The March producer price index showed wholesale inflation was lower than expected, with the overall index down 0.6% in March versus 0.3% expected, as energy costs fell.
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Outlining his plans to MPs, based on economic forecasts from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), Mr Osborne told MPs the UK economy was now forecast to grow by 0.9% this year - compared with 1.7% forecast in March and 0.7% next year, down from the 2.5% forecast in March.
Retail sales for March fell 0.4%, the biggest monthly decline since June, while economists had been expecting a 0.1% decline.
Retailers see little scope for to raise prices - High Street prices, as measured by the retail sales deflator, rose only 0.1% in March compared to 0.4% in February.
Also positive was a report from the Commerce Department that showed personal spending in the United States rose by 0.4% in March, twice the 0.2% gain Wall Street had expected.
In addition, the producer-price index declined 0.6% in March, more than the 0.4% decline expected.
The Commerce Department report showed that consumer retail spending increased 0.4% in March, just under the 0.5% rise that was predicted following a surprise 1.1% gain in February.
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Data show output in the first 11 months of the last fiscal year ended March 31 rose 0.9%.
Friday's housing report follows an upbeat announcement from the National Association of Realtors on Thursday, which said existing home sales lifted 6.8% in March, from 0.8% in February.
The four units of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, owned by the Tokyo Electric Power Co, or Tepco, were gravely damaged in the 9.0 March 11 earthquake and resulting tsunami that took the lives of more than 10, 000 people and has the northern part of Japan, and its neighbors China and Russia, on high alert for nuclear radiation leaks.
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The ETF, launched in 2011, returned a negative 0.7% over the 12 months through March, compared with the 0.6% average return of funds in Morningstar Inc.
The Commerce Department also said that personal income was up 0.3% in March, slightly under forecasts for a 0.4% rise and following a 0.5% February gain.
However, on the same day, the BoJ released an inflation forecast, with inflation expected to rise to 0.9% by March 2015, from current levels of 0.8%.
Even the usually more volatile Nasdaq closed at 3, 258 on March 14 and just 0.9% higher on Thursday.
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As a whole, the eurozone economy contracted for its sixth straight quarter between January and March, shrinking by 0.2%.
The barometer posted 54.0 in April, up from 53.0 in March, suggesting a solid improvement in Scottish job market conditions.
Tuesday's infrastructure data show steel production increased 6.6% from a year earlier in March, after a 0.5% expansion in February.
In an earlier report German industrial production jumped more than forecast in March when it rose 0.7% on the month leaving it 11.2% higher year-on-year.
McCarthy actually scored in Parreira's last game in charge, when South Africa beat Paraguay 3-0 in March 2008, but the Brazilian quit shortly after to care for his ill wife.
Drogba scored the breakthrough goal when the Blues fought hard to beat Arsenal 2-0 in March at Stamford Bridge as they tightened their grip on a title race they eventually won.
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Compared with March, the overall CPI rose 0.3%, while the advance report for May that covers the Tokyo area showed that core CPI was up 0.1%, the first positive figure since March 2009.
Real average hourly earnings dropped 0.6% in March, the most since June 2009, after falling 0.5% the prior month.
Gaining 0.3% on a monthly basis in March, the index is now up 0.45% year-over-year.
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After all, the loan default rate by principal amount was tracking to 0.21% in March, just off its near-record low reading of 0.17% at year-end.
Clearly the onus is now on Pakistan to arrest England's march towards a 4-0 whitewash.
The March dollar index was up 0.65 point to 80.06 and has been as high as 80.225.
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Government data last month showed wholesale-price inflation in March eased below 6.0% year-on-year for the first time in 40 months.
The rate of food inflation increased to 4.7% in April from 4.0% in March, while non-food inflation slowed to 1.2% from 1.5%.
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