Four weeks economic news

Here's a summary of the major economic news from the past four weeks (March 13 - April 10):

Global Economy

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its global growth forecast to 3.3% in 2023, citing the impact of the war in Ukraine and rising inflation.
• The World Bank also lowered its growth forecast, predicting a 2.9% expansion in 2023.

United States

• The US economy added 431,000 jobs in March, exceeding expectations and pushing the unemployment rate down to 3.6%.
• The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 0.25% to combat inflation, which rose to 2.6% in February.
• The US trade deficit widened to $71.1 billion in February, as imports surged and exports declined.

China

• China's economy grew 4.8% in the first quarter, beating expectations and marking a rebound from a contraction in the previous quarter.
• The Chinese government announced a series of stimulus measures to boost the economy, including tax cuts and infrastructure spending.

Europe

• The European Union's economy grew 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2022, driven by a rebound in Germany and France.
• The European Central Bank raised interest rates by 0.25% to combat inflation, which rose to 7.5% in March.

Inflation

• The US Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.2% in March, driven by higher prices for food, energy, and housing.
• The UK's CPI rose 7.8% in March, the highest level since March 1992.
• The eurozone's inflation rate rose to 7.5% in March, driven by higher energy and food prices.

Markets

• The S&P 500 index rose 2.1% in the past four weeks, driven by a rebound in technology and healthcare stocks.
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.9% over the same period.
• The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note rose to 2.94%, up from 2.64% at the end of February.

Other News

• The war in Ukraine continued to disrupt global supply chains and drive up prices for commodities such as oil and wheat.
• The US and China announced a deal to reduce tariffs on each other's goods, a move aimed at reducing tensions in their trade relationship.
• The European Union and the UK agreed to a new trade deal, which will reduce tariffs and other trade barriers between the two sides.

I hope this summary is helpful!