Saturday could be the best indication so far, when Trump has promised to slap neighbours Canada and Mexico with 25% levies until both illegal migrants and the drug fentanyl stop crossing their borders. In scope for tariffs are a combined trillion dollars of U.S.-bound shipments a year.

The Bank of England launched on Tuesday a new financial stability tool that insurers and pension funds can use during periods of turbulence in Britain's government bond market.

The US Senate’s confirmation hearing for Mr Bessent last week as Treasury Secretary was remarkable, as much of the discussion revolved around China’s rapid economic grow

Global stocks steadied on Friday after a volatile week due to the emergence of a low-cost Chinese artificial intelligence model, while investors braced for the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canada and Mexico as early as Saturday.

Saturday could be the best indication so far, when Trump has promised to slap neighbors Canada and Mexico with 25% levies until both illegal migrants and the drug fentanyl stop crossing their borders. In scope for tariffs are a combined trillion dollars of U.S.-bound shipments a year.

ECB chief Christine Lagarde (pictured) said the single currency bloc was 'set to remain weak in the near term' as the rate was cut from 3% to 2.75%.

A tumultuous week rounds off with investors in Asia taking their cue from more U.S. 'Big Tech' earnings, digesting Fed Chair Jerome Powell's guidance from earlier in the week, but bracing for U.S. tariff-related volatility.

Annual inflation, harmonized to EU standards, stood at 2.9% in January, rising one decimal point from a month earlier, Spain's statistics agency said Thursday. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had expected the rate to come in at 2.5%.

The pound was little changed on Thursday as markets were focused on a raft of major central bank meetings that will culminate with the Bank of England next week.

The UK's stock indexes closed higher, driven by technology and finance sectors. The FTSE 100 gained 0.3%, while FTSE 250 slipped slightly. Gains were also supported by U.S. and European chip stock recoveries and significant rises in financial and automotive shares.

Japan's Nikkei was up about half a percent at the midday break, on track to snap a three-day losing run. Australia's stock benchmark gained 0.9%, with additional momentum from a mild inflation print that boosted the odds for a rate cut when the Reserve Bank meets next month.

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has maintained the monetary policy rate at 27 percent following its first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of 2025.