Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's economy grew by a stronger-than-expected 0.6% in the first three months of 2024, ending the shallow recession it entered in the second half of last year, official figures showed on Friday.

A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a 0.4% expansion of gross domestic product in the January-to-March period, after GDP shrank by 0.3% in the final quarter of 2023.

Friday's data from the Office for National... (continue reading...)

By Joan Faus

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Catalans vote on Sunday in a regional election that could determine the stability of Spain's Socialist-led government and also gauge the strength of a pro-independence movement that has roiled the country for a decade.

A government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialist party in Catalonia after a decade of separatist governments would usher in a new era, said political scientist Toni Rodon.

By Mike Dolan

LONDON (Reuters) - Worried about a hawkish Fed, over-valued stocks, teetering debt piles, volatile currencies, cliffhanger elections or rancorous geopolitics? Relax and don't over-think it.

For those with long-term savings horizons, the temptation to overtrade and overpay fees for sophisticated investment management, esoteric financial products and expensive hedging may just not be worth it.

Despite a... (continue reading...)

By Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Andres Gonzalez and Elisa Anzolin

LONDON (Reuters) - A string of stock listings this year has infused new life into Europe's anaemic market for initial public offerings, but for some smaller companies it may take longer to open up, bankers told Reuters.

While the listings of CVC, Galderma and Puig have made money for investors and helped drive a fourfold increase in IPO volumes so far this year, some have... (continue reading...)

PARIS (Reuters) - French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu is putting in place a special task force to better protect victims and punish perpetrators of sexual violence in the army, he announced in an op-ed published by newspaper Le Monde.

The task force, which is asked to review disciplinary proceedings and "come up with concrete recommendations to guide commanders", will be headed by the Inspector General of the Armed Forces and the Gendarmerie.