Grant Will Fund Legal Aid that Promotes Housing Stability. The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, through its member Community Bank of Mississippi, awarded a $150,000 Pathway Fund grant to Mission First Inc. to help expand services to accessible, affordable legal aid in Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties in Mississippi. This press release features multimedia.
The World Economic Forum has launched an independent investigation into its CEO Borge ?Brende to clarify his relationship ?with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, ?the organisation said ?on Thursday.
The buyer base of United States Treasuries is shifting towards investors who are more price sensitive, said Desjardins. Official accounts, which include central banks, some sovereign wealth funds and some international pensions, have been reducing their ownership share of USTs, stated Desjardins.
The European stock markets were tracking lower in Thursday trading as The Stoxx Europe fell 1.1%, Germany's DAX dropped 0.5%, the FTSE 100 lost 0.9%, France's CAC was down 0.3%, and the Swiss Market Index declined 0.3%. The European Central Bank decided to keep its three key interest rates unchanged.
* Bank of England leaves rates unchanged, pound drops. * Dollar strengthens amid risk aversion and central bank decisions. By Laura Matthews and Amanda Cooper. The U.S. dollar hit a nearly two-week high on Thursday as fresh volatility gripped stocks and the pound tumbled after a razor-thin Bank of England vote left UK rates unchanged.
The Czech central bank on Thursday said its board kept interest rates unchanged, with the two-week repo rate at 3.50%, the discount rate at 2.50% and the Lombard rate at 4.50%. This decision was expected by market analysts, Societe Generale noted before the decision. All seven members voted in favor of this decision, wrote CNB in its policy statement.
Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey?, showing the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.11%. ?For the last several weeks, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has remained at its lowest level in years,? said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac?s Chief Economist.
President Christine Lagarde's comments at Thursday's policy meeting press conference seemed to create more confusion than certainty over the next European Central Bank move, said ING.
Grant Will Support Legal Services to Address Heirs? Property Issues in Northern Mississippi. The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, through its member Community Bank of Mississippi, awarded a $150,000 Pathway Fund grant to North Mississippi Rural Legal Services to help address homeownership title issues. This press release features multimedia.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will present EU leaders next week with a checklist of measures needed to enhance growth and competitiveness, taking an unusual step to raise pressure on governments to speed up ?a slow and often timid reform process.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday declined to commit that the Trump administration would not sue Kevin Warsh, its nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, if he follows a monetary path opposed by the president.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday said ?he supports President ?Donald Trump's call for capping ?credit card ?interest ?rates at 10% for one ?year. "I wholeheartedly ?support President Trump's policy," Bessent told ?the ?Senate ?Banking Committee, when asked about the call.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declined on ?Thursday to commit the ?Trump administration to ?not suing Kevin Warsh, ?its ?nominee to be Federal ?Reserve Chair, ?if he follows a monetary path ?opposed by ?the ?president.
The Indian central bank has approved private equity firm Blackstone's acquisition of up to ?a 9.99% stake in Federal Bank, the ?private lender said on Thursday. The deal, ?which would make Blackstone ?the largest shareholder ?in the bank, adds to the growing list ?of large investments by ?marquee investors in the financial services sector in India.
Thursday's wafer-thin majority on the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee in favor of holding Bank Rate at 3.75% instead of lowering it by 25bp indicates that it won't be long before the BoE lowers interest rates again, said Berenberg. The 5-4 vote was much closer than the consensus of 7-2, noted the bank.
* Weekly jobless claims increase 22,000 to 231,000. * Continuing claims rise 25,000 to 1.844 million. * Job openings drop 386,000 to 6.542 million in December. * Hiring advances 172,000 to 5.293 million; quits steady. By Lucia Mutikani.
Gold futures fell early Thursday as the metal failed to find support at the US$5,000 mark a day earlier, even as treasury yields weaken amid further signs the U.S. labor market is slowing. Gold for March delivery was last seen down $105.80 to US$4,845.00 per ounce.
