GLOBAL ECONOMY NEWS ON FASTMOVING

Johannesburg - The drop in consumer confidence might have been exaggerated, according to the latest FNB [JSE:FSR] and BER Consumer Condifence Index (CCI). read more

London - Global consumer confidence dipped at the end of last year, a survey showed on Monday, and more than 60 percent of respondents said the next 12 months would not be a good time to spend. read more

Johannesburg – The average middle class South African household spends over R7 000 each month paying off debt, while more than half of South Africans say they will never be financially free. read more

Geneva - Reviving the global economy and the conflicts in Syria and Mali will top the agenda as world leaders and business chiefs meet this week in the Swiss ski resort of Davos for its annual gathering of international power brokers. read more

In the shadow of the US fiscal cliff, it’s difficult to focus on the few promising signs of recovery. But green shoots are sprouting in the world’s two biggest economies – the US and China. read more

Johannesburg - The JSE set a fresh all-time closing record on Tuesday‚ extending gains on the All Share [JSE:J203] index to 18.80% from a year ago‚ amid a broad-based rally. read more

London - The world could see a gradual easing of oil prices over the next five years due to sluggish economic growth and rising energy efficiency and as production increases steeply in Iraq and North America, the West's energy watchdog said on Friday.  read more

Shanghai - Beverage tycoon Zong Qinghou regained his position as China's richest man this year, Forbes magazine said Friday, but the global economic slump took its toll on other billionaires. read more

Singapore - Crude oil prices sank in Asian trade on Wednesday on concerns over the world economy after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its global growth forecasts.  read more

NEW YORK — World stocks slipped on Monday after a surprise drop in US retail sales in June and the euro hit a three-and-a-half-year low against sterling as investors fretted about the delay in making bail-out funds accessible to troubled eurozone states. read more

The price of Brent crude oil fell below $91 a barrel yesterday, a price last seen in December 2010, from this year’s high of $124 in March. read more

In factory towns across China's export powerhouse in the Pearl River Delta, a vicious cycle of slowing orders from the West and increasing wage pressures has led to a series of major strikes that could reverberate through the economy. read more

Johannesburg - Seventy percent of international experts have a pessimistic outlook on the global economy, according to a new survey conducted by the World Economic Forum (WEF). In addition, 60% expressed little confidence in government leaders to deal with global risks. read more