USD Prelim GDP q/q 2.4% 2.5% 2.5%

USD Unemployment Claims 354K 342K 340K

USD Prelim GDP Price Index q/q 1.1% 1.2% 1.2%

CAD Current Account -14.1B -15.3B -17.3B

CAD RMPI m/m -2.2% -0.7% -1.7%

CAD IPPI m/m -0.8% 0.1% 0.1%

Credit returns to Portugal economy, more to be done-bankers

(Reuters) - After three years of the worst recession since the 1970s, credit is finally flowing back into the Portuguese economy but more must be done to stimulate growth in the bailed-out country, bankers said on Thursday.

"I am sure that we are entering a phase of greater supply of credit to Portuguese companies and even adjustments to its price," Nuno Amado, chief executive officer of the country's largest listed bank, Millennium BCP (BCP.LS), told a conference hosted by Reuters and TSF radio.

"We will be more active in lending to companies," he added.

Exclusive - Europe plans major scaling back of financial trading tax

BRUSSELS | Thu May 30, 2013 12:59pm BST
(Reuters) - European countries plan to scale back a proposed financial transactions tax drastically, initially imposing a tiny charge on share deals only and taking much longer than originally intended to achieve a full roll-out.

While yet to be formally proposed, the sweeping revisions would mark a victory for banks and trading organisations which have lobbied furiously against a scheme aimed at making them contribute to the costs of the financial crisis.

But the move also reflects big practical problems in collecting the revenue and political divisions over the tax, which has encountered legal challenges from London and caused concern even among the 11 euro zone countries backing it.

FTSE 100 ends firmly higher with Kingfisher topping the list