Bloomberg Prime Minister Mario Draghi goes to Parliament to present details of his 235 billion-euro ($284 billion) plan to re-engineer Italy’s economy that will be a test of the European Union’s (EU’s) post-pandemic recovery fund. Draghi’s plan taps 191.5 billion euros in EU grants and loans plus 30 billion euros in domestic funding and other small amounts of separate EU ...
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German business outlook worsens due to virus, supply squeeze
Bloomberg German businesses unexpectedly became more pessimistic about the economic outlook as the country continues to battle a stubbornly high rate of coronavirus infections and supply constraints weigh on the recovery. The Ifo institute’s gauge of expectations for the next six months fell to 99.5 in April from 100.3. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had predicted a gain. At the same ...
Read More »US business output expands most on record in April
Bloomberg A gauge of output at US manufacturers and service providers reached a record high in April, adding to evidence of stronger demand that’s fuelling inflationary pressures. The IHS Markit flash composite index of purchasing managers at manufacturers and service providers increased to 62.2, the highest in data back to 2009, from 59.7 a month earlier, the group reported. Readings ...
Read More »Finnish cabinet’s future hangs in balance as budget talks sour
Bloomberg Finland’s government is set to resume talks on its economic stance after coming close to a breakup during the weekend. The negotiations intended to hammer out a spending framework for the next four years ended up exposing tensions within the five-party coalition half way through its term. Social Democrat Prime Minister Sanna Marin and the left-leaning parties are pushing ...
Read More »UK payrolls drop for first time in 4 months
Bloomberg The UK labour market weakened unexpectedly, with company payrolls falling for the first time in four months and more people dropping out of the workforce. The number of employees on payrolls fall 56,000 in March, the Office for National Statistics said. The jobless rate falls to 4.9% in the quarter through February because 80,000 people became economically inactive, indicating ...
Read More »Business sentiment rises to third-highest ever in Canada
Bloomberg Business sentiment rises to near record levels at the start of 2021 on an improving outlook for both domestic and foreign demand, according to the Bank of Canada. The results its latest quarterly survey of executives show business conditions continuing to improve, with many firms no longer worried about pandemic uncertainty. Managers reported stronger sales outlooks, investment intentions and ...
Read More »UK economic activity surges at fastest pace in seven years
Bloomberg UK economic activity accelerated at the fastest pace in seven years this month, providing more signs of a strong rebound as the government began allowing stores and restaurants to reopen. A survey of purchasing managers rise in April to its highest level since 2013, and retail sales in March grew the most in nine months. Both indicators beat economist’s ...
Read More »Intel reports 20% drop in data center sales in Q1
Bloomberg Intel Corp., the biggest chipmaker, falls the most in three months after reporting a drop in data center revenue and a steep decline in gross profit margin, a sign it’s losing market share to rivals and customers who are designing their own components. The PC business performed better on continued demand for laptops that run Intel processors. But the ...
Read More »Draghi sees 3.6% economic boost from EU recovery funds
Bloomberg Prime Minister Mario Draghi is seeking to restart Italy’s economy through a plan based on about $241 billion of European Union (EU) funding, with most of the cash allocated to digitalisation and transitioning to green technologies, according to a draft seen by Bloomberg. The windfall from the EU grants and loans will boost gross domestic product (GDP) by at ...
Read More »AT&T explores sale of Rooster Teeth
Bloomberg AT&T Inc is seeking buyers for Rooster Teeth Productions LLC, a piece of its WarnerMedia division, as part of an ongoing winnowing of noncore assets by the phone giant, according to people familiar with the matter. The pandemic has complicated efforts to sell the business, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. ...
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