Euro zone unemployment unchanged in June at 12.1%

Unemployment in the euro zone remained unchanged from the previous month in June, at 12.1 percent, according to the latest data from statistics agency Eurostat. In the European Union (EU) as a whole, the unemployment rate was 10.9 percent in June, down from 11 percent in May.

Breaking News: German July flash composite PMI rises to 52.8, highest since February

German July flash composite PMI rises to 52.8, highest since February

Breaking News: French flash July composite PMI rises to 17-month high of 48.8

French flash July composite PMI rises to 17-month high of 48.8!

Apple beats on earnings but revenue outlook falls short

Apple reported fiscal third-quarter earnings and revenue that beat analyst forecasts on strong iPhone shipments, sending shares higher in late trading. But fourth-quarter sales guidance fell short. "I don't subscribe to the view that the higher end of the smartphone market has hit its peak," CEO Tim Cook said on the earnings call. 

Net income fell 22 percent to $6.9 billion, or $7.47 per share, from $8.8 billion, or $9.32 per share, in the year-earlier period. Revenue ticked up to $35.3 billion from $35 billion a year ago. The results still beat analyst forecasts for earnings of $7.32 per share on sales of $35.02 billion, according to estimates for Thomson Reuters.

China July flash HSBC PMI plunges to 11-month low

China's manufacturing activity shrank for a third straight month in July, a private survey of Chinese manufacturers showed on Wednesday, highlighting persistent weakness in both external and domestic demand. The closely-watched flash estimate of the HSBC China Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) fell to an 11-month low of 47.7 from 48.2 in June.

 This was significantly below market expectations for the index to hold steady at 48.2. A reading above 50 indicates expanding activity and one below 50 signals contraction. The slowdown in the manufacturing sector is leading more factories to cut back on workers, with the unemployment sub-index falling to a 52-month low of 47.3.

World awaits first glimpse of Britain's new prince

 The world could get it's the first glimpse of Britain's new prince on Tuesday, with Prince William and his wife, Kate, expected to leave a London hospital with their baby son. Kate, 31, gave birth to the couple's first child, who is third in line to the British throne, on Monday afternoon, ending weeks of feverish anticipation about the arrival. Royal aides said the couple and their newborn were all doing well and expected to leave hospital after 1700 GMT (1:00 p.m. EDT) on Tuesday, or possibly on Wednesday morning. "We would like to thank the staff at the Lindo Wing and the whole hospital for the tremendous care the three of us have received," William and Kate said in a statement.

UK housing recovery spurs 'bubble' warnings

The U.K. housing market recovery is gathering speed according to the latest data and is set to be further supported by government funding schemes, but some are warning the measures could spur a housing bubble and the government should instead be tackling the lack of housing supply. On Tuesday, the British Bankers Association (BBA) reported that mortgage approvals hit a 17-month high in June, totaling 37,278. Approvals were up 32.4 percent compared to June 2012.

Duchess of Cambridge gives birth to baby boy

Britain's Duchess of Cambridge delivered a baby boy Monday afternoon, an event analysts said would be "overwhelmingly positive" for the U.K. economy. The child of the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Prince William will be third-in-line to the throne. Middleton gave birth in the private wing of Saint Mary's hospital in London.The boy, whose name was not immediately revealed, weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces.

US Futures Get Lift from DuPont, Travelers Earnings

U.S. stock index futures moved higher on Tuesday as the busiest day so far of earnings season kicked into gear. Dow component DuPont reported profit that beat expectations by a penny and said it is exploring selling its performance chemicals unit. The news sent shares up more than 2 percent in premarket trading. While dozens of companies are reporting, the greatest anticipation is being saved for Apple, which Wall Street expects to show a $7.32 per share profit and $35 billion in revenue an in after-the-bell report. Shares edged higher in the morning. Apple's sales are closely watched for what they say about the broader industry. Technology has been one of the most disappointing sectors so far, with results fromMicrosoft, Google, and Intel missing analysts' forecasts.

Breaking News: UPS posts earnings of $1.13 a share, matching estimates!

UPS posts earnings of $1.13 a share, matching estimates!
Analysts had expected the company to report earnings excluding items of $1.13 a share on $13.59 billion in revenue, according to a consensus estimate.

Europe Shares Mixed

 European shares were mixed in morning trade on Thursday, even as they continued to stabilize after a heavy sell-off last week, and as investors looked ahead to unemployment data due out from Germany. The FTSEurofirst 300 Index was higher following gains in the U.S. and Asia.

