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Chinese Industrial Capacity Utilization Slides in Q1

China's industrial capacity utilization rate stood at 73.6% in the first quarter, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics released Thursday.The indicator fell 1.3 percentage points from the fourth quarter, the NBS said.Capacity utilization in the mining sector was 72.1%, while that of the manufacturing sector reached 73.9%, and that of the utilities sector was 71.9%, according to the bureau.Capacity utilization is the ratio of actual output to production capacity, the NBS said.

Shanghai Composite^SZSE

International68d ago

Australia's Unemployment Rate to Average 4.5% Over December Quarter, ANZ Research Says

The higher interest rates and increased economic uncertainty are expected to weigh on labor demand, with the unemployment rate to average 4.5% over the final quarter of the year, ANZ Research said in a note on Thursday.Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 4.3% in March, unchanged from the previous month, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed. The total number of employed people increased by 17,900, bringing the total to 14.8 million.The bank expects to see some softening in the labor market over the coming months in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East.It expects a "subtle shift" in the Reserve Bank of Australia's characterization of labor market conditions following next month's monetary policy board meeting and it expects the central bank will drop the assessment that conditions have tightened recently.

ASX 200

International68d ago

India's Gems and Jewelry Declines 35% in March

India's overall gross exports of gems and jewelry declined sharply by 35.2% in March to $1.78 billion from $27.5 billion a year ago, amid the heightened geopolitical tensions, the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) said in a recent statement.The overall gross imports of gems and jewelry in the reported month, however, rose 16.7% year-on-year to $2.31 billion from $1.98 billion.For the full fiscal year ended March 31, the country's gems and jewelry exports declined 3.3% to $27.7 billion from $28.7 billion a year ago. Meanwhile, the gross imports of gems and jewelry grew 17% to $22.8 billion from $19.5 billion a year earlier.Exports to the US slipped 45% from a year earlier to $5.09 billion from $9.24 billion a year ago, dragged by the disruption of exports for a number of months after the US imposed reciprocal tariffs and later added a further 25% duty on Indian goods.

^BSENifty 50

International68d ago

Employment Growth Trend in Australia Was Positive Before Middle East Conflict Started, Westpac Says

The March labor force data in Australia was broadly in line with expectations, and the trend for employment growth was turning more positive before the onset of the Middle East conflict, Westpac said in a note on Thursday.The lender cautioned that it is too early to expect flow-on effects from the Middle East conflict or from recent interest rate rises to be appearing in labor market measures. The data instead gives a picture of the starting point for the labor market before these forces impact.Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 4.3% in March, unchanged from the previous month, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed. The total number of employed people increased by 17,900, bringing the total to 14.8 million. Westpac's forecast for employment was 25,000.The data provided clarity that lower unemployment rates around the turn of the year were a result of temporarily weaker participation, not a sustained re-tightening, per the note.The bank's baseline forecast assumes an eight-week closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a gradual recovery in shipping and transit afterwards. In such a case, trimmed mean inflation is expected to peak at around 4% on an annual basis in the second half, and the central bank is expected deliver three more rate hikes in May, June, and August.The labor market is likely to be a "lagging indicator" of the economy, and any flow-through from higher fuel prices or global uncertainty is more likely to show up later in the year, Westpac added. It forecast the unemployment rate to lift to a quarter-average of 4.9% and stay around that level over 2027 as interest rate rises impact.

ASX 200

International68d ago

China's Economy Expands 5% in Q1

China's gross domestic product in the first quarter rose 5%, according to Thursday data from the National Bureau of Statistics.The official data beat the 4.8% growth forecasted by Reuters-surveyed analysts.The data was attributed to an acceleration in the growth of the country's production and supply and improving market demand, as well as a rebound in market prices and stable employment.

Shanghai Composite^SZSE

International68d ago

China Logs 1.7% Rise in Q1 Fixed Asset Investment

China's fixed asset investment rose 1.7% year over year to 10.3 trillion yuan in the first three months of the year.Private fixed asset investment decreased 2.2%, according to a Thursday news release by the National Bureau of Statistics.Industrial investment climbed 5.8%, while infrastructure investment increased 8.9%.On a monthly basis, fixed asset investment, excluding rural households, increased 0.5% in March.

Shanghai Composite^SZSE

International68d ago

China's Urban Unemployment Unchanged at 5.4% in Q1

China's urban unemployment rate was unchanged year over year at 5.3% in the first quarter, according to data from China's National Bureau of Statistics.In March, urban unemployment rate was 5.4%. The unemployment rate was 5.4% for domestic laborers and 5.3% for migrant workers.The national average weekly working hours for employees was 48.1 hours.

