Argentina’s economy contracted 6.7% in June compared with the same month last year, and 1.3% compared with May, government statistics agency Indec said on Thursday. June was the third consecutive month of decline following 5.2% in May and 0.6% in April.
Brazil's financial institutions on Monday reduced the 2018 economic growth forecast to 1.5%, half the initial estimate issued at the beginning of the year, according to the Central Bank weekly survey. The Focus Bulletin, which interviews analysts and economists from Brazil's financial market every Monday, the country's growth estimate was actually reduced from the previous week's 1.53%.
The British government must increase spending on the armed forces if Britain is to maintain its defense relationship with the United States, MPs have warned. The Commons Defense Committee said without further investment, UK forces would struggle to maintain “interoperability” with the US military, diminishing their usefulness as allies.
Brazil's financial market has downgraded its 2018 economic growth forecast from 2.37% to 2.18%, according to a Focus poll released on Monday by the Central Bank. Four weeks ago, a similar survey of the country's leading financial institutions showed GDP was expected to expand 2.7%.
The UK economy expanded at a slightly faster pace in the fourth quarter on services and manufacturing output, but the full-year growth was the weakest in five years, preliminary data from the Office for National Statistics showed. GDP grew 0.5% sequentially in the fourth quarter, while the rate was forecast to remain unchanged at 0.4%.
A new index that measures a nation's wealth by taking into account factors such as natural resources, social stability and wellbeing, has painted Colombia and Venezuela in a very different light to that suggested by their GDP (gross domestic product) — the traditional measure of a country's success.
Brazilian consumer prices rose faster than expected in November. Inflation as measured by the benchmark IPCA index, quickened to 0.52% last month from 0.43% in October.
DBRS rating agency from Canada upgraded on Wednesday its ratings on Argentina's long-term foreign and local currency securities to B from B (low). The trends have been revised to Stable.
US new unemployment benefit claims fell to a five-month low last week, while the economy grew slightly more than previously reported in the second quarter, according to data from the Labour Department.
Argentina’s powerful industries union, UIA, called on Friday for dialogue and ‘national unit’ in order ‘to bring together a project of development’, and forecasted that if this is achieved the country could triple its GDP in the next twelve years.