Hong Kong CNN — China’s economy grew at least 4.4% in 2022, according to leader Xi Jinping, a figure much stronger than many economists had expected. But the current Covid wave may hobble growth in the months ahead. China’s annual GDP is expected to have exceeded 120 trillion yuan ($17.4 trillion) last year, Xi said … Read more
London CNN — Brits hoping for a new-year salary bump to offset soaring food and energy costs may be disappointed. The average British worker’s pay in 2023 is expected to fall back to 2006 levels once inflation is taken into account, according to PwC. Real wages, which factor in inflation, are expected to fall by … Read more
Japan’s core consumer inflation hit a fresh four-decade high as companies continued to pass on rising costs to households, data showed, a sign price hikes were broadening and could keep the central bank under pressure to whittle down massive stimulus. Months before Tuesday’s surprise tweak to its yield control policy, Bank of Japan (BOJ) policymakers … Read more
Mortgage rates dropped again this week, after plunging nearly half a percentage point last week. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.58% in the week ending November 23, down from 6.61% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. A year ago, the 30-year fixed rate was 3.10%. Mortgage rates have risen throughout most of 2022, spurred … Read more
London CNN Business — The UK government is hiking a windfall tax on oil and gas companies and extending the levy to electricity generators, as it scrambles to balance its budget amid an economic downturn. It is also investing in nuclear power for the first time in decades. UK finance minister Jeremy Hunt announced the … Read more
New York CNN Business — Target’s profit plunged 52% in the third quarter and the retailer warned of a sluggish holiday. Target blamed inflation and a deteriorating economic outlook for its miserable quarter — and also lowered its outlook for the rest of the year. That sent shares down more than 12% in premarket trading. … Read more
A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here. You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link. New York CNN Business — Tuesday’s midterm elections come at a time of economic vulnerability for the United … Read more
London CNN Business — The Bank of England raised interest rates by three quarters of a percentage point on Thursday, the biggest hike in 33 years, as it tries to contain soaring inflation even as the UK economy slides towards a recession that could last two years. The central bank made its eighth interest rate … Read more
Minneapolis CNN Business — The US economy grew last quarter, bouncing back after shrinking in the first half of the year — but there are indications that consumer spending, which powers the US economy, is starting to soften. Gross domestic product — the broadest measure of economic activity — rose by an annualized rate of … Read more
London CNN Business — Rishi Sunak, Britain’s third prime minister in seven weeks, took office on Tuesday with a pledge to fix the “mistakes” of predecessor Liz Truss and tackle a “profound economic crisis.” The task won’t be an easy one, he acknowledged. “This will mean difficult decisions to come,” Sunak said in his first … Read more