Australia Economy Almost Stalls as High Rates Hit Households

Rising imports were offset by higher exports and inventories Household savings slid to 0.9% from downwardly revised 1.6% Australia’s economy all-but stalled in the first three months of the year as elevated interest rates and cost of living pressures weighed heavily...

Oil Slides to Four-Month Lows as OPEC+ Deepens Bearish Sentiment

Alliance to unwind production cutbacks from the fourth quarter Demand concerns, signs of ample supplies add to declines Oil fell to the lowest in about four months after OPEC+’s plan to loosen its production curbs this year deepened the market’s bearish sentiment. The...

Cisco to Invest $1 Billion in AI Startups as Industry Booms

Company is seeking ‘secure and reliable’ AI services Cisco has already invested in Mistral AI and Scale AI Cisco Systems Inc. plans to invest $1 billion in startups that are working on what it calls “secure and reliable” artificial intelligence services, part of a...

ECB Rate-Cut Expectations Start to Unravel Before First Move

Strong wage growth risks slowing return of inflation to 2% Governing Council to lower rates by quarter-point on Thursday Strong economic data and vocal European Central Bank hawks are pushing some analysts and investors to waver in their expectations for interest-rate...

China Vanke’s Sales Slump Eases as Housing Market Picks Up

Developer is counting on a rebound in sales to end cash woes Chinese authorities have stepped up measures to support market China Vanke Co.’s sales slump moderated in May, as a thaw in housing market sentiment boosted the state-backed developer that’s become a focus...