Oil fell on Thursday as weak U.S. economic data raised concerns over a potential global recession and demand reduction, but benchmark prices were headed for a weekly advance after OPEC+ announced further output cuts and U.S. oil stocks dropped. Brent crude futures fell 41 cents, or 0.5%, to $84.58 a barrel by 0616 GMT. West […]
Global Recession
Layoffs in the United States hit a more than two-year high in January as technology firms cut jobs at the second-highest pace on record to brace for a possible recession, a report showed on Thursday. The layoffs impacted 102,943 workers, a more than two-fold jump from December and an over five-times surge from a year […]
The European Commission presented its Green Deal Industrial Plan on Wednesday in response to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with increased levels of state aid to help Europe compete as a manufacturing hub for clean tech products. While EU countries welcome the U.S. commitment to energy transition, they fear the IRA’s $369 billion of […]
Big Tech firms and Wall Street titans are leading a string of layoffs across corporate America as companies look to rein in costs to ride out the economic downturn. Rapid interest rate hikes, weak consumer demand and an economic slowdown in China have forced firms such as Amazon, Walt Disney, Facebook-owner Meta and American banks […]
Private equity funds are rethinking how they pull off large deals after a 40.4 percent contraction in global buyout activity amid a shortage of debt financing caused by rising interest rates and banks’ reluctance to open their money taps. Blackstone’s acquisition of Emerson’s Climate Technologies business in the United States and KKR’s purchase of French […]
Canada’s main stock index slumped to a five-week low on Thursday, with the technology and materials groups leading broad-based declines, as investors were unable to see a clear endpoint for Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index ended down 291.02 points, or 1.5 percent, at 19,600.63, its lowest closing level […]
Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson said on Thursday it would reach the lower end of its long-term target of a profit (EBITA) margin of 15-18 percent by 2024 as several of its more profitable markets show signs of slowing down. The company, one of the world’s biggest suppliers of 5G technology, forecast the 5G radio […]
U.S. stock indexes closed sharply lower on Thursday, with each of the major averages suffering their biggest daily percentage drop in weeks, as fears intensified that the Federal Reserve’s battle against inflation using aggressive interest rate hikes could lead to a recession. The U.S. central bank hiked rates by 50 basis points (bps) on Wednesday […]
A breathtaking surge in the U.S. dollar trampled foreign currencies, gouged corporate profits and gave investors one of the year’s few winning trades. Though the greenback has stumbled in recent weeks, recession worries may keep it elevated in 2023. At its September peak, the dollar stood at its highest level in nearly two decades after […]
French President Emmanuel Macron will use a state visit to Washington this week to press European Union concerns about the United States’ huge new green energy subsidy package. While EU countries welcome the new commitment to energy transition, they fear the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act will put their companies at an unfair disadvantage. WHY […]