FOMC: Standstill Policy Statement Accompanied by Dot Plot Assumptions Still for Two Rate Cuts This Year
WASHINGTON (MaceNews): The Federal Ope Market Committee Wednesday provided no surprises in its latest policy statement and the dot plot of participants still saw two rate cuts this year. The text of the statement follows: Recent indicators suggest that economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace. The unemployment rate has stabilized at […]
Japan’s Government Keeps Economic Recovery Scenario, Warns of Downside Risks Arising from High Costs of Living, Trump Tariffs
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government maintained its cautiously optimistic assessment for the seventh straight month, saying the economy is expected to stay on a “modest recovery” track, but also warned about downside risks arising from high costs of living hurting consumption and the trade war launched by the Trump administration. In its monthly […]
BofA Global Research Fund Manager Survey: Global Investor Sentiment Plunges as Macro Pessimism Surges
–US Equity Allocation Sees Biggest Monthly Drop on Record By Vicki Schmelzer NEW YORK (MaceNews) – A drop in expectations that the U.S. economy will outperform and rising worries about the global economy prompted a “bull crash” in global investor sentiment in March, according to BofA Global Research’s monthly fund manager survey, released Tuesday. When […]
TARIFFS STATE OF PLAY: Trump Tariffs Go Global – A Small Start Compared to What’s Coming
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The new worldwide 25% U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum Wednesday – with no exemptions – piled atop the now 20% levied on China goods, 22 days away from the start of the nation’s far bigger experiment in confrontational trade policy, “reciprocal tariffs.” As expected, retaliatory tariffs also began to accumulate, first […]
Preview: Bank of Canada Set to Lower Policy Rate Further to 2.75% Today; More Cuts Expected amid High Uncertainty Created by Trump Tariffs
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Canada on Wednesday is widely expected to trim its policy interest rate – the target for overnight lending rates – by another 25 basis points to 2.75% from 3.0%, conducting its seventh straight rate cut, first to ease the pain of high borrowing costs caused by its […]
Preview: Japan’s Wobbly 3rd Straight Economic Growth Seen Intact in Revised Q4 GDP Data but Sluggish Consumption, Exports Point to Flat Q1 Performance
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Lukewarm economic growth lingered during much of 2024 in Japan after three quarters of drops but consumption is chilled by high living costs and the outlook for the world’s top two economies is clouded by Trump tariffs, pointing to a flat performance in the first quarter of 2025, with the […]
ISM: US Services Sector Expands for 8th Straight Month in February While Concerns Over Trump Tariffs Darken Outlook
–ISM Services Index at 53.5 in February Vs. 52.8 in January, Above Median Forecast 52.7–ISM’s Miller: Services PMI Has Been Trending Down but More Stable Now, Points to Sustained Growth on Year–Miller: Jump in ISM February Manufacturing Prices Paid Index Amid Higher Commodities Markets Not Yet Feeding Through to Services Prices By Max Sato (MaceNews) […]
TARIFFS STATE OF PLAY: Confusion as Tariffs and Tariff Threats Multiply
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – As one round of tariffs took effect Tuesday and more were threatened, rampant uncertainty permeated plunging U.S. stock markets while interest rates continued to dramatically ease. Analysts found themselves giving contradictory assessments on the business channels as the probabilities for more Federal Reserve rate cuts this year were coupled with dire predictions […]
US ISM Manufacturing Stays Just Above Neutral Line in February after Ending 2 Years of Contraction in January as Trump Tariffs Trigger Greater Uncertainties
–ISM Manufacturing Index at 50.3 Vs. 50.9 in January, Below Consensus (50.5)–ISM’s Fiore: February Report ‘Overshadowed’ by Tariff Talk among Firms–Fiore: Lower New Orders, Higher Inventories, Slower Supply Deliveries ‘One-Month Blip, Might Clear Up in March or April–Fiore: This Doesn’t Indicate Decline in Overall ISM Manufacturing Activity By Max Sato (MaceNews) – U.S. manufacturing activity […]
Japan’s Government Keeps Economic Recovery Scenario Despite Headwinds of High Costs of Living, Trump Tariffs, Sluggish China Pickup
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government maintained its cautiously optimistic assessment for the sixth straight month, saying the economy is expected to stay on a “modest recovery” track, overcoming the lingering headwinds of high domestic costs of living, the risk of a global trade war initiated by the Trump administration and wobbly Chinese growth. […]