Shanghai Composite^SZSE

International68d ago

Hong Kong Records HK$2.11 Billion in Land Premiums in Q1 2026

Hong Kong registered 13 lease modifications and two land exchanges in the Land Registry during the first quarter of the year, realizing a total land premium of HK$2.11 billion in the first quarter of 2026, according to figures released by the Lands Department Wednesday.The premium represents a drop of 41% on a quarter-on-quarter basis, but a rise of 2% on an annual basis.

Hang Seng

International68d ago

India's Total Exports Decline 4.58% in March; Trade Deficit Narrows

India's total exports of goods and services declined 4.58% to $74.11 billion in March from $77.67 billion a year ago, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on Wednesday.Total imports also fell 5.76% year-over-year to $76.55 billion in March from $81.22 billion, leading to a trade deficit of $2.44 billion, compared with $3.55 billion a year ago.The country's exports of goods slipped to $38.92 billion in March, from $42.05 billion a year earlier, while services exports were marginally down to $35.20 billion, from $35.63 billion.On the import side, goods imports declined to $59.59 billion in the reported month from $63.74 billion a year earlier, while services imports were down to $16.96 billion from $17.48 billion.

^BSENifty 50

International68d ago

India's Wholesale Price Inflation Accelerates to 3.88% in March

India's wholesale price inflation, measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), rose to 3.88% in March from 2.13% in February, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday.In the same month last year, wholesale inflation was lower at 2.25%.The rise in WPI was attributed to an increase in prices of crude petroleum and natural gas, other manufacturing, non-food articles, the manufacture of basic metals, and food articles, among others.The index for primary articles increased by 6.36% year-on-year to 197.3 in March from 192.9 in the previous month, while fuel and power inflation rose by 1.05% to 153.7 in the reported month from 147.6 in February.Manufactured products, the largest component of the WPI basket, were up by 3.39% to 149.5 in March from 148.2 a month ago.

^BSENifty 50

International68d ago

Australian Consumer Inflation Expectations Rise in April

Australia's consumer inflation expectations rose by 0.7 percentage points in April to 5.9%, driven largely by a recent spike in oil prices, according to the Melbourne Institute Survey of Consumer Inflationary Expectations on Thursday.Trimmed mean measure in April has reached its highest level since November 2022, while trimmed mean wage expectations have remained unchanged over the past five months, the survey added.

ASX 200

International68d ago

Australia's Unemployment Rate Steady at 4.3% in March

Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 4.3% in March, unchanged from the previous month, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed Thursday.The consensus forecast was also for 4.3%, according to Trading Economics.The total number of employed people increased by 17,900, bringing the total to 14.8 million.Employment growth was led by an increase of 53,000 full-time workers in March, which was partly offset by a decrease of 35,000 part-time workers, said Sean Crick, the bureau's head of labor statistics.The participation rate edged down 0.1 percentage points to nearly 67% compared with the previous month. The underemployment rate, which refers to the share of workers who want and are available to work additional hours, was flat at 5.9%.The employment-to-population ratio remained at 64%, the report said. Monthly hours worked across all jobs increased by 9 million hours to 2.02 billion hours in March.

ASX 200

International68d ago

Australia Household Spending Up 2.9% in March, CommBank Says

Australia's household spending rose 2.9% in March, after a 0.4% fall in February, as transport spending surged 22.9%, according to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Household Spending Insights published Thursday.Household spending was up 1%, even excluding transport costs, which were inflated by higher fuel prices, with all 12 categories recording monthly increases, the report added."As expected, the sharp March lift in household spending reflects higher petrol prices as a result of the conflict in the Middle East," CBA Head of Australian Economics Belinda Allen said.The bank expects household spending to slow as real household disposable income growth weakens, easing inflation pressures over time, with the outlook for consumers critical to the movement of interest rates beyond May.Hospitality spending increased 1.2%, and recreation rose 0.9% over the month. Utilities spending rose 6.9% while spending on insurance climbed 2.5%.The bank said that while higher fuel prices initially lifted spending, regional areas are more exposed to prolonged increases given the heavy reliance of agricultural, mining, and freight industries on diesel-intensive operations.Allen added that regional spending is likely to soften if elevated fuel prices persist.

ASX 200

International68d ago

India's Unemployment Rate Rises to 5.1% in March

India's unemployment rate rose to 5.1% in March from from 4.9% in February, driven by the urban unemployment rate, according to government data released by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation on Wednesday.Unemployment in urban areas rose to 6.8% in March from 6.6% in the previous month, while rural unemployment was up at 4.3% in March from the previous month's level of 4.2%.Female unemployment increased to 5.3% in the reported month from 5.1% a month ago. The rural female unemployment rate rose to 4.1% from 4.0%, while the urban female unemployment rate climbed to 9.0% in March from 8.7% in the previous month.The male unemployment rate also rose to 5.0% in March from 4.8% in February. Rural male unemployment rate in March grew to 4.4% from 4.2% in the preceding month, while urban male unemployment rate moved up to 6.1% in the reported month, from 5.9%.India's overall Labour Force Participation Rate slipped to 55.4% in March, compared with 55.9% in the previous month.

