* Fed's 'Beige Book' shows pervasive impact of higher energy prices. * Outlook for economic growth uncertain, with signs of weak consumer spending. * Warsh convenes his first policy meeting as Fed chief in two weeks. By Ann Saphir and Howard Schneider.
US economic activity increased at "a slight to moderate" pace in 10 of the 12 Federal Reserve districts since mid-April, though underlying signs were less encouraging, the Fed's latest Beige Book released Wednesday showed.
Brazil's trade surplus reached $7.8 billion in May, official data showed on Wednesday, above market expectations, as higher prices drove export growth at a faster pace than imports. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a $7.7 billion surplus for the month.
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh inherits an economy still riding an investment boom but showing signs of consumer strain, weak hiring and rising prices, according to reports from his colleagues that will frame his debut meeting in two weeks as the head of the U.S. central bank.
U.S. economic activity increased a bit in recent weeks, employment was little changed, and the fallout from higher energy prices due to the war in the Middle East was pervasive, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday, two weeks before Kevin Warsh convenes his first policy meeting as head of the U.S. central bank.
Brazil's trade surplus reached $7.82 billion in May, official data showed on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a narrower $7.65 billion surplus for the month.
Health care leads all sectors with 20,200 net hires; 17 of 19 sectors, all four U.S. regions, and every company size tier post positive results SAN FRANCISCO, June 3, 2026 Gusto, the leading partner for small businesses, today released its May 2026 Small Business Jobs Report, showing America's small businesses added an estimated 83,900 net new jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis last month.
The US services sector saw continued expansion in May, with Institute for Supply Management data showing a faster growth rate sequentially, but S&P Global (SPGI) pointing to a deceleration. The ISM's purchasing managers' index rose to 54.5 last month from 53.6 in April.
Canada's gross domestic product has now contracted for two consecutive quarters and the recession word is making the rounds again, said TD after Friday's Q1 GDP data. Defining a recession in Canada isn't as straightforward as the popular "two consecutive quarters of negative GDP" rule of thumb, writes the bank in a note to clients.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development lowered its global economic growth projection for 2026, cautioning that the fallout from the Middle East conflict may linger for some time even after its resolution.
Industrial production in Brazil exceeded market expectations in April, data from statistics agency IBGE showed on Wednesday, expanding for a fourth consecutive month despite tight monetary conditions. * Output rose 0.7% in April from March, while economists in a Reuters poll had expected a 0.4% increase. * Production expanded in two of the four main categories surveyed, IBGE said.
New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said on Wednesday he does not expect upside risks to inflation caused by the war in the Middle East to be long-lasting and reiterated there was no need at this time to change U.S. monetary policy.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams reiterated on Wednesday that he does not believe the U.S. central bank needs to change the setting of short-term interest rates despite upside inflation risks tied to the Middle East war and other forces. "Monetary policy, I think, is exactly in the right place," Williams said in an interview on Yahoo Finance.
Canada's Q1 gross domestic product weakness prompts UBS to lower its 2026 growth forecast to 1.0%, although the headline technical recession overstates the degree of underlying softness given volatile trade and inventory swings. While the picture isn't all negative, the bank has lowered its forecast for real GDP growth in 2026.
The Institute for Supply Management's US services index rose to a reading of 54.5 in May from 53.6 in April, compared with expectations for a smaller increase to a reading of 53.8 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.
U.S. services sector activity picked up in May as businesses preemptively placed orders and rebuilt?inventories in anticipation of shortages and higher prices because of the war with Iran. The Institute for Supply Management said on Wednesday its nonmanufacturing purchasing managers index increased to 54.5 last month from 53.6 in April.
* Services PMI increases 0.9 percentage point to 54.5 in May. * New services orders jump as businesses replenish inventories. * Measure of prices paid for inputs increases to highest level since August 2022. By Lucia Mutikani.
Canada's services economy expanded at a modest pace in May as the Middle East conflict raised economic uncertainty and higher fuel prices contributed to the fastest increase in operating costs in four years, S&P ?Global's Canada services PMI data showed on Wednesday.
The economic instability of the last two decades ? marked by the 2008 global financial crisis, the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent surge in global inflation ? shattered a period of economic stability, and the collapse in global GDP per capita during 2020 was sharper than in any single year of World War I, World War II, or the Great Depression.
* US strikes near Hormuz. * US private payrolls increase in May, ADP says. * US NFP report due on Friday. By Ashitha Shivaprasad. Gold prices dipped on Wednesday, weighed down by expectations that war-driven inflation will keep interest rates elevated, while investors focused on developments in the Middle East and upcoming economic data.
ADP's monthly measure of private payrolls showed a 122,000 increase in May, slightly above expectations compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:30 am ET for an increase of 120,000.
U.S. private payrolls increased more than expected in May, the ADP's national employment report showed on Wednesday. The ADP report is jointly developed with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, and was published ahead of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' more comprehensive and closely watched employment report for May on Friday.
ROSELAND, N.J., June 3, 2026 ?Private sector employment increased by 122,000 jobs in May and pay was up 4.4 percent year-over-year according to the May?ADP National Employment Report??produced by ADP Research in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab.
