China's factory activity likely stalled in the first month of 2026, a Reuters poll showed on Friday, as still sluggish domestic demand held back production.
Most Asian stock markets fell on Friday, led by declines in technology shares, after a weak finish on Wall Street overnight dented risk appetite, while investors weighed Tokyo inflation data that kept expectations for further Bank of Japan policy tightening in focus.
U.S. worker productivity grew at its fastest pace in two years in the third quarter, the government confirmed on Thursday, likely fueled by an artificial intelligence spending boom.
The latest data on Initial Jobless Claims has been released, showing a slight decrease in the number of individuals filing for unemployment insurance for the first time during the past week. The actual number came in at 209K, a marginal drop from the previous week’s figures.
The U.S. trade deficit nearly doubled in November of 2025, driven by a surge in capital goods imports likely tied to artificial intelligence investments.
Toyota Motor sold a record 11.3 million vehicles globally in 2025, the company said on Thursday, retaining its crown as the world's top-selling automaker for a sixth consecutive year.