WASHINGTON, May 2 Reuters The U.S. trade deficit narrowed slightly in March as a decline in imports was tempered somewhat by a plunge in exports. The trade deficit contracted 0.1 to 69.4 billion, the Commerce Department39;s Bureau of Economic Analysis said on Thursday. Data for February was revised to show the trade gap widening to […]

PARIS, May 2 Reuters The global economy is growing faster than expected only a few months ago thanks to resilient U.S. activity while inflation is converging more quickly than expected with central banks39; targets, the OECD said on Thursday, upgrading its outlook. The global economy would maintain the 3.1 growth rate seen last year and […]

TOKYO, May 2 Reuters Japanese household spending probably accelerated its pace of declines in March, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday, underscoring the difficulties facing policymakers keen to engineer selfsustaining economic growth and normalise monetary policy. March household spending could fall 2.4 from the same month a year earlier, compared with the prior month39;s 0.5 […]

LONDON, May 2 Reuters The ongoing downturn in euro zone manufacturing activity deepened in April due to crumbling demand despite factories cutting prices, pushing firms to reduce headcount again, a survey showed on Thursday. HCOB39;s final euro zone manufacturing Purchasing Managers39; Index PMI, compiled by SP Global, fell to 45.7 in April from March39;s 46.1, […]