Industrial production in Brazil rose 0.7% in April from March, government statistics agency IBGE said on Wednesday, marking the fourth consecutive monthly gain and beating the median estimate of a 0.4% rise in a Reuters poll. Output was up 2.7% year-on-year in April, IBGE added.
Euro zone government bond yields rose on Wednesday, with traders now pricing in a more than 50% probability of three European Central Bank rate hikes by year-end as U.S.-Iran peace talks stalled.
The U.S. dollar is expected to stay range-bound in the near term before weakening later this year, FX strategists said in a Reuters survey, on optimism the Middle East war will end soon and its impact on inflation will be temporary. Since the conflict began three months ago, the dollar has tracked risk sentiment - rising on escalation and slipping as tensions eased.
SOLOWIN HOLDINGS (AXG), a leading financial technology firm bridging traditional and digital assets, today announced that AX Coin Bahrain B.S.C., the Company's stablecoin issuance entity and a key subsidiary, has been officially licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain to carry out stablecoin issuer activities.
* UK services PMI falls to 49.3 in May from April's 52.7. * Drop is less than reported in initial flash data. * Firms raise prices at second-fastest rate since 2022. * BoE policymaker concerned at broad swathe of price increases. By Suban Abdulla and David Milliken.
Societe Generale in its early Wednesday economic news summary pointed out: -- Bond yields, US dollar carry over gains after the strongest gain in JOLTS job openings since April 21. -- ECB: European Central Bank Governing Council member Pierre Wunsch repeats case for June rate hike in FT, says if the U.S. and Iran agree to a peace deal, the discussion "might be a bit less easy.
The European Central Bank met commercial lenders last week to discuss the potential threat from the newest artificial intelligence models and will follow up with demands for practical defence measures, board member Frank Elderson said.
With the Iran war stretching into its fourth month, U.S. retail companies that have so far banked on a resilient consumer could face a tougher road ahead as rising gas prices and economic pain gradually erode the buffer.
Global economic growth may temporarily slow, Swiss National Bank Chairman Martin Schlegel said on Wednesday, citing increased uncertainty. Here are other details of what Schlegel mentioned at an event for the Swiss hospitality industry in Bern, according to the presentation slides.
* Japan more exposed to spillover effects of inflation. * BOJ will keep raising rates at 'appropriate pace', Ueda says. * Ueda signals rate-hike chance even if Iran uncertainty remains. * Delaying rate hike may inflict huge burden on economy. * Speech heightens chance of June rate hike, analysts say. By Leika Kihara.
* Sberbank raises 2026 commodity exports revenue forecast. * Sberbank forecasts 2026 GDP growth at between 0.5% and 1% * Sberbank expects central bank to accelerate rate cuts. By Gleb Bryanski and Elena Fabrichnaya.
* Euro zone composite PMI at 18-month low of 48.5 in May. * Price pressures worst in over three years. * Services reading edged up but remained in contractionary territory. * Data point to 0.2% quarterly GDP decline in second quarter - S&P Global.
* Global growth seen at 2.8% in 2026, 3.1% in 2027. * U.S. growth seen easing to 2.0% in 2026, 1.8% in 2027. * Global outlook weakens if war persists into 2027. By Leigh Thomas.
India's dominant services sector grew at its fastest pace in six months in May on a pick-up in domestic demand, even though global orders stayed below last year's average and business confidence slipped for a second straight month, a survey showed.
A peace deal between the US and Iran before next week's European Central Bank meeting would not derail the case for raising interest rates, Belgian central bank chief Pierre Wunsch told the Financial Times in an interview published on Wednesday. "If a peace deal is confirmed just before the meeting, it will be part of the discussion.
China's services activity expanded at the fastest pace in three months in May, helped by stronger growth in new business and a rebound in overseas demand, though rising cost pressures weighed on firms, a private-sector survey showed on Wednesday.
* New business and export demand drive fastest services growth in three months. * Service providers add jobs as outstanding business rises. * Input cost inflation hits highest since October 2024.
Japanese government bond yields rose across the curve on Wednesday, supported by firmer Bank of Japan rate-hike expectations and a global backdrop of elevated yields. Here are a few details: * The benchmark 10-year JGB yield climbed 2 basis points to 2.585%. Yields move inversely to bond prices.
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda will deliver a closely watched speech on Wednesday that could reveal his thinking on the prospects of a June rate hike, as surging fuel costs from the Iran war broaden price pressures in an already fragile economy.
Japan's services sector ground to a halt in May after more than a year of expansion, as surging costs linked to the Middle East war dampened service demand and led to a 12-year high in output price inflation, a private survey showed on Tuesday. * The S&P Global final Japan Services Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 50.0 in May from 51.0 in April, marking the end of a 13-month expansion streak.
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh pledged to follow "the best of the Fed's traditions" in an opening note to the central bank's more than 20,000 employees as he starts his four-year term, while also promising a broad look at what might be done differently.
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has tapped two conservative policy veterans, Paul Winfree and Daniel Heil, to advise him while he settles into the job, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing sources.
J-Star Holding Co., Ltd. (YMAT) today outlines foundational milestones supporting its proposed $122.5 million solid-state battery manufacturing facility in Baytown, Texas: a Taiwan Central Bank authorization supporting a proposed $60 million outbound investment, and a formal site commitment from the Baytown West Chambers County Economic Development Foundation.
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.
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