Financial News · Live Terminal

Correction: UK's Monthly GDP Rises 0.5% in February

(Corrects reference to the analyst expectations in the second paragraph)The UK's gross domestic product expanded 0.5% month over month in February, following a revised 0.1% growth in January, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday.The reading compares with analysts' expectations of a 0.1% increase for the month.On a yearly basis, the British economy grew 1%, against the prior revised 0.7% increase and the market forecast of a 0.6% jump.

Hang SengNikkei 225Shanghai Composite

Persian Gulf, China Economic Outlooks Lift Asian Stock Markets

Asian stock markets marched unevenly higher Thursday, as traders reviewed major economic reports from Beijing, and prospects for peace in the Middle East.Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Taiwan and Tokyo exchanges finished in the green, although other regional exchanges edged lower.In Japan, the Nikkei 225 opened higher and rose to the close, up 2.4% as traders weighed media reports of possibly renewed Tehran-Washington peace talks.The benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 1,384.10 to 59,518.34, as gaining issues outnumbered losers 158 to 64.Leading the upside was gadget maker TDK, up 13.1%, while heavy-equipment manufacturer Komatsu declined 5.4%.In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened higher and tracked north, closing up 1.7%, after Beijing released a slate of generally good economic reports. Tech issues led the upside.The broad gauge Hang Seng rose 446.94 to 26,394.26 as gaining issues outnumbered losers 61 to 26. The Hang Seng TECH Index gained 3.7% on the day, while the Mainland Properties Index rose 1.2%.Leading the upside was Contemporary Amperex Technology, gaining 9%, while noodle maker Tingyi declined 3.5%.On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite rose 0.7% to 4,055.55.In economic news, mainland China's Q1 gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 5% on year, meeting Beijing's target, reported the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).Additionally, China's industrial output rose 5.7% on year in March, while retail sales lifted a tempered 1.7% in the same period.China's new home prices across 70 cities fell 3.4% on-year in March 2026, widening from a 3.2% decline in the previous month, reported the NBS.On the other regional exchanges, the S. Korean KOSPI rose 2.2%; the Taiwan TWSE added 1.1%; the Australian ASX 200 lost 0.3%; the Singapore Straits Times Index slipped 0.3%, and the Thai Set fell 1.1%. In late trading in Mumbai, the Sensex was down 0.2%.The MSCI All Country Asia Pacific Index rose 1.2% on the day.

Eurozone's Annual Inflation Rate Climbs to 2.6% in March, Final Data Shows

Annual inflation in the euro area climbed to 2.6% in March from 1.9% in February, according to final data from Eurostat published Thursday.The final reading is higher than the flash estimate of 2.5%.On a monthly basis, consumer prices were 1.3% higher, compared with the preliminary reading of 1.2%.Excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, the annual inflation rate came in at 2.3%, in line with the initial reading but below the previous month's 2.4%. Month over month, core consumer prices were 0.8% higher, matching the preliminary estimate.

^SXXP

Hong Kong Exports, Imports Grow in February

Hong Kong's total exports grew 19.5% year over year in February while imports increased 23.9% year over year, according to data from the city's census and statistics department released Thursday.Exports during the first two months of the year rose by 25% while imports were 29.1% higher when compared to a year earlier.Prices of exports during February jumped 4.2% while that of imports inched up 4.3%. For the first two months of the year, prices of exports increased by 3.6% while import prices gained 3.7%.

Hang Seng

Italian Annual Inflation Rate Confirmed at 1.7% in March, Final Data Shows

As expected, Italy's annual inflation rate rose to 1.7% in March from 1.5% in February, final data from statistics agency Istat showed Thursday.On a monthly basis, consumer prices were up 0.5%, in line with the flash figure, against the prior 0.7% gain.The Italian harmonized inflation rate stood at 1.6% on an annual basis, compared with the preliminary and previous 1.5%. Month over month, harmonized consumer prices were 1.7% higher, against the initial estimate of a 1.6% increase and the 0.5% rise earlier.

^SXXP

China's Audiovisual Users Hit 1.1 Billion in 2025

China's online audiovisual sector now leads all internet apps with 1.10 billion users as of December 2025, according to the China Netcasting Services Association.Market size hit 1.29 trillion yuan, up 5.3% year over year. Enterprises exceeded 800,000 enterprises, with 87.8% being micro-firms.Short videos continued to see growth in users and usage rate, with 44.6% of new users using them as their main entry point. Daily viewing averages 201 minutes.Artificial intelligence-generated clips surged 14-fold to 2 billion.

