DATA PREVIEW: FEWER DATA POINTS IN THE MAY 18 WEEK, BUT NOT LESS NEGATIVITY
By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – After an overflow of data Friday, there is a breather coming in the May 18 week, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be anything for markets and analysts to focus on. Housing data takes up much of the schedule, starting with the National Association of Home Builders’ Housing Market […]
DATA FLASH: US APRIL RETAIL SALES DOWN 16.4% AS CRISIS CONTINUED
–Non-store Retail Sales Rose 8.4%, Other Categories Down–Empire State Index Rose to -48.5 in May from -78.2 in April–Industrial Production -11.2%, Manufacturing -13.7% on Vehicles By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Social distancing continued in April, cutting further in almost every retail sale category, data released Friday morning showed. At the same time, industrial production […]
BOE’S BAILEY REFUSES TO RULE OUT NEGATIVE UK INTEREST RATES IN MEDIUM TERM
By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey surprised investors on Thursday, refusing to rule out negative interest rates in the U.K., even as he repeated his hopes of a robust economic recovery before year end. Answering a question about sub-zero rates posed by a Financial Times journalist at a web […]
BANK OF CANADA: FIN SYSTEM ‘RESILIENT,’ COPING W/ COVID-19, OIL SHOCKS
NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Canada’s financial system “remains resilient” in the face of Covid-19 and the oil price shock, with support from Bank of Canada policy, and strong private capital and liquidity buffers, even as the economic outlook remains uncertain, the bank said Thursday. “Strong policies have put a floor under the economy and laid […]
WHITE HOUSE WATCH COMMENTARY: FIGHTERS, HATERS AND UNSUNG HEROES
By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – There is a basic problem in news coverage of the pandemic, the fact that the virus culture wars are much more interesting than the fight against the virus itself. When President Trump calls an answer from NIH’s Tony Fauci “unacceptable” as he did Wednesday, the president’s fans are cheering […]
FED’S POWELL WARNS OF DANGERS OF LONG SHALLOW RECOVERY
–Emergency Aid So Far May Be Only the Beginning –‘Recovery May Take Some Time to Gather Momentum’ — ‘Additional Fiscal Support Could Be Costly’ –Negative Rates ‘Not Something That We’re Looking At.” By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The battle of recovery narratives – swift and sharp versus shallow and long – Wednesday saw one […]
FED’S HARKER: FED TO KEEP RATES LOW UNTIL A ‘DEMONSTRABLE MOVE’ TOWARD NORMAL ECONOMY
By Jon Hurdle PHILADELPHIA (MaceNews) – Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Patrick Harker said on Tuesday that interest rates will remain low until policy-makers see clear evidence that the economy is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. “We have committed in the FOMC to move rates to essentially zero. The Fed Funds rate is between zero and […]
ST. LOUIS FED’S BULLARD: US ECONOMIC REBOUND LIKELY IN 2H; NO NEGATIVE RATES
NEW YORK (MaceNews) – After its record drop in the second quarter, the US economy is likely to see a record rebound in the third quarter, St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard said Tuesday. Bullard, answering questions during a webcast, said a record rebound in the third quarter is likely, a “big plus number,” […]
CHICAGO FED’S EVANS: FACTORIES SHOW SIGNS OF ADAPTING TO MEET HEALTH CHALLENGES
NEW YORK (MaceNews) – The economic outlook remains uncertain, but steps by manufacturers to protect workers from Covid-19 in the workplace show how businesses can adapt and recovery can unfold, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans said Monday. Evans, in remarks prepared for delivery in a virtual meeting with the Lansing, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, recounted […]
WHITE HOUSE WATCH COMMENTARY: MARKETS HAPPY, PRESIDENT”S OPTIMISTIC
By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The week ends with once again everything that involves the corona virus falling neatly into place : the stock markets end a stellar string of positive trading days, the president said we don’t even need a vaccine and at least 45 states have some reopenings under way despite the […]