Retail sales in Switzerland rose 0.1% month over month in real terms in April, after a revised 0.3% gain in March, the country's Federal Statistical Office said Monday.
On a yearly basis, seasonally adjusted retail sales were 1.6% higher, compared with the revised 1.3% jump earlier and the consensus estimate of a 0.2% growth.
The United States Treasury and the State Bank of Vietnam agreed to continue close policy consultations, reaffirming under IMF rules that neither nation will manipulate exchange rates or the international monetary system for competitive advantage, according to a joint statement on Friday.They also stressed that macroprudential tools, capital flow measures and sovereign investment activities must not be used to target currency levels, while FX intervention may be applied only to manage volatility and support macroeconomic stability.The two sides highlighted the importance of transparency in exchange rate policy. Vietnam's central bank committed to publishing annual data on net FX purchases, reserves and forward positions in line with IMF standards starting in 2027.
Australia's Index of Commodity Prices rose 1.3% in May when measured in special drawing rights terms on a monthly average basis, after a 0.3% decrease in April, the Reserve Bank of Australia reported Monday.The rural, non-rural, and base metal sub-indices all increased in the month.In Australian dollar terms, the index inched down 0.1% in the month and rose by 6.1% over the past year, per the report.The index climbed by 16.8% in special drawing rights terms when compared with the past year, per the report. Higher lithium, coking coal, and rural commodity prices offset falls in iron ore and gold.Using spot prices for the bulk commodities index, the index was up 1% in special drawing rights terms in May, to be 18.1% higher over the past year.
Germany's retail sales dropped 0.3% month over month in real terms in April, consistent with the revised 0.3% decline in March, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office published Monday.Analysts expected a 0.4% decrease for the month.On a yearly basis, Germany's retail sales were also 0.3% lower, compared with the revised 0.2% fall earlier.