The Commerce Department released a report on Friday showing a sharp increase in U.S. wholesale inventories in the month of March. The report said wholesale inventories shot up by 1.3 percent in March after climbing by an upwardly revised 0.9 percent in February.

Consumer sentiment in the U.S. has deteriorated by more than anticipated in the month of May, according to preliminary data released by the University of Michigan on Friday. The University of Michigan said its consumer sentiment index fell to 48.2 in May from 49.8 in April. Economists had expected the index to edge down to 49.3.

A closely watched report released by the Labor Department on Friday showed much stronger than expected U.S. job growth in the month of April. The Labor Department said non-farm payroll employment shot up by 115,000 jobs in April after surging by an upwardly revised 185,000 jobs in March. Economists had expected employment to climb by 63,000 jobs.

UK house prices dropped for the second straight month in April as geopolitical tensions drive inflation higher and trigger interest rate hike concerns, data published by the mortgage lender Halifax showed Friday. House prices dropped 0.1 percent on a monthly basis in April but slower than the 0.5 percent decrease in March.

Germany's industrial production declined unexpectedly in March as the war in the Middle East started to take its toll on industrial activity, official data revealed Friday. Industrial output dropped 0.7 percent in March, marking the second consecutive monthly decline, Destatis reported.

Industrial production and foreign trade from Germany and house prices from the UK are the top economic news due on Friday. At 2.00 am ET, Destatis releases Germany's industrial output and foreign trade figures. Economists forecast industrial output to grow 0.4 percent on a monthly basis in March, in contrast to the 0.3 percent fall in February.

With an increase in spending on private construction more than offsetting a dip in spending on public construction, the Commerce Department released a report on Thursday showing U.S. construction spending rose by more than expected in the month of March.

Labor productivity in the U.S. increased by much less than expected in the first quarter of 2026, according to preliminary data released by the Labor Department on Thursday. The report said labor productivity climbed by 0.8 percent in the first quarter after jumping by a downwardly revised 1.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025.

A report released by the Labor Department on Thursday showed first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits rebounded by less than expected in the week ended May 2nd. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims rose to 200,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week's revised level of 190,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to climb to 205,000.

The Indian rupee strengthened against the U.S. dollar in the European trading session on Thursday, amid renewed selling pressure on the price of oil in response to news reports that the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route to about 20% of the world's energy supply, may soon reopen.

Norway's central bank raised its benchmark rate unexpectedly by a quarter-point on Thursday as the war in the Middle East pushed up inflation and raised substantial uncertainty about the economic outlook. The Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Committee of Norges Bank decided to raise the policy rate to 4.25 percent from 4.0 percent.

The Philippine economy expanded at the slowest pace in five years in the first quarter amid declining investment, weaker household spending and exports. Gross domestic product grew 2.8 percent on a yearly basis in the first quarter, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Thursday. This followed a 3.0 percent expansion seen in the fourth quarter and marked the weakest expansion since the first q

German factory orders grew at a faster pace in March as manufacturers rushed to secure raw materials ahead of potential future price increases and supply shortages. Factory orders increased 5.0 percent in March compared to February's revised growth of 1.4 percent, Destatis reported Thursday. The monthly increase significantly outpaced the 1.0 percent forecast.

Payroll processor ADP released a report on Wednesday showing private sector employment in the U.S. jumped by more than expected in the month of April. The report said private sector employment shot up by 109,000 jobs in April after climbing by a downwardly revised 61,000 jobs in March. Economists had expected private sector employment to grow by 85,000 jobs.

Euro area private sector contracted for the first time in nearly one-and-a--half years as the ongoing war in the Middle East acted as a drag on services activity, final results of the purchasing managers' survey by S&P Global showed on Wednesday. The composite output index fell to 48.8 in April from 50.7 in the previous month. The reading was moderately above the flash estimate of 48.6.

The Japanese yen strengthened against other major currencies in the Asian session on Wednesday, amid potential large-scale government actions.

Final composite Purchasing Managers' survey results from the euro area and the UK are due on Wednesday, headlining a busy day for the European economic news. At 2.45 am ET, France's statistical office INSEE publishes industrial production data for March. Economists forecast industrial output to grow 0.5 percent on a monthly basis in March, in contrast to the 0.7 percent fall in February.

China's service sector registered faster growth in April, driven by stronger increases in new business despite declining foreign orders, survey results published by S&P Global revealed Wednesday. The headline RatingDog China services Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 52.6 in April from 52.1 in the previous month.

New home sales in the U.S. saw a substantial increase in the month of March, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Tuesday. The report said new home sales spiked by 7.4 percent to an annual rate of 682,000 in March after soaring by 8.9 percent to an annual rate of 635,000 in February. Economists had expected new home sales to come in at an annual rate of 668,000.

A report released by the Institute for Supply Management on Tuesday showed a slight slowdown in the pace of growth in U.S. service sector activity in the month of April. The ISM said its services PMI slipped to 53.6 in April after falling to 54.0 in March, although a reading above 50 still indicates growth. Economists had expected the index to edge down to 53.7.

With imports increasing by modestly more than exports, the Commerce Department released a report on Tuesday showing the U.S. trade deficit widened roughly in line with economist estimates in the month of March. The Commerce Department said the trade deficit grew to $60.3 billion in March from a revised $57.8 billion in February.

The Reserve Bank of Australia raised its key interest rate by a quarter basis point for the third straight meeting as inflation is expected to remain above the target as the war in the Middle East pushed up fuel prices. The RBA policy board, led by Governor Michele Bullock, decided to lift the cash rate target by 25 basis points to 4.35 percent in a split vote on Tuesday, in line with economists

Indonesia's economy grew at the fastest pace in more than three years in the first quarter as government stimulus measures supported the nation amid the adverse effects of the war in the Middle East. Gross domestic product logged an annual growth of 5.61 percent in the first quarter, surpassing the 5.39 percent expansion registered in the fourth quarter, Statistics Indonesia said Tuesday.

New orders for U.S. manufactured goods increased by much more than expected in the month of March, according to a report released by the Commerce Department on Monday. The Commerce Department said factory orders jumped by 1.5 percent in March after rising by an upwardly revised 0.3 percent in February.

Eurozone investor sentiment improved unexpectedly in May, driven by investor expectations that the conflict with Iran would not escalate further, a survey conducted by the behavioral research institute Sentix showed Monday. The investor sentiment index rose to -16.4 in May from -19.2 in April. The score was forecast to fall to -20.9.