Economy : Page 907

UK public finances improve less than expected in January

February 20, 2016 Government finances improved at the start of the year, buoyed by the typical January rise in tax receipts, albeit by slightly less than economists expected.

U.S. inflation rises more than expected in January

February 19, 2016 U.S. inflation rose more than expected in January as the fall in energy prices eased, the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed.

Financial pressures in UK ease amid sustained low inflation

February 19, 2016 Rising from 43.9 in January to 45.3, the seasonally adjusted Markit UK Household Finance Index (HFI) was consistent with a relatively muted squeeze on finances during February.

Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. declined

February 19, 2016 The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the U.S. declined 0.2 percent in January to 123.2 (2010 = 100).

Brazilian economic activity dropped 4.08%, Standard & Poor cuts rating

February 19, 2016 Economic activity in 2015 was the weakest ever registered by the Brazilian Central Bank.

UK online retail sales more than doubled in January

February 19, 2016 The level of online retail sales growth in the Unted Kingdom more than doubled in January compared to the same month last year.

EU28 current account surplus 11.7 billion euros

February 19, 2016 The EU28 seasonally adjusted external current account recorded a surplus of €11.7 billion in December 2015.

U.S. industrial production increased, housing starts declined

February 18, 2016 U.S. industrial production rose more than expected in January, according to the Federal Reserve.

Singapore's exports decreased 9.9% in January

February 18, 2016 Non-oil domestic exports (NODX) in Singapore decreased last month, hit by another sharp decline in non-electronic exports.

U.S. factory gate prices unexpectedly rise in January

February 18, 2016 Factory gate prices edged higher in January on the back of gains in food prices, coming in above analysts' forecasts.

UK unemployment rate holds steady at 5.1%

February 18, 2016 The UK unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.1% in the three months to December, official data revealed.

India takes down China as fastest growing economy

February 18, 2016 India continued its economic expansion becoming the fastest growing economy of 2015. With a growth rate of 7.5 percent India outpaced China's 6.9 percent.