Updates

China’s says its economy grew 6.1% in 2019, in line with expectations

China said Friday its economy grew by 6.1% in 2019, meeting expectations even amid a trade dispute with the U.S.

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US housing starts soar 16.9% in December to a 13-year high

U.S. homebuilding surged to a 13-year high in December as activity increased across the board, suggesting the housing market recovery was back on track amid low mortgage rates, and could help support the longest economic expansion on record.

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U.S. Treasury removes designation of China as currency manipulator

The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday said China should no longer be designated a currency manipulator in a long-delayed semi-annual currency report, reversing its August finding, which had roiled financial markets.

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Mnuchin Says Boeing Woes Could Lop a Half-Point from U.S. GDP

Troubles at aircraft maker Boeing Co. could trim about half a point from U.S. GDP in 2020 but economic growth should still come in at about 2.5%, said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

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Yuan to weaken with or without U.S.-China trade progress: Reuters poll

There will be no respite for the battered Chinese yuan over the coming year as U.S.-China trade relations are expected to remain rocky despite recent hopes for some resolution, a Reuters poll of FX strategists found.

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Private payroll growth surges in December to end 2019 strong, ADP says

Private payroll growth ended 2019 on a strong note, with companies adding 202,000 positions in December in another sign of a healthy labor market, according to a report Wednesday from ADP and Moody’s Analytics.

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December’s ISM non-manufacturing index signals better-than-expected expansion

Activity in the U.S. services sector rose slightly in December as businesses felt relieved by a partial trade agreement between the U.S. and China, data released Tuesday showed.

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Fed’s Evans: U.S. economy looks good for GDP growth of 2% to 2.25% for 2020: CNBC

The fundamentals of the U.S. economy are “good” at the moment and the labor market remains strong with the economy set for a gross domestic product growth rate of 2% to 2.25% for 2020, Chicago Federal Reserve Bank President Charles Evans told CNBC on Friday.

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Small business pay checks are growing at a fast pace as job gains slow

Weekly earnings for employees of small businesses grew at an annual rate of 4.1% at the end of the year, the fastest pace since the Paychex/IHS Markit Small Business Employment Watch began.

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Saturday Shopping Sets U.S. One-Day Sales Record, Analyst Says

Holiday shopping set records over the weekend, with Super Saturday sales reaching $34.4 billion, the biggest single day in U.S. retail history, according to Customer Growth Partners.

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