* Retail sales in the U.S. fell by 0.1% and January were revised down from an increase of 0.2% to a decline of 0.4% as auto sales slow. The January reading was the lowest since last winter CNBC

* The average price of branded prescription drugs has doubled over the past five years in the U.S. The Financial Times

* Since the financial crisis, central banks around the world purchased assets to stimulate growth. While the U.S. Federal Reserve finished in late 2014, the European Central Bank and Bank of Japan currently have asset purchasing policies in place.