Euro zone April inflation confirmed at 1.7% Euro zone prices rose by 1.7% in April, EU statistics agency Eurostat confirmed today, while slightly revising upwards its estimates for core inflation. Eurostat said consumer prices in the 19-nation euro zone were 1.7% higher year-on-year, the same level as the flash estimate published on May 3, and […]

EU goods surplus with US eases, deficit with China widens The European Union’s trade surplus in goods with the US decreased in the first three months of 2019, but its deficit with China widened, figures released today showed. The 28-nation bloc’s surplus with the US slipped to €33.9 billion in the three months from January […]

EU fines five major banks for currency collusion The European Commission has today fined Barclays, Citigroup, JP Morgan, Japan’s MUFG and Royal Bank of Scotland a combined €1.07 billion for rigging the multi-trillion dollar foreign exchange market. Banks have been hit with billions of dollars in fines worldwide over the last decade for the rigging […]

New home completions up by 23% in first quarter – CSO The number of new homes built in the first quarter of this year rose by 23.2%, the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show. The CSO said a total of 4,275 new dwellings were finished in the first three months of the year, […]

Mild weather so far this year boosts Irish retailers A new report shows that the value of retail sales rose by 4.7% in the first quarter of the year, boosted by a mild winter and early spring weather. The Retail Monitor, from Retail Ireland – the Ibec group that represents the sector – said there […]

World Bank’s €1.5 billion sustainable bond to be listed on Euronext Dublin The World Bank has raised €1.5 billion from a 10-year Global Sustainable Development Bond, which will be listed on the Euronext Dublin exchange. It will also be listed on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange. The funds were raised from institutional investors around the globe […]

Fee increases will be critical for Irish banks – S&P Increasing fees and commissions will be critical for Irish banks in the coming years, in order to offset pressure on the difference between the amount of interest they earn versus what they pay out to those lending them money. That’s according to ratings agency S&P […]

Euro zone economy accelerates in Q1 as Germany rebounds The euro zone economy accelerated quarter-on-quarter in the first three months of the year, the EU’s statistics office confirmed today. This was thanks to a rebound in the biggest economy Germany and the end of a technical recession in Italy. Eurostat said the economy of the […]