American unemloyment claims fall
US jobless claims fell to 415,000 in the week ending 29 January, it was revealed yesterday. The number of unemployed benefit claimants had increased the previous week due to heavy snow in four states, according to Barclays Capital. And separate data showed a 0.2 per cent rise in US factory orders for December. “This was higher than our -0.3 per cent and consensus -0.5 per cent estimates,” said Theresa Chen of Barclays Capital.