Business investment in the UK edged up 0.7% in the first quarter, following a revised 2.9% fall in the prior three-month period, according to provisional data from the Office for National Statistics published Thursday.
Analysts expected a 1.1% gain for the quarter.
On a yearly basis, business investment declined 1.8%, compared with the revised 1.8% increase previously.
Hong Kong's March goods export and import volumes rose 28.8% and 34.6% year on year, respectively, the city's Census and Statistics Department said Thursday.Export and import prices rose 5.4% and 5.3% compared with a year earlier, the statement said.For the first quarter of 2026, Hong Kong's goods export and import volumes rose 28.8% and 34.6% year on year, respectively, while prices for both exports and imports rose 4.3%, the department said.
South Korea's money supply increased in March, with the broad money, or M2, rising 0.4% to 4,132.1 trillion won from 4,113.6 trillion won a month earlier, the Bank of Korea said Thursday.M2 is a gauge of the money supply that encompasses cash, demand deposits, and other readily convertible financial instruments.The country's narrow money, or M1, increased 0.7% to 1,368.7 trillion won in the month from 1,358.6 trillion won in February.
Spain's annual inflation eased to 3.2% in April from 3.4% in March, final data from the National Statistics Institute confirmed Thursday.On a monthly basis, consumer prices in Spain were up 0.4%, in line with the initial reading, and against the previous 1.2% jump.The Spanish annual harmonized inflation rate was 3.5%, matching the flash figure and higher than the previous 3.4%. Month over month, harmonized consumer prices grew 0.7%, in line with the initial data, and against the 1.7% increase earlier.Meanwhile, the country's annual core inflation rate eased to 2.8% from 2.9%, confirming the flash figure.