China's services activity expanded at a slightly faster pace in July, supported by a jump in business in the summer travel season, a private-sector business survey showed on Thursday, partly offsetting the drag from the weak manufacturing sector.

Japan's service sector activity expanded at a slightly slower pace in July as new business growth eased and cost pressures remained high, but the overall performance of the sector stayed solid amid the fading impact of COVID-19, a private-sector survey showed on Thursday.

BofA Global Research forecast a "soft landing" for the U.S. economy and increased its 2023 economic growth outlook for the country on the back of incoming data.

The British public's expectations for future inflation fell in July, U.S. bank Citi said on Wednesday, offering some relief to the Bank of England which is expected to announce its 14th back-to-back interest rate increase on Thursday.

U.S. private payrolls rose more than expected in July as small businesses boosted hiring, pointing to continued labor market resilience that could shield the economy from a recession.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday voiced more complaints about Fitch Ratings' downgrade of the main U.S. credit rating, calling it "entirely unwarranted" because it ignored improvements in governance metrics during the Biden administration and the country's economic strength.