ECONOMY & MARKETS

Hungary's blue-chip stocks slumped on Thursday, with oil and gas group MOL and OTP leading losses after Budapest said it would impose windfall taxes on banks' and companies' "extra profits" to plug a budget gap.

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Thursday the central bank can execute a smooth exit from its ultra-loose monetary policy, though doing so "won't be easy".

Britain announced a 25% windfall tax on oil and gas producers' profits on Thursday, alongside a 15 billion pound ($18.9 billion) package of support for households struggling to meet soaring energy bills.

Britain must pay for increased support to households in a way that does not deter investment, Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay said on Thursday ahead of an expected announcement of new measures to cope with rising energy bills.

Britain must pay for increased support to households in a way that does not deter investment, Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay said on Thursday ahead of an expected announcement of new measures to cope with rising energy bills.

China's property market, a key pillar of the world's second-largest economy, has weakened sharply in the past year as a result of a government clampdown on excessive borrowings by developers, and a COVID-19-induced economic slowdown.

German home prices will rise faster this year than thought only three months ago, as a supply shortage outweighs a deepening cost of living crisis and the prospect of higher interest rates, a Reuters poll found.

The U.S. dollar edged lower on Thursday as markets considered whether the Federal Reserve might slow or even pause its tightening cycle in the second half of the year, which would weaken the allure of the safehaven currency.

The U.S. dollar was little changed on Thursday, hovering above a one-month low, as minutes from the Federal Reserve's May meeting contained few surprises, with most participants favouring additional 50 basis point rate hikes at the June and July meetings.

The dollar hovered near a one-month low on Thursday as minutes from the Federal Reserve's May meeting confirmed the potential for a pause in rate hikes after likely further increases in June and July.

The safe-haven dollar hovered near a one-month low on Thursday amid improving risk appetite after minutes of the Federal Reserve's May meeting confirmed the potential for a pause in rate hikes after two more half-point increases in June and July.

World shares rose on Thursday and treasury yields edged higher, after minutes from the latest U.S.

World shares were mixed on Thursday on persistent concerns over slowing economic growth and after the latest U.S.

World stock markets broadly stabilised on Thursday and bond yields eased as no hawkish surprises from the latest U.S.

Japan plans to call for moving ahead with a new "green" gross domestic product (GDP) indicator that will reflect the country's progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a draft of its annual economic policy outline seen by Reuters showed.

Gold prices slipped on Thursday as the U.S. Federal Reserve's aggressive monetary policy tightening plan dimmed the metal's appeal, with additional pressure from a rebound in equities.

Gold prices fell for a second straight session on Thursday, pressured after the minutes of the U.S.

Gold prices edged lower on Thursday as Treasury yields gained, after the appeal of bullion was somewhat restored by minutes of a U.S.

Gold prices dropped on Thursday as the dollar edged higher, with some investors cashing in after minutes of a U.S.

Confidence is draining away from the services firms that dominate Britain's economy, especially in consumer-facing companies which are most exposed to the worsening cost-of-living crunch, a survey showed on Thursday.

From export bans to price controls, governments in Asia are taking a much more targeted approach than their Western counterparts in curbing global inflationary pressure, a strategy that appears to be working at least for now.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday the United States should return to a regional trade pact it quit in 2017 if it wanted to engage economically with the Indo-Pacific region.

The U.S. budget deficit will shrink dramatically to $1.036 trillion for fiscal 2022 from $2.775 trillion last year as a strong recovery prompts a surge in revenues and lower outlays, but slowing growth will start to reverse the trend, the Congressional Budget Office said on Wednesday.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Wednesday said she worries less about the risk that the war in Ukraine and a further slowdown in China might trigger a global recession than she does about the strength of the trend toward economic and political fragmentation.

All participants at the Federal Reserve's May 3-4 policy meeting backed a half-percentage-point rate increase to combat inflation they agreed had become a key threat to the economy's performance and was at risk of racing higher without action by the U.S.

A multi-billion dollar fund set up by G20 countries to help developing countries better prepare for pandemics could be operational within months, according to the World Bank.

New orders for U.S.-made capital goods rose less than expected in April, pointing to some moderation in business spending on equipment early in the second quarter, and headwinds are growing from rising interest rates and tightening financial conditions.

New orders for U.S.-made capital goods increased less than expected in April, suggesting businesses could be slowing their pace of spending on equipment as they confront growing headwinds from rising interest rates and tightening financial conditions.

U.S. stock indexes shook off early weakness to trade higher on Wednesday as growth stocks rallied, with investors awaiting minutes from the Federal Reserve's May meeting for clues on the path of its policy tightening.