FED’S POWELL: DOING ALL WE CAN; WILL IT BE ENOUGH?

–‘Dot Plot’ Shows Assumptions of No Rate Hikes Through 2022 –To Sustain Pace of Treasuries, MBS Purchases By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell Wednesday offered reassurance policymakers are not even “thinking about thinking” about raising rates and shared his worries about possible long-term post-crisis unemployment. Answering questions after the Federal […]

FOMC POLICY STATEMENT JUNE 10, 2020

The Federal Reserve is committed to using its full range of tools to support the U.S. economy in this challenging time, thereby promoting its maximum employment and price stability goals. The coronavirus outbreak is causing tremendous human and economic hardship across the United States and around the world. The virus and the measures taken to […]

ECB’S SCHNABEL HINTS AT FURTHER GEOGRAPHIC TARGETING OF PEPP PURCHASES

— ECB to Deviate from Capital Key For Countries Facing ‘Severe Risks of Fragmentation’ By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank will continue to bend its rules on the geographic allocation of emergency sovereign bond purchases, deviating from its capital key to support nations in financial distress. “We raise the share of […]

BOE’S CUNLIFFE CONFIRMS NEGATIVE UK RATES REMAIN UNDER CONSIDERATION

By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – The Bank of England is still considering the efficacy of sub-zero interest rates as it battles the economic shock of the coronavirus, a leading member of the bank’s rate-setting body said Tuesday. “Negative interest rates is one possible tool to support demand going forward,” said Sir Jon Cunliffe, deputy […]

DATA PREVIEW: PROTESTS COMPLICATE FOMC STATEMENT AMID RECOVERY

By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – After the May employment report showed slight improvement after the overwhelmingly negative April report, the attention in the week ahead turns to the monthly U.S. inflation reports and Wednesday’s FOMC meeting, as well as the first look at June consumer confidence. The FOMC meets Tuesday and Wednesday at a […]

BANK OF CANADA’S GRAVELLE: POLICY-MAKERS ‘HOPEFUL,’ WATCHING DATA AS ECONOMY REOPENS

NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Bank of Canada policy-makers are hopeful the pandemic’s economic impact has peaked, but admit there’s much uncertainty how the recovery will unfold, BOC Deputy Governor Toni Gravelle said Thursday. Gravelle, in remarks prepared for delivery during an online meeting, said the bank will be watching economic data closely to gauge the […]

ECB EXPANDS BOND BUYING PROGRAM, DECLINES FURTHER EASING MEASURES

By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank expanded its emergency asset purchase program but declined to activate any further measures in what it calls its “policy toolkit,” despite forecasting a fall in inflation to just above zero. The ECB’s pandemic emergency purchase program, or PEPP, will increase by €600 billion to €1.35 […]

SIFMA SURVEY: ’20 GDP -5.5%; ’21 +4.7%; NO NEGATIVE RATES

NEW YORK (MaceNews) – A survey of 26 chief economists of global and regional financial institutions Tuesday saw U.S. fourth quarter to fourth quarter GDP falling 5.5% this year and rebounding strongly next year with a 4.7% gain. The survey, taken through May 28, also found no expectation for the Federal Reserve to purposely employ […]

BANK OF ENGLAND’S SAUNDERS CALLS FOR MPC TO COMMIT TO FURTHER ASSET PURCHASES

External MPC Member Refuses to Be Drawn on Negative Interest Rates By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – A Bank of England rate setter has urged the Monetary Policy Committee to commit to further asset purchases at its upcoming meeting, but refused to be drawn on the possibility of negative interest rates in the UK. Addressing […]

BOE’S BAILEY HINTS THAT EXPANDED QE WILL PRECEDE ANY RATE CUT

By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Wednesday suggested that the UK central bank is likely to expand its quantitative easing program before embarking on any move to nudge interest rates into negative territory. “We have signaled that we stand ready to do more within the framework of policies we […]