Weak recent inflation readings are a worry and suggest the Federal Reserve will make only "uneven" and slow progress toward its 2-percent goal, said Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan.

Looking ahead, consumers were somewhat less upbeat than in April, but overall remain optimistic that the economy will continue expanding into the summer months

Ongoing trade and diplomatic relations between Southeast Asian countries and North Korea could hurt Washington's efforts to stop international engagement with the rogue nation.

The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index hit 97.1 for its final reading in May. Economists expected the index to reach 97.5, according to a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate, down from a preliminary reading of 97.7.

The proposed cuts are expected to be shared again by non-OPEC producers later on Thursday. Led by Russia, non-OPEC producers had initially curbed output in conjunction with OPEC in a landmark deal for the first half of the year from January.

Moody's Investors Service on Wednesday downgraded China's credit rating to A1 from Aa3, changing its outlook to stable from negative, citing concerns efforts to support growth will spur debt growth across the economy.

the integration of measures to fight climate change into economic policy will aid economic growth, both in the medium and long term.

A new mining boom may be just around the corner in Mongolia, mining industry executives said, as it moves to open nearly 21 percent, a bit more than one-fifth, of the country for exploration to shore up its finances following an IMF-led bailout.

Egypt's central bank raised its key interest rates by 200 basis points on Sunday, confounding the expectations of economists who saw rates unlikely to change, but in line with recent IMF statements.

The flurry of claims by funds who profit from falling share prices is raising concern over whether this is the beginning of a new wave of short attacks on Chinese groups.

Paul Mortimer-Lee, global head of market economics and chief economist for the U.S. at BNP Paribas, says that "fiscal policy is really the game in Japan."

American industry expanded production last month at the fastest pace in more than three years as manufacturers and mines recovered from a March downturn.

U.S. homebuilders are expecting stronger sales ahead, but mortgage applications for newly built homes don't currently support that hope.

"Significant long-term problems" such as high debt levels and limited central bank power "that are likely to create a squeeze." Required payments for social programs including pensions and health care are also increasing.

Europe will press the US and China for tougher world trade rules in a fresh effort to fend off the inequalities of globalisation that have been seized on by hard-right nationalists such as Marine Le Pen of France.

U.S. import prices increased more than expected in April amid rising costs for petroleum products and a range of other goods, which could help boost domestic inflation.

Asia-Pacific's long-term growth outlook remains the strongest in the world, but the medium-term picture is weighed down by an aging population and sluggish productivity, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned in a new report on Tuesday.

Since the financial crisis, the economy has never been called robust, but it may be in the longest expansion on record, with a couple more years to go.

Trade is going to find ways and means — either by way of multilateral arrangements, plurilateral arrangements, or bilateral arrangements — of moving forward

The U.S. trade deficit improved slightly in March amid broad declines in both imports and exports, government data showed on Thursday.

The real estate market is signaling stronger sales ahead as homebuyers finally returned to the mortgage market after two weeks of weakening during the height of the spring housing season.

Ford reports weaker than expected April sales Ford reports weaker-than-expected April sales 16 Hours Ago | 00:30 Ford, Nissan, General Motors and Toyota all reported U.S. sales declines in April, strong signs that demand for cars, trucks and SUVs is starting to slow after seven straight years of growth.

Economic activity in the manufacturing industry didn't expand as much as economists had anticipated for the month of April, data from The Institute for Supply Management revealed on Monday.