EU Strikes Deal on Who Will Pay for Bank Bailouts

Finance ministers from the European Union reached a deal in the early hours of Thursday to set up rules about who would have to foot the bill for any future bank bailouts to avoid costs to tax payers. According to the new rules, shareholders, bondholders and depositors with more than 100,000 euros ($132,000) could end up sharing the burden of saving a bank. Analysts say the negotiations on how to deal with bank failures are crucial to restoring confidence in the euro zone, which has been hit hard by a debt crisis, and the deal helps pave the way towards establishing a banking union in the single-currency bloc.

Italy Faces Restructured Derivatives Hit

Italy risks potential losses of billions of euros on derivatives contracts it restructured at the height of the euro zone crisis, according to a confidential report by the Rome Treasury that sheds more light on the financial tactics that enabled the debt-laden country to enter the euro in 1999.

US First-Quarter GDP Gets a Haircut, Rises 1.8%

U.S. economic growth was more tepid than previously estimated in the first quarter, held back by a moderate pace of consumer spending, weak business investment and declining exports. Gross domestic product expanded at a 1.8 percent annual rate, the Commerce Department said in its final estimate on Wednesday. Output was previously reported to have risen at a 2.4 percent pace after a 0.4 percent stall speed in the fourth quarter.

Futures Hold Gains After GDP Report

U.S. stock index futures held their gains across the board Wednesday even after the final read on first-quarter gross domestic product came in weaker than expected. The U.S. GDP expanded at a tepid 1.8 percent annual rate, according to the Commerce Department in its final estimate, cut from a previously reported 2.4 percent pace.

More Pain Ahead for Britons as New Cuts Unveiled

Britain's finance minister George Osborne unveiled his plans for another round of government spending cuts on Wednesday as he tried to keep his deficit reduction drive on track despite stiff opposition to his policies. Osborne unveiled details of 11.5 billion pounds ($17.7 billion) of spending cuts during a parliamentary speech in London.

Moody's rating agency's double notch downgrade of Slovenia to junk status puts the country, already in a precarious condition, firmly in the spotlight again. Concerns are rising that the heavily-indebted country may be next inline for a bailout from international creditors, but some analysts believe Moody's bleak prognosis is not

Car Bomb Explosion in Damascus Kills 13 people

A car bomb in central Damascus killed at least 13 people, Syria’s state television reported, a day after Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi survived a bomb attack in the capital. More than 70 people were wounded in the explosion in the Marjeh district, according to the report. The device detonated at the gate of the country’s old Interior Ministry building,

US Home Prices Rise Most Since May 2006

U.S. single-family home prices rose more than expected in February, posting their best annual increase since May 2006 in a fresh sign the housing recovery remains on track, a closely watched survey showed on Tuesday. The S&P/Case-Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas gained

Stocks Mixed After Euro Zone Data

European shares were mixed in morning trade on Tuesday as a raft of economic data was released for the euro zone. The FTSEurofirst 300 Index was slightly higher as inflation and unemployment data, as well as a series of earnings releases, sent stock markets in different directions. Inflation data for the euro zone showed a fall to 1.2 percent, a three year-low. The bloc's unemployment data reached a record high of

ECB Rate Cut Just Became Even More Likely

The odds of a rate cut by the European Central Bank (ECB) increased significantly on Tuesday after euro zone inflation eased to 1.2 percent in April, the lowest level since February 2010. To give you an idea of just how important that number is,economists were expecting inflation of 1.6 percent and the reading for March was 1.7 percent.

Former fashion jewelry saleswoman Rebecca Gonzales and former Chief Executive Officer Ron Johnson have one thing in common: J.C. Penney Co. (JCP) no longer employs either. The similarity ends there. Johnson, 54, got a compensation package worth 1,795 times the average wage and benefits of a U.S. department store worker when he was hired in

Pfizer Earnings Miss, Pressured by Stronger Dollar

Pfizer reported quarterly earnings and revenue that missed analysts' expectations on Tuesday, citing the stronger dollar and the spin-off of its animal health unit Zoetis. The largest U.S. drugmaker also trimmed its full-year guidance. The company said it now expects full-year earnings, excluding items, of $2.14

