U.S. consumer spending showed renewed strength in February, as retail sales rebounded following a contraction in the previous month and came in slightly ahead of market expectations. According to the US Census Bureau, retail sales rose 0.6% month-on-month to $738.4 billion. The increase follows a 0.1% decline in January and …

U.S. private-sector hiring showed modest resilience in March, with job gains exceeding expectations despite a slight slowdown from the previous month. According to Automatic Data Processing, private employers added 62,000 jobs in March, following a revised increase of 66,000 in February. The latest reading came in above market forecasts of …

Bitcoin rose on Wednesday, leading gains across the cryptocurrency market as improving risk sentiment followed signals that the U.S.-Iran conflict could be nearing an end. The world’s largest cryptocurrency climbed nearly 2% to $68,807.8 as of 02:24 ET (06:24 GMT), extending a recovery after a largely subdued performance in March. …

European equities rallied sharply on Wednesday, while oil prices fell below the $100-per-barrel mark, after Donald Trump signaled that the United States could soon exit the ongoing conflict with Iran. By 03:17 ET (07:17 GMT), the pan-European STOXX 600 jumped 2.3%, with Germany’s DAX surging 2.8%. France’s CAC 40 gained …

Canada’s economy began the year on a steady footing, with modest growth supported by strength in energy and construction, even as manufacturing activity declined. According to Statistics Canada, real gross domestic product rose 0.1% in January, following a revised 0.2% increase in December. The reading came slightly above expectations, indicating …

Gold prices climbed for a fourth consecutive session in Asian trading on Wednesday, supported by a softer U.S. dollar and cautious optimism that the United States and Iran may move toward ending the ongoing conflict. Spot gold rose 0.6% to $4,694.16 per ounce as of 21:35 ET (01:35 GMT), while …

Oil prices remained elevated in Asian trading on Wednesday, as investors balanced tentative diplomatic signals on Iran against ongoing supply disruptions stemming from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. As of 20:18 ET (00:18 GMT), Brent crude futures for June delivery rose 0.5% to $104.47 per barrel, while U.S. …

U.S. equities opened firmly higher on Tuesday, as investor sentiment improved following reports that Donald Trump is open to ending the military campaign against Iran, even without reopening the Strait of Hormuz. At 09:31 ET (13:31 GMT), the S&P 500 advanced 1.2% to 6,419.17 points, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed …

Britain’s competition watchdog has announced plans to investigate whether Microsoft holds excessive market power in business software, in a move that could reshape licensing practices affecting hundreds of thousands of UK businesses and public sector organizations. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it will launch a Strategic Market Status …

Bitcoin traded largely unchanged on Tuesday, capping a muted performance for March as persistent risk aversion tied to the Middle East conflict continued to weigh on investor appetite for speculative assets. The world’s largest cryptocurrency edged up 0.2% to $67,401.9 as of 02:44 ET (06:44 GMT), remaining within a narrow …