Global economic update
Highlights of the past week, from central bank policies to trade and currency trends.
July 24, 2017
U.S.: Initial jobless claims fell by 15,000 to 233,000 in the week.
AUSTRALIA: The unemployment rate remained essentially flat in June.
CHINA: Retails sales jumped 11.0% from a year ago in June.
CHINA: Industrial production climbed 7.6% in June.
U.K.: Producer price inflation increased 3.3% year over year in June.
CANADA: Manufacturing sales grew 1.1% in May.
U.S.: Housing starts surged 8.3% in June.
U.S.: The Conference Board Leading Economic Index jumped in June.
GERMANY: Producer prices rose 2.4% in June.
CANADA: Retail sales grew 0.6% in May.
U.K.: The CPI 12-month inflation rate fell to 2.6% in June, from 2.7% in May.
EUROZONE: Annual inflation slipped to 1.3% in June from 1.4% in May.
JAPAN: The Bank of Japan cut its inflation forecast through 2019.
CANADA: The CPI rose 1.0% in June.
U.S.: The dollar fell to a 10-month low versus other major currencies due to uncertainty around the Federal Reserve's policy tightening and health-care reform efforts.
GERMANY: The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment fell slightly in July.
U.S.: Both import and export prices declined in June.
JAPAN: Japan posted a trade surplus in June.
AUSTRALIA: The RBA noted an improving labor market and stronger public investment in its July meeting minutes.
JAPAN: The Bank of Japan kept its monetary policy steady.
EUROZONE: The European Central Bank decided to maintain its benchmark interest rates.