Japan Week Ahead: Markets Continue to Expect BOJ Rate Hike Toward Yearend after Tankan Business Survey, Branch Managers Report Points to Resilient Economy amid Mideast Uncertainty
–May Machinery Orders Set for Pullback after April Surge but Strong Demand for Computers, AI-Linked Equipment Seen Intact By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan policymakers have received evidence this month that the domestic economy has been resilient, overcoming high fuel costs and material shortages triggered by the Middle East conflict amid the global […]
FOMC Minutes: Alternative Scenarios Showed Potential Rate Hikes Or Cuts
– Most Agree ‘Some Policy Firming’ Needed if Inflation Elevated, Employment Stable – ‘Almost All’ Agree Cut Rates ‘Eventually’ if Inflation ‘Dissipates,’ Returns to 2% – ‘A Few’ Made Case For Rate Hike, But Not Immediately By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – With Kevin Warsh chairing the Federal Open Market Committee for the first time […]
The ‘Maestro’ Knew How to Move Markets When He Wanted
By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – For any reporter covering Alan Greenspan there was a reliable imperative, read the text of his latest speech very closely because there was likely a zinger in there, a sentence that he intended to be the quote of the day, whether “irrational exuberance” or the ‘winner-take-all economy.” It was […]
Update: Japan Week Ahead: Markets Look for Signs of Follow-Up BOJ Move in A Few Months After Milestone Rate Hike in June, Warning about Inflation
–Updates to Show New Date for Monthly Economic Report –June Tokyo CPI Inflation Seen Accelerating on Rising Costs for Plastics, Other Goods amid Mideast Materials Supply Squeeze but Still Below 2% BOJ Target By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Financial markets are expected to be volatile in the coming week after Iran announced on the weekend […]
FOMC Holds Rates Steady; Drops Easing Bias By Ending Forward Guidance
— SEP Shows Fed Officials See Funds Rate Rising To 3.8% By End ‘26; Back to 3.6% end ’27 – -SEP Inflation Forecast Lifted for 2026 From 2.7% to 3.6% — Warsh Didn’t Submit Funds Rate Dot; Half Want Rate Same or Lower; Half Want Rate Hike – -Warsh Committed To 2% Inflation; ‘Compatible’ With […]
ABBREVIATED FOMC STATEMENT CONTAINS NO FORWARD GUIDANCE
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The drastically abbreviated Federal Open Market policy statement follows, containing no forward guidance, no dissents, no rate change and which drops easing bias, as expected: The Federal Open Market Committee approved the following statement for release by a 12 – 0 vote: The Committee decided to maintain the target range for the […]
Japan Week Ahead: BOJ Looks Set for 5th Rate Hike in Current Cycle Started in March 2024 as Previously Cautious Governor Points to Upside Inflation Risks
–May Trade to Show Solid Exports, April Machinery Orders Seen Flat with Slight Dip, CPI Inflation Tame on Energy Subsidies, Free High School Education By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. It appears to be a done deal for the Bank of Japan’s sometimes divided policy board. […]
Update: Bank of Japan Board Widely Expected to Raise Policy Rate by 25 Basis Points to 1% at June 15-16 Meeting in Rare Absence of Governor
––Governor Ueda, 74, Hospitalized for Medical Treatment, Working Remotely but Will Not Vote Next Week–Board to Set Guideline for JGB purchases for Fiscal 2027; Focus on whether It Will Maintain Current Pace of Tapering by ¥200 billion a Quarter By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan’s board is widely expected to decide to […]
Fed Officials Not Ready To Move Rates Either Way as Iran Uncertainty Continues
— Rate Hike Sentiment Rising, But Most Inclined to Be Patient — Easing Bias Seems Increasingly Likely To Go By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve officials leaned half heartedly toward a potential tightening of monetary policy this week, as they struggled to keep up with the vicissitudes of the Iran conflict and its […]
Fed Officials Grappling with Policy Import of Potential Iran Pact, Oil Price Dip
– After Rate Hike Odds Rose, Improved Prospect of Disinflation Causes Rethinking By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Over the course of Kevin Warsh’s first week as Federal Reserve chairman, Fed officials have been trying to factor a rapidly changing Middle East and oil market picture into their monetary policy calculations. It hasn’t been easy […]