Ratings agency Fitch added to Italy's mounting problems this week by cutting its credit rating due to the political uncertainty after last week's election, deep recession and rising debt. Fitch lowered Italy's sovereign rating by one notch to BBB plus, with a negative outlook, raising the risk that its next ratings change will be a further downgrade.
Hiring in the US has gathered momentum after government figures showed that the economy created 236.000 jobs in February. The figure was much higher than analysts had expected, and more than the 157,000 jobs created in January.
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi urged indebted governments to move beyond spending cuts and tax hikes and introduce reforms that would boost growth and reduce the “tragedy” of unemployment.
Uruguay finally managed on Thursday to achieve investment grade debt rating from the three major agencies when Fitch raised the country’s rating to BBB-minus from BB-plus, citing economic resilience as well as the political and social stability of the country, squeezed between Brazil and Argentina.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a 550 million dollars operation for Uruguay to fund the Program for Strategic International Positioning, which aims to substantially increase investment and exports by strengthening the regulatory and institutional framework, promoting and facilitating trade, and boosting entrepreneurial innovation.
Officials from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank arrived in Argentina on Tuesday to evaluate the country's financial system as part of checkups agreed among Group of 20 nations, according to a report from the official state news agency, Telam.
A mix of sorrow, self-interest and dread took hold of Cuba as word spread like wildfire that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who had done so much for the country, was dead. While the official newscast devoted its entire program to events unfolding in Caracas, the government reaction was slow in coming.
Brazil’s Petrobras shares surged in Wednesday trading after the company surprised investors with a 5% increase in domestic diesel wholesale prices. The latest increase helps offset investor disappointment with January's lower-than-expected jump in gasoline and diesel prices, which had pushed Petrobras's shares to a seven-year low in recent sessions.
Brazil’s central bank on Wednesday kept its benchmark rate at a record low 7.25% for the third straight meeting as policy makers seek to prop the anaemic economy which last year only advanced 0.9%.
US farm officials forecast a tough autumn battle between Brazilian and US soybean exports, as Brazil attempts to make up for a poor start to 2012-13, with shipments hurt by logistical hiccups. US Department of Agriculture staff in Brasilia, while cutting their forecast of the Brazilian soybean crop to 82.5m tons, stood by a forecast of soybean exports of 39m tons for 2012-13, report agrimoney.