Switzerland's economic recovery gathered speed at the end of last year as growth broadened, reflecting a faster-than-expected rebound from the worst recession in more than three decades. Gross domestic product rose by 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter from the third quarter after seasonal adjustm...

Canada's economy grew by 5.0% at an annualized rate in the fourth quarter of 2009, marking an economic recovery somewhat ahead of analysts' expectations of 4.5% growth. Real GDP growth was 1.2% in the fourth quarter over the third, said by Statistics Canada to be "the largest quarterly increase ...

The median forecast of analysts surveyed by Reuters on Friday is for gross domestic product to have risen by an annualized 4 percent in the fourth quarter, helped by a robust housing sector and a pickup in exports. That follows an annualized output gain of 0.4 percent in the third quarter, the of...

Britain emerged from recession at a faster pace than previously estimated in the fourth quarter, providing a boost for Prime Minister Gordon Brown as he prepares for a general election within weeks. Gross domestic product rose 0.3 percent from the third quarter, compared with a previous calculat...

U.S. home prices fell 1.2 percent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, the smallest loss in two years, as a federal tax credit for homebuyers boosted demand. Prices were down 0.1 percent from the third quarter, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said today in a report. The year- over-year d...

Australian business investment rebounded in the fourth quarter, a sign the economy is strengthening enough for the central bank to raise interest rates next week for the fourth time in six months. Capital spending advanced 5.5 percent from the previous quarter, when it fell a revised 5.2 percent...

Prices paid by New Zealand farms, factories and other producers for commodities and services needed to run their businesses rose in the fourth quarter, led by milk and electricity. Producer input prices increased 0.3 percent from the third quarter when they fell 1.1 percent, Statistics New Zealan...

New Zealand retail sales rose at the fastest pace in more than two years in the fourth quarter as the housing market and consumer confidence were buoyed by record-low interest rates. Sales, adjusted for inflation, increased 1 percent in the three months to December, Statistics New Zealand said in...

Retail sales in Germany rebounded slightly more than generally expected in December, but not enough to assure a rise for the fourth quarter as a whole, the Federal Statistical Office reported on Tuesday. Moreover, the erosion in retailers' and market participants' expectations for the coming six...

Employment expenses in the U.S. rose 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter, capping a year in which wages and benefits posted their smallest increase on record. The rise in the employment cost index, more than anticipated, compares with a 0.4 percent gain in the third quarter, Labor Department figur...