In 2024, renowned art auction and appraisal house Sotheby’s more than doubled its 2023 pre-tax loss of $106 million to $248 million as inflation and the world’s uncertain economy continued to afflict the art market.
Tag: inflation
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ECB HOLDS KEY RATE AT 2 PERCENT
The European Central Bank (ECB) held its policy interest rate at 2 percent at its 11 September meeting.
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U.S. CONSUMER SENTIMENT SINKS TO FOUR-MONTH LOW
U.S. consumers’ view of the country’s economy slipped lower for a second consecutive month and bottomed at its lowest level in four months, according to the initial September survey of consumer sentiment by the University of Michigan.
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BLS BEGINS INTERNAL REVIEW UNDER WHITE HOUSE PRESSURE
The U.S. Labor Department has begun an internal investigation into the way its Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects data on inflation and job creation after Trump administration officials have raised questions about the authenticity of the BLS’s reports.
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BUSINESS HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS SKYROCKET
In 2026, businesses will see their costs for employee health insurance plans jump by an average of more than 9 percent, the biggest leap since 2010. A survey by business insurance firm Aon put the rise at 9.5 percent; a poll by WTW, also a business insurance provider, set the increase at about 9.2 percent.
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INFLATION ATE WORKERS’ WAGE GAINS IN 2024
All but the richest U.S. households saw their incomes remain virtually flat during 2024, the census bureau said in a report released last week.
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U.S. CONSUMERS KEPT SPENDING IN JULY DESPITE PERSISTENT INFLATION
In July, U.S. consumer spending kept pace with core inflation, with both rising at 0.3 percent from June. It was the largest monthly gain in spending since April, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).
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ECONOMISTS WARN OF IMPACT OF TRUMP’S ATTACKS ON THE FEDERAL RESERVE
Economists surveyed by the Financial Times said the financial markets have not “fully priced in” the issues that could arise from U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats against the central bank, which may result in the bank becoming a “puppet of the government.”
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U.K. INFLATION REACHES 18-MONTH HIGH IN JULY
Britain’s headline inflation accelerated to 3.8 percent in July, with inflation in services jumping 5 percent, giving the U.K. the highest inflation rate among the world’s richest countries.
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POWELL SIGNALS AN INTEREST RATE CUT IN SEPTEMBER
Speaking on 22 August at the global central bankers’ retreat in Wyoming, Jerome Powell, chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, indicated the Fed will probably cut its key interest rate next month.