Shankar besta

Sales of single-family houses in the US fell unexpectedly in February, showing continued weakness in the housing industry recovery.

The UK factory orders rose to a three-year high in March as strengthening domestic demand boosted manufacturing output in the country.

Consumer prices in Britain rose more than expected in February, strengthening speculation over interest rate hike by the Bank of England (BoE).

Gold prices rose for a fifth straight day on Tuesday, driven by safe haven demand amid continued uncertainty in the Middle East and the nuclear crisis in Japan.

Existing home sales in the US fell more than expected in February, indicating an uneven recovery in the housing industry. Sales of previously owned homes dropped 9.6 percent to 4.88 million in February compared with an upwardly revised figure of 5.40 million in January, the National Association of Realtors said on Monday.

Crude oil prices rose in Asian trade on Friday, after the United Nations (UN) approved the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya, raising fresh fears over oil exports from the country.

Consumer prices in the US rose slightly more than expected in February, as energy prices increased sharply.

Construction of new homes, as well as new building permits, declined more than expected in February, indicating that the U.S. housing industry’s recovery is still weak, even as the rest of the economy improves.

U.S. home loan demand fell slightly in the week ended March. 11, following a sharp increase in the previous week.

The number of unemployed people in the UK rose by 27,000 to 2.53 million for the three months to January 2011, recording the highest levels since 1994, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Wednesday.

Manufacturing activity in New York State expanded more than expected in March, reaching the highest levels since June 2010.

German economic sentiment fell unexpectedly in March, as the expectations get hit by hawkish stance of the European Central Bank (ECB) and a major earthquake in Japan.

The number of employed people in the eurozone rose in the last quarter of 2010, as hiring increased in the agriculture and financial services sectors.

Inflation in Germany rose more than previously estimated in February, strengthening speculation that the European Central Bank (ECB) may hike interest rate as early as next month.

Oil prices dropped to near $101 a barrel in Asia on Friday, after a powerful earthquake measuring 8.9 magnitude on Richter scale hit off Japan.

Oil prices remained volatile in Asian trade on Friday, as traders became cautious that unrest in Saudi Arabia could intensify and disrupt oil production in the world’s largest oil exporter.

The applications for jobless benefits in the U.S. rose more than expected last week, after falling to the lowest level since May 2008 in the previous week.

The Bank of England (BoE) on Thursday kept interest rates unchanged at 0.5 percent again, even though inflation remained above the central bank’s target of 2 percent for a fourteen consecutive month in January.

Oil prices rose to near $105 a barrel in Asia on Thursday, following reports that crude production in Libya has dropped more than earlier estimate, as fresh battles between the forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi and rebels led to damage of key oil infrastructure in the country.

U.S. home loan demand rose sharply in the week ended March. 4, as the nation witnesses continued improvement in the labor market.

Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan on Wednesday appointed Takeaki Matsumoto as the country’s new foreign minister, in a bid to restore confidence in his government.

German industrial production rebounded sharply in January, following a contraction in the previous two months.

German new factory orders rose more than expected in January, boosted by strong domestic demand.

The number of unemployed people in the US fell unexpectedly in February, indicating that the labor market is strengthening.

The applications for jobless benefits in the U.S. fell last week to reach the lowest level since May 2008, indicating an improving labor market in the nation.

Gross domestic product (GDP) of the eurozone grew 0.3 percent in the last quarter of 2010, mainly boosted by exports from the region, according to the second estimates released by Eurostat on Thursday.

U.S. private sector employment rose more than expected in February, posting a gain for a fifth straight month.

Planned job cuts in the U.S rose sharply in February to reach an 11-month high, a nation-wide survey of employers revealed.

Inflation in the eurozone rose from 2.3 percent in January to 2.4 percent in February year-on-year, according to the initial estimates by Eurostat.