Following is the text of European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde's statement after the bank's policy meeting on Thursday: Link to statement on ECB website: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/press_conference/monetary-policy-statement/2026/html/ecb.is260205~50858cb986.en.html. Good afternoon, the Vice-President and I welcome you to our press conference.
Operational Support Rises To the Top Skill as Cloud, Data, and Enterprise Expertise Continue To Command Six-Figure Salaries ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 5, 2026 Ceipal, a leading AI-powered global staffing software provider, today released its 2026 In-Demand Jobs Report, revealing that Project Managers are the most in-demand role as organizations prioritize modernization while maintaining operational ...
US equity futures were down ahead of Thursday's opening bell as traders digested labor market data ahead Amazon's (AMZN) earnings report. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 0.3% lower, S&P 500 futures were down 0.5%, and Nasdaq futures were 0.7% lower. Amazon (AMZN) is scheduled to report earnings after the closing bell.
The European Central Bank decided to keep rates on hold on Thursday, said ING. The official policy announcement also illustrates that the ECB still sits comfortably in its 'good place', wrote the bank in a note. As the last ECB rate cut dates back to June last year, it's fair to say that the hurdle to cut again is very high, stated ING.
US initial jobless claims rose to a level of 231,000 in the week ended Jan. 31 from an unrevised 209,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for a smaller increase to 212,000 in survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg. The four-week moving average increased by 6,000 to 212,250 after increasing by 2,250 to a level of 206,250 in the previous week.
The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased more than expected last week amid winter storms, and while job openings fell to a more than five-year low in December, the decline was concentrated in a single industry.
The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased more than expected last week, likely boosted by snowstorms across much of the country, but labor market conditions remain stable. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits jumped 22,000 to a ?seasonally adjusted 231,000 for the week ended January 31, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
* FTSE 100 down 0.9% and FTSE 250 down 1% * Shell misses profit expectations, drags energy stocks lower. * Bank of England holds rates after narrow 5-4 vote. * Rio Tinto and Glencore scrap merger talks. * Software, tech stocks rebound from global rout. By Tharuniyaa Lakshmi.
Ladder Capital Corp (LADR) today announced operating results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2025. ?2025 was a pivotal year for Ladder, with the Company achieving investment grade credit ratings, reducing our cost of capital, and expanding our access to the unsecured corporate bond market.
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey on Thursday ?welcomed U.S. President ?Donald Trump's choice of ?former Federal ?Reserve ?Governor Kevin Warsh to ?head the U.S. ?central bank when Jerome Powell's ?leadership ?term ?ends in May. "I welcome the nomination of Kevin ?Warsh," Bailey told a press conference.
* Pound and gilts hit as vote sends doveish signal. * Policymakers voted 5-4 to keep rates at 3.75% * Reuters poll had expected 7-2 vote split. * Lower inflation, political risk in focus. By Lucy Raitano.
The US dollar rose against its major trading partners early Thursday ahead of the release of weekly jobless claims data at 8:30 am ET, rescheduled job openings and hiring data for December at 10:00 am ET and weekly natural gas stocks data at 10:30 am ET. Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic is due to speak at 10:50 am ET.
Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook signaled a cautious ?wait and see? approach to monetary policy on Wednesday, describing current interest rates as only ?mildly restrictive? while expressing concern over a ?K-shaped? economic divergence that is leaving low-income families behind.
BBVA Research said it expects Mexico's central bank to leave the policy rate unchanged at 7.00% later Thursday and to continue to stress downside risks to growth despite near-term inflation risks. BBVA Research estimates that Banxico will revise its inflation forecasts upward.
* Bank of England leaves rates unchanged, pound drops. * Euro down ahead of ECB decision, focus on rate outlook. * Dollar strengthens amid risk aversion and central bank decisions. By Amanda Cooper.
