International News
US close: Wall Street closes in the green as earnings season peaks
Wall Street bounced back quickly but modestly on Thursday as the peak day of the earnings season was rather mixed, with investors still getting over their disappointment over White House tax cut plans the previous day.
Shift in 'forward guidance' was not discussed on Thursday, ECB chief Draghi says
European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi left the door open to further policy easing, sending the euro slightly lower, albeit while noting that the balance of risks had moved towards a "more balanced configuration".
ECB policy decision - Analysts react
"In June we expect a change to a less dovish and more symmetric forward guidance that would open the door for depo rate hikes in 2018. In particular, we would expect modifications possibly to both the forward guidance on rates and on QE by removing the explicit reference in the statement to a scenario with lower rates and/or higher QE. " - Philippe Gudin, Antonio Garcia Pascual, Barclays Research.
FX round-up: Sterling sails higher on UK retail data, ECB rate call
Sterling sailed higher on most key crosses Thursday as investors liked the currency after pleasing UK retail data, European Central Bank holding interest rates and last night's US tax-reform disappointment.
Europe close: ECB pours cold water on expectations of policy shift
European stocks declined for the first time in seven days despite the European Central Bank sounding a more confident note on the single currency bloc's economy.
London close: Resources weakness, US tax-reform hangover and ex-divs punish FTSE
Equities in London were punished lower on Thursday as pronounced weakness among mining and oil majors, a US tax-reform hangover, and a bundle of ex-dividend shares all told against the FTSE.
United Airlines to offer up to $10K to passengers affected by overbooking
Under-fire US carrier United Airlines has said it will change its overbooking policy so that any passengers asked to give up their seat could be reimbursed as much as $10,000.
Merkel warns UK not to approach Brexit talks with "illusions"
German chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that British people should not harbour "illusions" about the country's fate in the aftermath of Brexit.
US pending home sales drop less than expected in March
US pending home sales fell less than expected in March, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.
US open: Stocks edge higher despite doubts over Trump tax plans
Stocks managed to hold onto slight gains at the open as investors continued to mull over the White House's tax cut plans announced the night before amid a barrage of largely as expected economic data.
US initial jobless claims unexpectedly rise
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, according to data from the Labor Department.
Brent futures drop after as Libya's Sharara oilfield comes back online
Crude oil futures dropped following a report that a key oilfield in Libya had restarted production.
Orders for US durable goods edge past forecasts in April
Orders for goods made to last more than three years edged past forecasts on the back of stronger demand for military aircraft.
Analysts divided on Trump tax cut proposals
Economists were optimistic that some form of tax relief would pass Congress in 2017, despite the lack of detail in the White House's proposals announced overnight.
Trump backtracks on Nafta withdrawal vow in favour of renegotiation
US President Donald Trump has ruled out the departure of the country from the North American Free Trade Agreement, despite previously pledging to withdraw from the deal.
ECB keeps all rates on hold, leaves door open to further easing
The European Central Bank kept all its policy interest rates unchanged, reiterating that rates might yet go lower still and that quantitative easing could be extended beyond the current scheduled end-date of December 2017, if necessary.
Asia report: Most markets higher as investors digest Trump tax plan
Most markets in Asia were higher on Thursday, as investors brushed off a lower session on Wall Street overnight after the Trump administration revealed more details on the tax plan the President wants to implement.
US pre-open: Stocks seen flat as investors continue to mull tax reforms
US futures pointed to a muted open on Wall Street on Thursday as investors continued to mull over President Trump's tax reform plans, ahead of more earnings releases.
Wealthy people should be ineligible for pensions, OECD says
State pensions in the UK should not be handed out to wealthy people in order to ensure that benefits for those on the lower end of the pay scale can be given out, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has said.
German consumer confidence strengthens more than forecast in May
Germans were in more buoyant spirits in April amid significant increases in income expectations and for the economy with further improvement expected, the results of a widely-followed survey showed.