Group items tagged

rapid currency appreciation is a potentially dangerous development for China - in part owing to the risk of an abrupt and painful reversal.

greater global liquidity

Given China's adherence to a stable monetary policy, the yuan has become a more attractive asset to hold.

The economy shrank 0.3

10 percent

deflation

exports

energy shortages

as the cost of gasoline spiked,

going to remain pressured by rising gasoline prices,

Gasoline accounted for more than 80 percent of the rise.

Consumer purchasing power

Consumer Price Index rose 0.4 percent in February after advancing 0.2 percent

he said a trend toward lower inflation was still in place.

Consumer prices rose 2.9 percent last month from the same period a year ago, unchanged from January but down from a peak of 3.9 percent in September.

Consumer expectations for inflation

did not expect the steep climb in gasoline costs to last.

$4 gasoline has lost its shock value,

among lower-income households

Investor expectations of inflation

some price relief for households.

Production at the nation’s mines, factories and utilities held steady last month after a 0.4 percent gain in January

expand moderately

Manufacturing output rose 0.3 percent

automakers cut production by 1.1 percent after two big monthly gains

Carmakers had raised production to meet demand for popular models in short supply

The consumer price report showed gasoline prices soared 6 percent last month, the largest increase

risen 0.9 percent

cushion against rising gas prices at the pump, salaries are not keeping up.

strengthening jobs market is providing

arnings, adjusted for inflation, fell 0.3 percent last month after slipping 0.1 percent in January

Food costs held steady

also been on the rise

, airline tickets and used cars and trucks.

declines in the prices of tobacco

motor vehicle prices recorded their first increase

Government spending also fell

particularly large drop in military outlays.

Many economists pointed out that consumer spending, mostly on cars and other large items, seemed to have come at a cost. Consumer savings declined.

decline in business investment.

Businesses spent more on equipment and software but much less on infrastructure.

decline in investment in

construction related to mining, oil and gas

series of external shocks, like a spike in gas prices (this year’s was less severe and is already subsiding) and the Ja

panese earthquake.

where many countries are already in recession and where this week Britain announced that it had entered the dreaded “double dip.”

slowing of China’s breakneck

Shipments of durable goods increased last month, but new orders showed the steepest drop since January 2009.

unemployment benefits have risen.

prices in Japan remain very high by international standards.

This is one factor behind Japan's high prices.

cannot pin their hopes on wage increases

They should step back and take a look at the big picture, including Japan's abnormally high prices,

It was the first deceleration in a year, but it was not nearly as severe as other setbacks in the last couple of years.

Mitt Romney

insisting that the president has held back the recovery and intends to do further damage.

White House focused on

solid growth in consumer spending and a surge in residential building.

the private sector is continuing to heal from the financial crisis,” said Alan Krueger, chairman of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers.

subsidize the employment of teachers and first responders to emergencies.

Economists initially predicted a much weaker showing in the latest quarter, partly because of a large accumulation of inventories in the fall and winter that needed to be worked off. But in the last few weeks, expectations rose on strong jobs reports and rising consumer confidence.

Consumer spending did turn out to be the major strength

Business investment, which had been a bright spot, declined in the most recent quarter.

Government spending also fell more than anticipated,

thanks in part to a particularly large drop in military outlays.

Consumer savings declined.

decline in business investment.

Businesses spent more on equipment and software but much less on infrastructure.

in construction related to mining, oil and gas, while manufacturers actually increased their spending on factories and office buildings.

another significant slowdown, saying that last year’s hiccup was the result of a series of external shocks, like a spike in gas prices (this year’s was less severe and is already subsiding) and the Japanese earthquake.

Stagnation in Europe and a slowing of China’s breakneck expansion have weakened global demand even as corporate profits have continued to outpace expectations.

0.4% in first three months of this year, after shrinking by 0.3% in the final quarter of last year.

Spanish retail sales were down 3.7% in March from the same point a year ago, the 21st month in row sales have fallen.

The rate has risen sharply since April 2007, when it stood at 7.9%.

The new government has announced reforms to the labour market, including cutting back on severance pay and restricting i

nflation-linked salary increases, that it hopes will ease the problem.

The government has also introduced drastic spending cuts designed to reduce its debt levels and meet deficit targets agreed with the European Union. These cuts are contributing to Spain's economic contraction.

S&P predicts the Spanish economy will shrink by 1.5% this year, having previously forecast 0.3% growth.

"We believe that the new government has been front-loading and implementing a comprehensive set of structural reforms, which should support economic growth over the longer term," S&P said. "In particular, authorities have implemented a comprehensive reform of the Spanish labour market, which we believe could significantly reduce many of the existing structural rigidities and improve the flexibility in wage setting."

The yield on 10-year bonds rose to 5.96%, up from 5.81%, suggesting investors were becoming more wary of Spain's ability to repay its debts.

The strategy focused on improving the quality of Target's products and in-store services.

The division has boosted food and liquor sales from $21 billion to an estimated $26.5 billion this year.

Several economists said the weak data strengthened the case for further interest rate cuts, following the ANZ forecast of another 0.75 percentage points in cuts by the end of the year.

going to provide the demand most firms need to be able to hire or invest.

The jobless rate would still be in the 6.7 to 7.3 percent at the end of 2014, while inflation would remain at or below the Fed’s 2 percent target through 2015

dragging down the annual increase

central bank will probably not raise Taiwan’s policy rates

rainy weather cut supplies and drove up costs

Expenses for eating out expanded by 2.38 percent last month

government’s recent cut to its full-year CPI growth forecast would further strengthen the central bank’s resolve in holding rates at their current levels