^BSENifty 50

International68d ago

Australia's Jobless Rate Remains at 4.3% in March, Participation Rate Slips to About 67%

ASX 200

International69d ago

New Zealand Businesses Experiencing Significant Disruption From Middle East Conflict, Westpac Says

Businesses in New Zealand say they are experiencing considerable disruptions due to the Middle East conflict and the resulting surge in oil prices, Westpac said in a report on Thursday.Much of the momentum observed in economic activity before the war broke out has now stalled, and cost pressures and uncertainty have surged over the past month, according to the report."The impacts of those developments are extending well beyond transport costs, resulting in softer demand, concerns about supply security and increased economic uncertainty," the bank said. "That's on top of the broader pressure on operating costs, prices, and margins."For many industries experiencing sharply higher fuel costs, including transport services, construction materials, forestry, and agriculture, it is currently difficult to pass cost increases on to customers due to a combination of complex pricing arrangements and soft demand, the report said.Fertilizer importers have pointed to a material escalation in supply chain risk amid the conflict's impact on insured shipping capacity, and similar worries are emerging in meat exports, feed imports, and log shipping, "where two-way freight economics are breaking down," the bank said.Westpac flagged forestry as particularly vulnerable, with many operators anticipating a sharp slowdown in harvesting, especially among small to medium-sized crews.Meanwhile, tourism businesses are reporting cancellations and restaurants are reporting a drop in sales as uncertainty generated by the war is driving conservative consumer behavior and a focus on cash preservation, Westpac said.

^NZ50

International69d ago

New Zealand Housing Market Value Rises in March, Says REINZ

New Zealand's nationwide housing market value rose by 0.2% year-on-year in March, with Auckland down 1.2% and areas outside Auckland seeing a modest 1.1% rise, Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) said on Thursday.According to the REINZ House Price Index (HPI), Southland retained the top spot for annual HPI percentage growth over the 12 months, followed by Canterbury and Otago.Canterbury saw a 3.2% year-on-year increase in median sale prices in March, the seventh-strongest annual return among all regions, indicating a market with relatively "middle of the road" long-term performance.However, Canterbury's HPI rose 3.7% over the past year, marking the region's second-best annual performance, with REINZ attributing the difference from median prices to changes in the sales mix and noting that the HPI more accurately reflects underlying property values.