US Consumers Keep Spending, Despite Reduced Pay

This year got off to a sour start for U.S. workers: Their pay, already gasping to keep pace with inflation, was suddenly shrunk by a Social Security tax increase. Which raised a worrisome question: Would consumers stop spending and further slow the economy? Nope. Not yet, anyway. On Friday, the government said consumers spent 3.2 percent more on an annual basis in the January-March

Italy's New Government Passes First Market Test

Italy's ten-year borrowing costs fell on Monday to the lowest point since October 2010 after the country's new prime minister named his cabinet over the weekend, ending two months of political deadlock in Italy. Italy's new economy minister will present his economic plan to parliament later on Monday,

Brent slips to $103, narrows spread with WTI

Brent crude eased to $103 a barrel on Friday after rising $3 in the past two sessions, with investors cautious over the tepid outlook for growth in the world's two largest oil consumers, the United States and China. Brent is set for its biggest weekly gain since November, but is still 7 percent off levels at the start of April after a string of disappointing data stoked fears of global economic slowdown. 

Samsung's New Galaxy S4 Hits Supply Snags in US

Supply issues have snarled the U.S. rollout of Samsung's latest flagship smartphone, which will go on sale at carriers Sprint and T-Mobile later than expected, the wireless service providers said on Wednesday. Samsung attributed the disruption to unexpectedly strong demand for the Galaxy S4, the South Korean company's direct challenge to Apple iPhone.

Spain Unemployment Rate Hits Record 27.16% in First Quarter

Unemployment in Spain jumped to a record 27.2 percent, data showed on Thursday, fuelling a European debate over whether to ditch austerity policies and switch to reviving economic growth. More than 6 million Spaniards were out of work in the first three months of this year, raising the rate in the euro zone's fourth biggest economy to a level unseen since records began in the 1970s.

UPS Earnings Beat on Growth in Exports

United Parcel Service reported quarterly earnings that topped analysts' forecasts on Thursday, helped by improvement in ground and export shipments. Immediately after the earnings announcement, the company's shares fell slightly in pre-market trading. As cost-conscious consumers shift from air express to slower and cheaper modes of shipping, UPS's stronger North American domestic network puts it in a better position than rival FedEx, which focuses more international air shipments. 

Jobless Claims Drop More Than Expected, Down by 16,000 to 339,000

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, offering reassurance that the bottom is not falling out of the labor market despite signs of slower growth. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 339,000 the Labor Department said on Thursday. The prior week's number was revised to show 3,000 more applications than previously reported. 

Asian shares rise, weak U.S. data undermines dollar

Asian shares rose on Thursday, with recovering commodities and views that a run of weak global economic data will encourage major central banks to keep or deepen their monetary stimulus improving risk sentiment, but weak data undermined the dollar. European stock markets were seen subdued, with financial spreadbetters predicting London's FTSE 100 .FTSE, Paris's CAC-40 .FCHI and Frankfurt's DAX .GDAXI would open narrowly mixed between a 0.1 percent rise and a 0.1 percent drop. U.S. stock futures ESc1 were up 0.1 percent, hinting at a calm Wall Street open. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 0.7 percent, with Hong Kong shares .HSI rising 1.1 percent and hitting a three-week high, spurred by recovering commodity prices and positive quarterly earnings from China Minsheng Bank, the country's seventh-largest lender. 

ECB says ditching austerity would not help euro zone

ECB policymakers rebuffed suggestions that Europe should ease up on austerity and said that while the central bank has room to cut interest rates, such a move would not necessarily help the economy much. European Central Bank Vice-President Vitor Constancio said that seeking to stimulate economies by stopping measures aimed at cutting government debt could merely increase countries' borrowing costs rather than triggering growth. 

ECB Rate Cut Could Bring Big 'Disappointment'

Expectations are rising that the European Central Bank (ECB) will announce a rate cut when it meets next week. But according to analysts the move is likely to have a limited impact and could in fact end up being a disappointment. 

U.S stock pare gains after durable goods orders

U.S. stock index futures shaved their early gains following a weaker-than-expected durable goods orders report and as Apple shares weighed.

“Mars One”, kërkohen vullnetarë për të jetuar në Mars

Misioni “Mars One” ka filluar zyrtarisht kërkimet për vullnetarë të cilët do të fluturojnë dhe do jetojnë në planetin e kuq. Në një konferencë për mediat në Nju Jork, Shefi Ekzekutiv i kompanisë Bas Lansdorp, bëri thirrjen publike për të gjithë ata persona që janë të interesuar për të fluturuar drejt Marsit.