Alibaba Group Holding Ltd said on Thursday that its fourth-quarter sales increased by 2%, falling short of forecasts. The 208.20 billion yuan ($30.12 billion) in revenue for the three months ended March compared to a Refinitiv average forecast of 210.3 billion yuan based on 26 analysts. Chinese consumer spending has …

European shares started higher on Thursday, reflecting a sense of optimism on Wall Street, on the back of indications that Washington is close to reaching an agreement on raising the US debt ceiling and avoiding default. By 0708 GMT, the pan-European STOXX 600 index was up 0.4%. Auto and technology …

The dollar settled near a seven-week high on Thursday after positive indications from US President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on debt ceiling talks. On Wednesday, Biden and McCarthy confirmed their intention to reach an agreement soon to raise the government debt ceiling of $ 31.4 trillion, …

Oil prices fell on Thursday amid concerns about oversupply, after rising nearly 3 percent in the previous session. Brent crude futures fell 24 cents to $76.72 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude also fell 21 cents to $72.62 a barrel. Both benchmarks rose nearly 3 percent on Wednesday amid …

Gold prices moved slightly on Thursday after a rally in the dollar and increased optimism about talks to raise the US debt ceiling dampened the yellow metal’s safe-haven appeal. The spot gold price remained unchanged at $1,979.76 an ounce by 0445 GMT. US gold futures fell 0.1 percent to $1,982.60. …

Data from the American Petroleum Institute, released in its weekly report on Tuesday, revealed that US oil inventories increased by about 3.69 million barrels in the week ending May 12th. Also, the data also showed that gasoline stocks fell by about 2.46 million barrels last week. Also, distillate inventories decreased …

Government data showed that the Japanese economy grew by 1.6% on an annual basis in the first quarter of the year, as strong private consumption and an unexpected increase in capital spending offset the decline in external demand. The GDP figures for the first quarter far exceeded economists’ median estimate …

The European Central Bank said on Wednesday that it is seeking for a new top bank supervisor to replace Andrea Enria, whose tenure expires at the end of the year. Candidates for the position of chair of the ECB’s Supervisory Board, the eurozone’s most senior banking watchdog, must apply by …

On Wednesday, Japan’s Nikkei index closed above 30,000 points for the first time since September 2021, supported by a weaker yen and a strong domestic earnings season. The Nikkei index ended Wednesday’s trading up 0.84 percent at 30,093.59 points, after hitting a high of 30,115.32 points in the afternoon session. …

European stock markets are expected to open in a cautious manner Wednesday amid U.S. debt ceiling uncertainty and ahead of the release of the final eurozone inflation figures for April. At 06:00 GMT, the DAX futures contract in Germany traded 0.1% higher, CAC 40 futures in France climbed 0.1% and …