China's Trade-In Programs Generate 502.94 Billion Yuan in Sales

China's consumer goods trade-in programs generated 502.94 billion yuan in sales as of April 12, with nearly 69.8 million purchases benefiting, according to the Ministry of Commerce.Auto trade-ins have reached 1.7 million units, fueling 269.44 billion yuan in new vehicle sales.Over 27 million home appliances were traded in, driving 111.09 billion yuan in sales. Digital and smart products added another 122.41 billion yuan from 41.08 million units.In 2025, the consumer goods trade-in programs generated 2.61 trillion yuan in sales across 366 million purchases.

China's Railway Passenger Trips, Freight Volume Rise in Q1

China's railways logged over 1.13 billion passenger trips in the first quarter, up 5.5% from the previous year, according to the National Railway Administration.Freight volumes rose 2.2% year on year to 1.28 billion tonnes. Freight turnover climbed 5.1% to 907.2 billion tonne-kilometers.Railway fixed-asset investment climbed 5.1% to 137.9 billion yuan.

Swiss Monthly Producer, Import Prices Up 0.2% in March

Switzerland's monthly producer and import price index ticked up 0.2% in March, after a 0.3% decline in February, data from the country's Federal Statistical Office showed Tuesday.Analysts expected 0.5% growth for the month, according to Investing.com data.On a yearly basis, Swiss producer and import prices were 2.7% lower, unchanged from the prior month.

^SSMI

UK Monthly Services Output Gains 0.5% in February

Britain's services output edged up 0.5% month over month in February, following a revised 0.1% uptick in January, according to data from the Office for National Statistics published Thursday.On a yearly basis, the index was 1.4% higher, against the revised 1% jump earlier.

British Monthly Construction Output Rises 1% in February

Construction output in the UK increased 1% month over month in February, following a revised 0.5% gain in the previous month, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday.Analysts expected a 0.4% decline for the month, according to Investing.com data.On a yearly basis, construction output was 1% lower, against the revised 1.9% drop earlier and the market forecast from Investing.com of 0.4% decrease.

UK Trade Deficit Declines in Quarter to February

Britain's goods and services trade deficit fell by 300 million pounds sterling to 2.8 billion pounds in the three months to February, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday.The UK's goods trade deficit increased by 1 billion pounds to 57.1 billion pounds, while the services trade surplus grew by 1.3 billion pounds to 54.2 billion pounds.

UK's Monthly Manufacturing Output Edges Down 0.1% in February

The UK's monthly manufacturing production was down 0.1% in February, following a revised 0.2% uptick in the prior month, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday.Analysts expected a 0.3% gain for the month.On a yearly basis, British manufacturing output fell 0.5%, compared with the 1.3% jump earlier and the consensus estimate of a 0.3% dip.

British Monthly Industrial Production Rises 0.5% in February

UK industrial production rose 0.5% month over month in February, following a 0.1% drop in January, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday.Analysts expected a 0.2% growth for the month.On a yearly basis, UK industrial output was 0.4% lower, against the revised 0.5% increase earlier and the consensus estimate of a 0.9% fall.

UK's Monthly GDP Rises 0.5% in February

The UK's gross domestic product expanded 0.5% month over month in February, following a revised 0.1% growth in January, the Office for National Statistics said Thursday.The reading is consistent with analysts' expectations for the month.On a yearly basis, the British economy grew 1%, against the prior revised 0.7% increase and the market forecast of a 0.6% jump.

Market Chatter: ECB to Reportedly Hold Rates Steady in April Meeting Amid Ongoing Iran War

European Central Bank policymakers are inclined to leave interest rates unchanged in April, opting to wait for clarity on the economic impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday.Citing people familiar with the discussion, the news outlet said ECB officials believe current financing conditions are anchoring inflation expectations, rendering a rate hike announcement during the April 29 to April 30 meeting unnecessary for now. The war-driven spike in energy prices sent annual inflation higher to 2.5% across the 21-nation bloc in March.ECB did not immediately respond to a request for comment from.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

^SXXP

International159d ago

China Logs Forex Surplus of $16 Billion in March

Banks in China logged a foreign exchange settlement surplus of $16 billion in March, according to data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange released Wednesday.Chinese banks purchased $257.6 billion and sold $273.6 billion in foreign exchange, the filing said.In renminbi terms, the country's banks held a surplus of 110.3 billion yuan, with forex purchases at 1.889 trillion yuan and sales of 1.779 trillion yuan.

International159d ago

China Industrial Output Slows in March

Chinese industrial output growth slowed to 5.7% in March, down from a growth of 6.3% in the January-February period, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics released Thursday.Industrial output in the year-ago period was 7.7%, the NBS said.Output for the mining sector rose 5.7% year over year, while that of the manufacturing sector jumped 6%, and that of the utilities sector increased 3.5%.

International159d ago

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.