The Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate by a half percentage point Wednesday, an aggressive start to a policy shift aimed at bolstering the US labor market.

The European Central Bank has made good progress in bringing inflation down, but needs patience to fully reach the 2% target, Governing Council member Joachim Nagel said.

The European Central Bank should continue to lower rates as inflation is set to return durably to 2% next year, Governing Council member Francois Villeroy de Galhau said.

Catch up: Hizbullah vows revenge for pager attack; BlackRock to set up AI fund

Norwegen feiert einen historischen Meilenstein im Verkehr: Erstmals gibt es mehr Elektroautos als Benziner. Der Erfolg ist unter anderem auf eine begünstigte Besteuerung zurückzuführen. Experten sehen das Land auf dem Weg zur weltweit führenden E-Auto-Nation.

US retail sales unexpectedly rose in August, supported by online purchases that masked more mixed results at other merchants.

The prospect of peak steel demand in China has profound implications for the global industry.

Some of Ukraine’s allies are starting to talk about how the fight against Russia’s invasion might end, raising concerns in several other Western capitals that these efforts could lead to Kyiv being forced into a premature cease-fire.

Former President Donald Trump wants the White House to have a say on interest rates. The Federal Reserve governor seen as a possible candidate to lead the central bank in a second Trump term is vehemently opposed to the idea.

Traders are harking back on 1995, when Alan Greenspan led the Federal Reserve in pulling off a rare soft landing, for a playbook on trading the first interest-rate cut in four years.

Three Democratic senators urged Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and fellow policymakers to aggressively cut the central bank’s benchmark interest rate, including by 75 basis points this week, to protect the US economy from potential harm.

Politicians are overselling the effectiveness of tariffs while underselling the costs to American businesses and households.

Der chinesische Konzern Luxshare Precision Industry steigt beim Autozulieferer Leoni des oberösterreichischen Unternehmers Stefan Pierer ein. Das teilte Leoni am Dienstag mit. Auch Steyr Automotive von Siegfried Wolf holt Chinesen als strategische Partner an Bord.

Bei Magna Powertrain in Lannach im Bezirk Deutschlandsberg sind die Mitarbeiter informiert worden, dass 200 Jobs gestrichen werden. Grund für diesen Schritt sei der Wegfall wichtiger Aufträge am Standort, bedingt durch die Fisker-Insolvenz.

Die Explosionen Tausender Pager im Libanon haben am Dienstag laut offiziellen Angaben mindestens neun Menschenleben gefordert, über 2.750 wurden verletzt. Laut „New York Times“ („NYT“) fing der israelische Geheimdienst Mossad die für die proiranische Miliz Hisbollah gedachten Pager ab und platzierte einige Gramm Sprengstoff darin. Die Sorge vor einem Krieg zwischen Israel und der Hisbollah ist groß. Die israelische Armee deutete an, sich auf einen Vergeltungsschlag vorzubereiten.

Investor confidence in Germany’s economy plunged to its lowest level in almost a year after further signs of a deepening malaise in the key manufacturing sector.

Barclays Bank Plc and Danske Bank A/S strategists say the pace of interest-rate cuts by the European Central Bank may prove slower than the market is pricing.

The European Central Bank will ease monetary policy further, though it shouldn’t do so too hastily due to lingering inflation risks, according to Governing Council member Martins Kazaks.

Not since the lead-up to the financial crisis have bond traders been so divided about the outcome of the next Federal Reserve decision.

Catch up: suspected Trump gunman charged; Microsoft to launch $60bn share buyback

Catch up: suspected Trump gunman charged; Microsoft to launch $60bn share buyback

An aggressive 50-basis-point reduction in interest rates makes sense.

Chinese stocks fell to the lowest since January 2019, a grim reflection of how investors have lost faith over a recovery in the country’s earnings and economy.

China’s economy lost momentum in August as activity cooled across the board, pointing to mounting risks to achieving the government’s annual growth target.

Back in January, Premier Li Qiang trumpeted China’s success in exceeding its 2023 growth goal without resorting to “massive stimulus.” Repeating the same feat this year now looks less likely.