BOE GIVES BANKS 6 MONTHS NOTICE TO PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE SUB-ZERO RATES

— Leaves rates, QE Programme Unchanged After February Rate-Setting Meeting By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – The Bank of England has asked UK financial institutions to begin a six month preparation period in the event the UK economy requires the additional stimulus of a sub-zero base rate. The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee “concluded that it would […]

FED’S POWELL: PREMATURE TO TALK ABOUT EXIT FROM EASY MONETARY POLICY

By Steve Beckner –Vows Clear Communication Well Ahead of Any Tapering of QE–Downplays Concerns About Inflation, Asset Bubbles (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell showed some impatience with talk of “exiting” from the Fed’s exceptionally easy monetary policies Wednesday and vowed to continue providing support to the economic recovery “until the job is done.” […]

FOMC: CONCENTRATES ON CONTINUING VIRUS ECONOMIC DAMAGE

(WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Open Market Committee, while standing pat on all fronts as expected Wednesday, only intensified its emphasis on the continuing economic damage being imposed by the pandemic, despite the advent of vaccine inoculations. The following is the FOMC statement text: The Federal Reserve is committed to using its full range of […]

WEDNESDAY WASHINGTON SCHEDULES

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following are Wednesday’s public White House, Treasury, House and Senate schedules: White House Schedule 9:00 AMIn-Town Pool Call TimeThe White House – In-Town Pool 9:30 AMThe President and The Vice President receive the President’s Daily BriefOval Office – Closed Press 12:15 PMPress BriefingPress Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Special Presidential […]

ECB’S LAGARDE: ASSET BUYING AS LIKELY TO EXCEED CURRENT ALLOCATION AS TO FALL SHORT

— ECB President Denies New Language Toward PEPP Programme Reflects More Hawkish Attitude By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – ECB warnings that it may not expend all of its emergency bond buying do not represent a more hawkish outlook toward the eurozone recovery, according to Europe’s top central banker.  The rate-setting Governing Council raised eyebrows […]

DATA PREVIEW: 4Q GDP, IMF’S WEO, FOMC, DURABLE GOODS

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The upcoming week is packed with economic data, including the fourth quarter GDP, as well as a Federal Open Market Committee policy update and Chair Jay Powell’s news conference, and an update to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook. The GDP report is Thursday. The various GDPNow estimates don’t agree, with the New […]

FOMC TO STAND PAT IN SEEKING MORE INFLATION, EMPLOYMENT

–Fed Officials Agree in Principle; Only Time Will Tell On Implementation By Steve Beckner (MaceNews) – Important questions but only tentative answers abound as the Federal Reserve approaches its first monetary policy meeting of the new year in a mood to await further economic, financial and, yes, public health developments before changing its policy settings. […]

ECB SITS ON ITS HANDS. SAYS DECEMBER FORECASTS HOLD DESPITE LOCKDOWN

By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank left all policy instruments on hold at its latest rate-setting meeting, stressing the ECB’s most recent economic projections envisioned the risk of the strong Covid containment measures currently in place through much of Europe. Forecasts published in December “were predicated on lockdowns lasting through”the first […]

EUROZONE INFLATION STUCK IN THE RED AHEAD OF THURSDAY’S ECB MEETING

—HICP Falls by an Annual Rate of 0.3% in December, Marking the Fifth-Straight Decline By Laurie Laird  LONDON (MaceNews) — Eurozone inflation remained stubbornly in the red at the close of last year, with the HICP index slumping by an annual pace of 0.3%, according to data released by Eurostat on Wednesday.  That decline matches […]