ECONOMY & MARKETS

Italy plans to set aside more than 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion) until 2030 to boost domestic chip manufacturing as it seeks to attract more investment from tech companies such as Intel, a draft decree seen by Reuters showed on Tuesday.

Global inflation-protected bond ETFs have seen huge outflows this year, despite rising inflation levels, as investors prepare for price pressures to be tamed eventually by central banks.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's plan to end the loose money policies used to fight the pandemic is facing an unexpectedly early test as the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses new economic and financial risks already being felt in global markets.

Factories around the world sustained a brisk recovery in February amid signs the Omicron coronavirus variant was having less of an impact, but the Ukraine crisis has rapidly emerged as a risk to supply chains and is likely to exacerbate cost pressures.

Australia's trade performance last quarter was much less of a drag on the economy than first thought implying upside risk for growth, even as imports outstripped exports and hefty dividend payments flowed offshore.

The euro hit its lowest level against the U.S. dollar since June 2020 on Tuesday and the Russian rouble was down in volatile trading as Russia's invasion into Ukraine intensified and oil prices surged.

The euro hit its lowest against the U.S. dollar since June 2020 on Tuesday and the Russian rouble was down in volatile trading as Russia's invasion into Ukraine intensified and oil prices surged.

The rouble tried to regain some stability on Tuesday after its crash to an all-time low, while the U.S.

The rouble stabilised somewhat on Tuesday after its crash to an all-time low, while the safe-haven yen and Swiss franc were steady after their biggest rallies in almost seven weeks with traders focused squarely on the developing crisis in Ukraine.

American big brands including Apple, Google, Ford and Harley-Davidson on Tuesday stopped sales and distanced themselves from Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine, joining a growing list of companies from shippers to car makers to energy companies shunning the country.

The world's biggest shipping lines MSC and Maersk on Tuesday suspended container shipping to and from Russia, deepening the country's isolation as its invasion of Ukraine sparks an exodus of international companies.

Shipping giant Maersk will temporarily halt all container shipping to and from Russia, deepening the country's isolation as its invasion of Ukraine sparks an exodus of Western companies.

More Western companies are expected to pull out of Russia on Tuesday, as corporations and investors across industries follow the lead of energy firms BP and Shell that abandoned multi-billion-dollar positions after the invasion of Ukraine.

South Korea's trade sector swung back to a surplus in February from a record deficit a month earlier, powered by stronger-than-expected growth in exports, but the recovery faces some risks from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

South Korea's exports grew for a 16th straight month in February and at a faster pace than expected, with the trade balance in goods swinging back to the positive territory.

Malaysia's central bank will wait until the third quarter before raising interest rates from a record low to support an uneven economic recovery, according to a Reuters poll of economists who predicted higher rates by year-end than in a survey conducted in January.

Australian home prices extended their long ascent in February, though Sydney saw the first dip in 17 months as a rush of supply, rising mortgage rates and stretched affordability cooled the market.

Over the last five years Yokohama-based Lasertec Corp has delivered what much of Japan Inc hasn't in decades: big pay rises.

Money managers are scanning roiled global markets for bargains after unprecedented Western sanctions propelled Russia into a full-blown crisis, sent oil prices soaring and put monetary policy bets in flux.

The cost of raising U.S. dollar funds in the euro swaps market rose sharply on Monday after Western nations ramped up sanctions against Russia over the weekend, including blocking some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system.

The cost of raising U.S. dollar funds in the euro swaps market rose sharply on Monday after Western nations ramped up sanctions against Russia over the weekend, including blocking some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system.

British banking group HSBC, France's Societe Generale and South Korean lenders are winding down relationships with a host of Russian banks, as they put Western sanctions against Russia into practice.

Banks around the world were winding down relationships with a host of Russian banks as they put Western sanctions against Russia into practice, while funds and exchanges also pulled back and Citigroup disclosed billions of dollars of exposure.

The U.S. trade deficit in goods widened sharply to a record high in January amid an increase in imports as businesses continued to replenish depleted inventories.

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on Russia's central bank and other sources of wealth, dealing a crushing blow to the country's economy and further punishing Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

The S&P 500 ended lower after a volatile session on Monday, with investors wrestling with uncertainty and bank stocks dropping following powerful Western sanctions against Russia as it continued its invasion of Ukraine.

Investors further reduced bets on Monday for interest rate hikes from major central banks this year, as the West ramped up sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine, creating fresh uncertainty about the world economic outlook.

Investors further scaled back bets on Monday for interest rate hikes from major central banks this year as the West ramped up sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine, unleashing fresh uncertainty about the world economic outlook.

Japan's economic growth will likely grind to a near halt this quarter as coronavirus curbs and supply disruptions threaten to derail the country's economic recovery, a Reuters poll of economists showed on Monday.