Italy’s Rightists Election Victory Leaves Shaky Financial Outlook — Explainer
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – The right-wing coalition victory on Sunday will likely lead Italy to a super-accommodative, risky economic and fiscal stance as parties forming the alliance have all pledged tax cuts and more spending to support the economy. With final results yet to be released, the far-right Brothers of Italy group won […]
BofA Global Research Fund Manager Survey: Investor Sentiment ‘Super Bearish’ in September
By Vicki Schmelzer NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Global investor sentiment was “super bearish” in September, according to the findings of BofA Global Research’s monthly fund manager survey, released Tuesday. Accordingly, cash allocation rose to the “biggest overweight on record” and equity allocation fell to a “record underweight,” the survey said. Investors remained on high alert […]
Bank of Canada Expected to Lift Key Rate by 75 Bps in Front-Loading Move to Fight Inflation
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Canada is widely expected to raise its policy interest rate — the target for overnight lending rates — by 75 basis points to 3.25% on Wednesday as part of its front-loading credit tightening drive to bring down decades-high inflation above 7% to its 2% target. The move […]
Japan PM Kishida Ratings Slump on More Revelations of Close Ruling Party Ties to Cult
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s bid to turn around sliding voter support with a cabinet shuffle seems to have backfired, with opinion surveys indicating the public is increasingly unhappy with further revelations that conservative ruling party lawmakers have had cozy ties with the Unification Church. The cult, which was founded in […]
Business Inflation Measure Reinforces Softening Inflation Scenario
–PPI -0.5%; Core +0.2%; Goods -1.8%; Services +0.1% By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The July Producer Price Index, which cuts deeper and is more multidimensional than the CPI, Thursday reinforced the welcome scenario of softening inflation. The PPI showed final demand last month dropped half a percent, more than expected and the biggest decline […]
July Jobs Report Takes the ‘Stag’ Out of ‘Stagflation;’ Adds 528K Payroll Slots
By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Confounding the forecasters, the July jobs market exploded with new hiring, adding 528,000 payrolls slots, lowering the unemployment rate to 3.5% and pitting market pessimists against their opposites who see inflation having peaked. U.S. stocks futures sagged, benchmark interest rates shot up a few basis points and the White […]
Analysis: Fed Officials Shift Messaging as Markets Swing
By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – After the Federal Reserve’s policymaking Federal Open Market Committee raised short-term interest rates for a fourth straight meeting on July 27, Chairman Jerome Powell said that, henceforth, he and the FOMC intended to forego further “forward guidance” on the probable pace of rate hikes. Instead, he said, they would go “meeting by meeting” and assess the incoming data before deciding what the […]
FOMC Set to Keep Ratcheting Rates Higher Despite Worries About ‘Oversteering’
By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Since raising short-term interest rates more aggressively in mid-June, misgivings have cropped up among Federal Reserve officials about raising rates too far, too fast, but such sentiments must contend with worsening inflation news that has made it all the more imperative in most minds to demonstrate the central bank’s […]
BOJ Kuroda Repeats No Plans for Rate Hike, Rapid Yen Drop Undesirable
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda made it clear once again that the bank’s policymakers are “not considering raising interest rates at all” given their latest outlook that domestic inflation is unlikely to be anchored around its 2% target in the next few years. He told a post-meeting news conference […]
FOMC Minutes: Fed Officials Leaned Toward More Tightening Despite Downside Risks
– 50-75 BP Hike in July Envisioned – Policy Might Need to Become ‘Even More Restrictive” than Anticipated By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve officials tilted toward a more restrictive monetary policy at their mid-June Federal Open Market Committee meeting despite signs of a slowing economy, minutes released Wednesday reveal. Not only did […]