^NZ50

International69d ago

TSX Closer: The Index Continues Its Winning Streak on Bullish Fundamentals

The Toronto Stock Exchange closed higher again on Wednesday, continuing a streak that has seen in rise in all but one of the past 11 sessions as investors, already bullish on market fundamentals even amid geopolitical turbulence, were further buoyed by optimism around the Canadian economy ahead of the federal government's Spring Fiscal Update scheduled for April 28.The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed up 53.63, or 0.15%, to 34,155.99, with most sectors higher and Info Tech, up near 3.6%, leading the way for the third successive day. Industrials, down near 0.9%, was the biggest loser.Tuesday's gains leave the TSX within 400 points of its record close of 34,541.27 hit on March 2. According to FactSet the TSX going in to today was up 4.07% over the past month and up 2,389.60, points or 7.54%, since the start of the year. The index has climbed 36.04% since the Jan.29, 2025 U.S. Inauguration Day.With the 2026 provincial budget season largely in the rearview mirror, the only major government left to update its fiscal outlook is the Government of Canada, Desjardins noted.Among highlights in its Federal Spring Economic Statement 2026 Preview, Desjardins said many of the changes since the introduction of Budget 2025 have been in the federal government's favor, particularly in relation to the economy. That, it added, has freed up fiscal room to increase defense spending and transfers to households while still posting an improved deficit and debt outlook relative to the budget.Desjardins said Canada remains one of the "cleanest fiscal dirty shirts" among advanced economies, and investor demand for government debt reinforces that positive sentiment. Desjardins does not expect a credit downgrade is in the Government of Canada's future, "at least not in the near term"."But this shouldn't be taken for granted," Desjardins said, before adding: "Despite the economic tailwind, risks loom on the horizon. These include the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) joint review and rising interest rates. The Government of Canada would be wise to keep some fiscal powder dry in case it needs to confront these risks."Last month, National Bank noted, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem was asked if an oil price shock is net positive or negative for the Canadian economy. Too early to tell was his dissatisfying answer, but he did explain that "the energy sector will do better, while consumers will be more squeezed". According to National Bank, one beneficiary he failed to mention were governments. It said: "Fiscal upside is easy to identify in oil-producing provinces, where crude futures curves imply a significant boost to non-renewable resource revenues. While not directly clipping oil royalties, the federal government stands to benefit too."For resource-rich nations like Canada, National Bank said, rising commodity prices are "a boon" to the terms of trade. All else equal, this boosts the GDP deflator and overall nominal output, which is strongly correlated with government revenue. Even before the Middle East conflict began, National Bank noted, GDP was trending on a higher plane due to economic resilience in 2025 and positive historical revisions. Together, it suggests that 2026 nominal output could be 4%, or $130 billion, higher than the feds assumed in their fall budget, National Bank added.National Bank estimates this GDP surprise is consistent with at least $20 billion in additional revenue in 2026-27, plus some upside to 2025-26. It said extra cash last fiscal year is consistent with Ottawa under-borrowing relative to their DMS plan, and interim fiscal results imply the same. However much upside revenue is realized, one key fiscal benchmark has materially improved. Canada's 2026-27 net debt-to-GDP ratio is tracking 1.6%-pts below the budget plan due to the extra GDP.A natural comparison to this episode, National Bank noted, came in 2022. Back then, surging commodity prices saw an additional $56 billion flow into government coffers relative to earlier plans. National Bank said the windfall will not be as large this time as the demand backdrop is weaker and the basket of commodity prices rising is narrower. "Like four years ago though, it will be difficult to resist spending some of the surprise income. And right on cue, Ottawa temporarily cut federal gas taxes. Still, we'd imagine a government that aims to "spend less" will let some revenue flow to the bottom line."Of commodities, West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed up by a penny Wednesday as U.S. President Trump again declared the war on Iran is near an end while traders continue to scramble for supply with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz keeping a fifth of daily oil demand off the market. WTI crude oil for May delivery closed up US$0.01 to settle at US$91.29 per barrel, while June Brent oil was up US$0.23 to US$95.02.Gold moved lower on Wednesday even as the dollar eased, with the price of the precious metal rangebound amid faltering hopes for lower U.S. interest rates as the war on Iran pushes up energy prices. Gold for May delivery was down US$33.80 to US$4,816.30 per ounce.

S&P/TSX CompositeS&P/TSX Composite$CXY

International69d ago

US Equity Markets Mixed as Investors Weigh Trump's Comments on Ending Iran War Soon

US equity indexes were mixed on Wednesday as investors weighed President Trump's comments on ending the Iran war soon.* Trump said the war with Iran was close to over, telling the world to brace for an "amazing two days."* The New York Federal Reserve's Empire State manufacturing index rose to 11 in April from minus 0.2 in March, above the expectations for a flat print in a Bloomberg-compiled survey.* The National Association of Home Builders' monthly housing market index fell to 34 in April from a revised 38 in March, compared with expectations for 37 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.* May West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell $0.33 to settle at $90.95 per barrel, while June Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $0.03 at $94.76.* Tesla (TSLA) shares were up about 7.6% after CEO Elon Musk said on X the company has completed the tape-out of its AI5 chip and is advancing development of AI6 and Dojo3. Tape-out marks the final design stage before a chip is sent to manufacturing.* Lennox International (LII) shares were down nearly 6.9% after BNP Paribas initiated coverage for the stock at neutral with a $535 price target.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$LII$TSLA

International69d ago

Daily Roundup of Key US Economic Data for April 15

The Empire State index rose to 11.0 in April from minus 0.2 in March, indicating a return to expansion for the first manufacturing reading for the month.Import prices rose by 0.8% in March but were up only 0.1% when a 9.4% jump in petroleum prices was excluded. Import prices were up 0.6% excluding a 2.9% gain in all fuels, which were impacted by a sharp decline in natural gas prices.Export prices rose by 1.6% in March and were up 1.7% excluding a 0.9% gain in agricultural prices.The National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index fell to 34 in April from 38 in March and was below a reading of 40 a year ago. The index was the lowest since September 2025.NAHB said that the decline in builder sentiment can be attributed to economic uncertainty and rising materials costs and interest rates.The Mortgage Bankers Association reported a 1.8% increase in mortgage applications in the week ended April 10 after a 0.8% decrease in the previous week. Refinancing activity rose due to lower mortgage rates while new home applications declined due to continued uncertainty.Total crude oil inventories fell by 5.1 million barrels in the week ended April 10, with commercial oil inventories down 900,000 barrels and stocks in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve down 4.1 million barrels. Gasoline inventories and distillate inventories both decreased last week.

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International69d ago

TSX Closer: The Index Continues Its Winning Streak on Bullish Fundamentals

S&P/TSX CompositeS&P/TSX Composite$CXY