The headline German IFO Business Climate Index climbed to 88.6 in December versus the previous reading of 86.3 and the forecast of 87.2. Meanwhile, the Current Economic Assessment improved to 94.4 points in the reported month as against November’s 93.1 and 93.5 expected. The IFO Expectations Index – indicating firms’ projections …

Japan’s Nikkei index ended Monday’s trading at a six-week low, tracing the impact of Wall Street’s decline in the previous session, while bank stocks rose on speculation of an interest rate hike in the country. The Nikkei fell 1.05 percent to close at 27,237.64 points, its lowest level since November …

The yen climbed on Monday on news that the Japanese government could soon revise a joint statement with the Bank of Japan (BOJ) over the latter’s inflation target, potentially paving the way for a tweak in the BOJ’s ultra-loose monetary policy. The yen was last 0.4% stronger at 136.19 per …

Oil prices regained ground on Monday, after falling more than $2 a barrel in the previous session, amid optimism that China would lift COVID-19 restrictions and recover oil demand, which outweighed fears of a global recession. Brent crude futures rose 72 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $79.76 a barrel by …

The dollar stabilized on Friday after rising in the previous session, as traders analyzed a raft of central banks’ interest rate hikes and the possibility of continuing to raise borrowing costs for an extended period. And the euro settled against the dollar at 1.063 dollars. This came after falling 0.5 …

The data of the National Statistics Office issued in Britain today, Friday, showed that the retail sales index recorded a negative reading, as Britain witnessed a contraction in retail sales by 0.4% last November, which is worse than the market’s expectations of an index growth of about 0.3%, after the …

European stocks fell on Friday, heading for a weekly loss, after major central banks pledged to raise interest rates further to counter inflation, raising concerns about a global economic slowdown next year. The European Stoxx 600 index fell 0.2 percent to a new low, the lowest in a month, at …

Japan’s Nikkei index closed at its lowest level in more than a month on Friday, tracing sharp declines on Wall Street overnight, as major central bank decisions to raise interest rates stoked fears of an economic slowdown. The Nikkei closed down by 1.87 percent, recording 27,527.12 points, the lowest closing …

Gold prices rose slightly on Friday as the dollar fell, but the yellow metal, which does not yield a return, is now on its way to record a weekly loss, with the Federal Reserve expecting interest rate hikes to continue for a longer period. Spot gold rose 0.2 percent to …

Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Friday, after falling by 2 percent in the previous session, in the wake of central banks raising interest rates, and are heading towards ending the week’s transactions higher after a series of positive expectations for oil demand. By 0109 GMT, Brent crude …