* BoE keeps Bank Rate at 3.75%, as expected. * MPC's 5-4 vote was closer than 7-2 seen in Reuters poll. * Policymakers expect further reduction in rates. * BoE cuts inflation forecasts, sees less growth in 2026. * Some MPC members worry inflation might stay too high. By William Schomberg, David Milliken and Andy Bruce.
Sterling and two-year gilt yields fell on Thursday after the Bank of ?England held rates steady in a ?surprisingly narrow vote and said ?it expected a future ?cut if ?inflation continued to slow.
Euro zone bond yields were broadly steady on Thursday against a backdrop of fragile global markets and ahead of a European Central Bank interest rate decision which investors widely expect will keep rates unchanged.
The euro has continued to correct lower against the US dollar ahead of Thursday's European Central Bank policy meeting, said MUFG. After briefly hitting a high of 1.2081 last week, EUR/USD has dipped back below the 1.1800 level overnight Wednesday, wrote the bank in a note to clients.
Nearly 1.4 million United States jobs projected to be open across seven core trades PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Feb. 5, 2026 Bring Back the Trades Inc. together with F.W. Webb Company today released a landmark economic impact report that sounds the alarm on the skilled trades shortage across the United States, and every state in the country.
European bourses tracked moderately lower midday Thursday despite firming tech stocks, as traders awaited pending rate-decisions by the Bank of England and European Central Bank. Retail stocks also led gains on continental trading floors, while bank and property shares lagged. On the commodities front, British oil major Shell slipped 0.7% after missing Q4 profit expectations.
The EUR/USD this week has remained quite resilient -- especially given the recent spike in energy prices, said ING. Thursday's challenge to EUR/USD will come from the European Central Bank press conference on the policy decision later in the day at 2:45 p.m. CET. It isn't just EUR/USD that has been strong.
* FTSE 100 down 0.4% and FTSE 250 down 0.7% * Shell misses profit expectations, drags energy stocks lower. * BoE expected to hold rates. * Software, tech stocks ?rebound from global rout.
In the 15 years since leaving the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh has lectured often that the ideal central bank is one with the smallest possible footprint in the economy, focused intently on controlling inflation, and bound in part by policy rules rather than letting officials act as free-ranging "overlords."
In the 15 years since leaving the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh has lectured often that the ideal central bank is one with the smallest possible footprint in the economy, focused intently on controlling inflation, and bound in part by policy rules rather than letting officials act as free-ranging "overlords."
Girard Sharp LLP, a national investment and securities class action firm in,?announces an investigation into potential securities claims on behalf of Oracle Corporation investors who purchased senior notes or bonds issued on September 25, 2025.
* Tech selloff pressures Asian stocks. * Ukraine, Russia start second day of talks. * Czech central bank expected to hold rates steady. * MSCI FX off 0.3%, stocks shed 1.5% By Purvi Agarwal. Most emerging-market currencies treaded water against a rising dollar on Thursday, while an ongoing rout in technology stocks pressured Asian bourses and dampened investor appetite for other EM equities.
DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 5, 2026 Hisense, a leading brand in global consumer electronics and home appliances, announced that the Hisense Visual Technology Qingdao Factory has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Customer Centricity Lighthouse, becoming the first and only Lighthouse factory in the global television industry.
* ECB set to keep rates steady at 1315 GMT. * Bank of England also expected to hold rates, decision due 1200 GMT. * Dollar-yuan little changed after Trump-Xi phone call. By Gregor Stuart Hunter and Amanda Cooper.
Britain's construction sector showed signs at the start of the year that it might be past the worst of a slump, as recent interest rate cuts and less of a decline in new work raised hopes of a turnaround, a survey showed on Thursday. The S&P Global/CIPS UK construction ?Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 46.4 in January from December's 40.1, which was just above a 5-1/2 year low.
Euro zone bond yields were steady on Thursday against a backdrop of fragile global markets and ahead of a European Central Bank interest rate decision which investors widely ?expect will keep rates unchanged.
In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.
Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.
Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.