Recession indicators are flashing red, but economists argue they could be false signals this economic cycle, revealing a broader truth about the recession predicting business itself.
BERLIN (Reuters) -Inflation fell in six important German states in August due to lower energy prices, preliminary data showed on Thursday, suggesting Germany's national inflation rate could decline noticeably this month. In Saxony, the inflation rate fell in August to 2.6% from 3.1% in the previous month, in Brandenburg it fell to 1.7% from 2.6%, in Baden-Wuerttemberg it fell to 1.5% from 2.1%, in Hesse it fell to 1.5% from 1.8% and in Bavaria it fell to 2.1% in August from 2.5% in July. The inflation rate in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, fell to 1.7% in August from 2.3% in July.
(Bloomberg) -- Oil steadied after a two-day drop, with stock market losses offsetting a drawdown in US stockpiles and supply disruptions in Libya.Most Read from BloombergTurkey Plans Istanbul Taxi Surge to Tackle ComplaintsIntergenerational Housing Could Help Older Adults Combat LonelinessAs Rural Hospitals Shutter Maternity Wards, Urban Ones FollowA Loud Warning From the Past About Living With CarsChicago Overcomes DNC Skeptics With Calm, Parties and SunBrent traded below $79 a barrel after los
(Reuters) -Oil prices edged up on Thursday after two sessions of losses, as supply concerns over Libya returned to focus, while a smaller-than-expected draw in U.S. crude inventories sapped demand expectations. Brent crude futures climbed 15 cents, or 0.19%, $78.80 a barrel by 0605 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 27 cents, or 0.36%, at $74.79. Worries over disruptions in supplies from Libya, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), were positive for the market, some analysts said.
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -The New Zealand dollar made solid gains on Thursday in the wake of an upbeat business outlook survey, while the U.S. dollar failed to sustain its bounce in the run up to a key U.S. inflation reading at the end of the week. Friday's release of the core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index - the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation - headlines a week that's otherwise been lacking on major market moving data, leaving currencies mostly rangebound. Still, the kiwi was a notable outperformer in the Asian session, scaling an eight-month top $0.6295 after a survey out on Thursday showed New Zealand's business confidence jumped in August to the highest level in a decade.
It is a sea of red in Asia as AI darling Nvidia failed to meet expectations of investors who were not satisfied with its profits, revenue and outlook simply beating the Street. Nvidia shares have rallied more than 150% this year thanks to insatiable demand for generative artificial intelligence (AI), so the 7% drop in its shares after-hours could turn out to be just another dip to buy into the world's second-most valuable company. Taiwan-listed shares of chipmaker TSMC slid 2%, Nasdaq futures dropped 0.7%, and Europe is set for a lower open, with EUROSTOXX 50 futures off 0.2%.
Bostic said he will want to see confirmation from the monthly jobs report and two inflation reports due before the Fed's Sept. 17-18 meeting that the economic trends are continuing. "I don't want us to be in a situation where we cut, and then we have to raise rates again: that would be a very bad outcome" because it would undermine people's confidence in the Fed, he said at an event organized by the Stanford Club of Georgia and the Stanford Black Alumni Association–Atlanta. The Fed has kept its policy rate in the 5.25%-5.50% range for more than year to bring down high inflation.
