Chinese economic data show consumer inflation moderating slightly in April, but industrial output declining at a sharper-than-expected pace, spurring concerns of a deepening slowdown.
Critics argue the failure to include the carbon tax in Australia’s budget distorts the nation’s true fiscal picture, but despite fears about the impact of the proposed emissions levy, analysts say some affected companies will come off relatively unscathed.
The Australian government stuck to its target of returning to surplus within two years in its latest budget, but economists said Wednesday that balancing the budget is not necessarily a sure thing.
SYDNEY (MarketWatch) -- American International Group Inc. and the U.S. Treasury have agreed to proceed with a smaller-than-expected stock offering this month of about $9 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The AIG board considered delaying the stock-offer due to recent weakness in the insurer's share price, the report said, but opted at a meeting on Tuesday to proceed with the plans for an offering set at the low end of a $7 billion to $25 billion range. The decision was made with the support of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the newspaper said.
On the two-month anniversary of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, analysts assess the impact of the disaster on the retail sector, seeking to pinpoint which segments and companies will take the biggest hits.
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