BOE RATE SETTER: COVID VACCINE DOES NOT REDUCE NEED FOR ASSET PURCHASES

— External MPC member Tenreyro makes strong case for negative interest rates in the UK By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – The rapid development of a Covid vaccine could actually strengthen the case for expanded quantitative easing in the UK, with the benefits of a jab likely to lift the economy only gradually, a Bank of England […]

STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY- THE HAVES GIVE THANKS, THE HAVE-NOTS WAIT IN LINE

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Wednesday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. The day before Thanksgiving, the latest economic data suggested the country is fractured economically as well as politically, with hardship increasing at the same exponential pace as virus infections while those lucky enough […]

FOMC MINUTES: MOST PARTICIPANTS WANTED TO TONE UP ASSET PURCHASES GUIDANCE

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Reserve’s top policymakers wanted to gear forward guidance more to explaining how asset purchases would remain calibrated to the state of the economy at their meeting at the beginning of the month, their minutes showed Wednesday. The suggestion for more definitive guidance, however, fell far short of expectations that the […]

ECB CHIEF ECONOMIST: RAISING EMPLOYMENT CONSISTENT WITH ECB’S PRICE STABILITY MANDATE

By Laurie Laird  LONDON (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank can pursue higher euro zone employment within the parameters of the Bank’s single mandate of achieving price stability, according to the ECB’s chief economist.  “The same factors needed to increase inflation will drive employment,” said ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane, in response to a question […]

FED’S BULLARD: MON POLICY ‘GREAT’ BUT CAN ‘REDOUBLE’ QE EFFORTS IF NEEDED

–Fed Established Expectations No Rate Hikes ‘For A Long Time” –Fed, Tsy Have Flexibility To Deal Wtih Renewed Financial Stress if Needed –Economy Holding Up; Expect Above Trend Growth Q4, 1st half –Pandemic Doesn’t Necessarily Impede Output, Employment By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard Tuesday spoke hopefully […]

ECB’S SCHNABEL SUGGESTS EXTENDING TIME FRAME TO RETURN INFLATION TO TARGET

— Rate setter says the Bank has lost the “trust” of the public By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) — A key European Central Bank official Tuesday suggested adjustments to bank’s mandate, particularly the timing of returning inflation to target, while hinting that historically-loose monetary policy could become ever-less effective in stimulating economic growth. “It could […]

STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY- A TRUMP GOODBYE SPEECH IN THE WORKS?

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Monday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. ·        A Monday night to remember, when Joe Biden won the presidency, sort of. It was a time for Biden supporters to celebrate all over again. They didn’t but they could have. The […]

BOE SEES DIMINISHING MARGINAL RETURNS FROM ASSET PURCHASES

— External Rate Setters Lament Low Inflation, Raising Questions Over MPC Rift and Future Policy By Laurie LairdLONDON (MaceNews) – Top Bank of England rate setters agreed that quantitative easing will exert a diminishing influence on the UK economic recovery, raising questions about the tools available to the central bank as two external officials lamented […]

STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY- WHAT’S WORTH $18,818.10?

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Friday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. Friday night and such shrill warnings from every side. Donald Trump is trashing democracy, says CNN. Governors imposing lockdowns and school closings are trashing democracy, says Fox News. Why doesn’t everyone acknowledge the […]

COVID RESURGENCE RAISES EU FINANCIAL STABILITY RISKS, AFFECTS GROWTH OUTLOOK – BOI

By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MacsNews) – The second COVID-19 wave hitting Europe and in Italy is raising financial stability risks and could worsen the outlook, the Bank of Italy warned Friday in its Financial Stability Report.  Even though summer’s economic recovery was greater than expected also thanks to the support of monetary policy, “the risks […]