.75 percentage points to rein in scorching inflation.

British economic output declined for the second month in a row in April, weighed down by rocketing prices that are causing a cost-of-living crisis for millions of Britons.

The Bank of England is expected on Thursday to raise its key interest rate for a fifth straight time to cool runaway inflation that is causing a cost-of-living crisis in Britain. Economists widely forecast that the BoE will use a regular meeting to hike borrowing costs by a quarter-point to...

Wall Street stocks sank early Monday, tumbling into a "bear market" in anticipation of more Federal Reserve monetary tightening this week amid runaway inflation. The market's latest losses, which come on the heels of three straight down sessions, put the S&P 500 into a bear market, defined as a 20...

The OECD on Wednesday warned that the world economy would pay a "hefty price" for Russia's invasion of Ukraine as it slashed its 2022 world growth forecast and said inflation to keep rising.

Restaurants and hotels that were decimated due to Covid-19 showed a strong recovery in May, adding 84,000 positions, the data showed.

The US central bank needs to keep raising interest rates in big steps until inflation starts to come down, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said Monday. The Fed early this month announced the biggest increase in the benchmark interest rate since 2000, following a smaller hike in March, as it...

Wall Street stocks rallied Friday following signs of moderating inflation, finishing with weekly gains for the first time in about two months.

The US government deficit will fall dramatically this year to $1 trillion, down from levels not seen since World War II hit during the pandemic, the Congressional Budget Office said Thursday.The budget shortfall in the current fiscal year will shrink significantly from the prior year, when it reached nearly $2.8...

The impact of Beijing's zero-Covid strategy on the world's second-largest economy was revealed Monday when official data showed that retail sales and industrial production in April on-year had slumped to their lowest levels in more than two years.

World stock markets mostly sank Monday on stubborn fears over the impact of rising US interest rates, surging inflation and China's Covid lockdowns. Stock markets had dived last week after the Federal Reserve ramped up interest rates by a half-percentage point and flagged more hikes to tackle decades-high inflation.

In order to curb the soaring inflation in the kingdom, the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) has raised its main interest rates by 50 basis points, in tandem with the US Federal Reserve decision to hike the rate.

Global stock markets slid Friday after the Federal Reserve warned of an aggressive tightening of monetary policy to tame runaway inflation. Wall Street was also glum shortly after the opening bell as the Dow sank 0.9 percent while the S&P index and the tech-rich Nasdaq were showing smaller losses.

Four Gulf Arab central banks followed in the footsteps of the US Federal Reserve and raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point for the first time since 2018.

The bank said the policy rate adjustments are consistent with its objectives of maintaining monetary stability.

The new rates are said to be effective from Thursday, March 17.

Markets are expecting a total of seven rate hikes this year, and while the US Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee typically moves in quarter-point steps, Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said it could be more aggressive if needed.

The Federal Reserve will have to walk a tightrope to ensure its efforts don't derail the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Federal Reserve has its inflation-fighting weapons ready to fire, and when the US central bank's policy committee convenes this coming week, the focus will not be on whether they will pull the trigger but rather how many times. With the Omicron variant of Covid-19 adding to economic uncertainty and...

Global stock markets wavered Friday as dealers awaited vital US jobs data and mulled the Federal Reserve's readiness to hike interest rates aggressively. London stocks edged higher in late morning deals, while Frankfurt nudged lower and Paris was flat nearing midday in the eurozone. The dollar was under pressure before...

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index slid 1.0 percent to 7,445.04 points, after heavy losses earlier in Asia and overnight on Wall Street.

Fed Governor Christopher Waller said the decision announced Wednesday gives policymakers the ability to respond quickly with an increase in the benchmark lending rate, which he expects "will be warranted shortly after our asset purchases end" in the spring. Asked to be more precise about the timing, Waller said, "We'd...

Beyond property woes and virus fears, all eyes this week are on the Fed, which must carefully calibrate its response between raising rates and pulling the rug from under a tenuous recovery or sticking to the status quo and letting inflation rise even further. Analysts expect the central bank to...

Traders were awaiting the latest US consumer price data, set for release Friday, which is expected to show inflation climbing higher last month.

A mild recovery from the previous two days' steep losses was turned on its head in the region on Tuesday after Moderna head Stephane Bancel told the Financial Times that existing vaccines might not be as effective against the new Covid strain owing to its multitude of mutations.