FOMC Set to Proceed ‘Carefully’ on Road to Tighter Monetary Policy, But Ultimate Destination Unclear
– Must Decide Pace of Rate Hikes, Where Neutral Is, and Whether Neutral Is High Enough – Fed Getting Closer to Balance Sheet Reduction But Funds Rate Primary Policy Tool By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – It seemed virtually a foregone conclusion that the Federal Reserve would start raising short-term interest rates in mid-March after Jerome Powell’s […]
Bank of Canada’s Macklem: Won’t Rule Out 50 bp Rate Hike in Future If Needed
–BOC Governor: To Tighten Policy ‘In a Deliberate and Careful Way’ By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said Thursday that he won’t rule out the possibility of the bank raising the policy interest rate by a faster pace of 50 basis points than its decision Wednesday to conduct the first […]
Bank of Canada Hikes Policy Rate To 0.50% From Record Low 0.25% To Fight Inflation
–BOC Keeps Reinvesting in Government Bonds on Its Balance Sheet –BOC: Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine ‘A Major New Source of Uncertainty’–BOC: Expect Further Rate Hikes As Economic Growth, Inflation Pressures Continue –BOC: To Consider Start of Quantitative Tightening Based on Economic Assessment By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Canada on Wednesday raised its […]
Italy Government May Revise Fiscal Outlook, Cut Growth Forecasts Due to Ukraine Crisis – Sources
By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy’s government could cut growth forecasts for this year and potentially raise deficit targets in the wake of the Ukraine crisis and its repercussions on the Italian economy, according to ruling coalition sources. “The extent of such impact is still to be fully weighed, but we might need to […]
US ISM Manufacturing Index Rebounds in February on New Orders
–ISM: Conflict in Ukraine Unlikely To Hurt US Manufacturing Expansion –ISM Concerned Rising Energy Prices To Provide Headwinds To US Economy –ISM Survey Shows Supply Chain Constraints Remain, Backlogs Grow By Max Sato (MaceNews) – US manufacturing activity rebounded in February after Covid restrictions caused by the Omicron variant slowed the sector’s growth in January, […]
UPDATE: Pres Biden Upgrades Sanctions Vs Russia; ‘It’s a War Without a Cause’
By Frank Csongos and Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – President Joe Biden announced Thursday new economic sanctions on Russia to punish its military invasion of Ukraine. Biden denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin of waging “naked aggression” and pledged Russia will bear the consequences. “It’s a war without a cause,” he said. Biden said the U.S. […]
Italy Lobbying EU To Keep Energy Out Of Sanctions Package Against Russia – Italy Government Sources
–Rome hopes any sanctions would unfold in stages, sees energy sanctions as ‘last resort’ given Italy’s dependence on Russian gas By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – Italy is lobbying at the European level to exempt Russian energy exports from the European Union’s potential sanctions as Italy would end up paying the highest price, according to […]
Japan December Exports Continue Rising on Reopening Demand, Car Supply Pickup
— Import Gain Remains High on Energy, Leading to 5th Straight Trade Deficit By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese exports rose from a year earlier for the 10th straight month in December, thanks to reopening demand for iron and steel and electronic parts as well as easing supply constraints for the auto industry, data released […]
Transcript: Wht Hse Offl’s Brief Reports on Release from SPR
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is the White House transcript of the teleconference providing reporters with information about the announcement of a pending release of 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, in coordination with some other countries: Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on Oil and Gas Prices Via Teleconference […]
Text of Pres Biden’s Announcement of 50 Mln Bls Release from SPR
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is the text of the White House announcement Tuesday morning that the president is authorizing the release of 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in coordination with China, India, Japan, South Korea and the UK: President Biden Announces Release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve As Part […]