WSJ Economy

Consumers’ economic mood recovered slightly in December but remained broadly gloomy as households face drawn-out inflation and a frustrating labor market for job seekers.

Sales hit their highest level since February, after lower mortgage rates injected some fresh momentum into the long sluggish housing market.

The bank is loosening the restraints to prevent the economy from overheating as the government spends heavily on its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and workers become scarce.

Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the signature was pushed out to January to give a few more weeks to address some outlying issues with member states.

Sterling was flat against the dollar and the euro, but Convera said it looked vulnerable due to the prospect of further BOE rate cuts, reinforced by the weaker-than-expected retail sales data.

Economic uncertainty and a jump in the desire to save rather than spend drove sentiment to a 21-month low.

Rate rises in Japan ripple through global markets and might even push up the cost of borrowing in the U.S.

Japan’s consumer inflation remained well above the central bank’s 2% target in November, providing further justification for a widely anticipated interest-rate hike later on Friday.

Calculating housing costs presented one of the thorniest challenges—and they make up a huge portion of the price index.

Consumer prices rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier, according to a delayed government report, slowing from 3% in September.

The central bank votes 4-1 to lower the benchmark rate target to 7% from 7.25%.

Activity at factories in the central U.S. eked out growth in December, cooling from last month’s activity as production and labor-market measures dragged.

Manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia region slipped further into negative territory in December, disappointing expectations of an uptick despite a rise in new orders and shipments.

The BOE is moving in step with the Fed rather than many of its peers in Europe.

The key industry for the country was track to book a fall over a year marked by a sharp impact from U.S. trade tariffs.

Norges Bank held its key policy rate at 4% and reconfirmed plans to slowly ease monetary policy in the coming years.

The current policy rate will help strengthen economic activity and allow inflation to stabilize close to the 2% target in the medium term, policymakers said.

With the island’s economy growing strongly thanks to global AI demand, and domestic inflation stable, the central bank has space to remain on the sidelines.

The economy grew 1.1%, surpassing expectations and confirming that a solid recovery driven by aggressive interest rate cuts is now underway.

The ratings company cited Paraguay‘s pro-business policies and track record of macroeconomic stability. Its outlook for the country is stable.