FOMC DELIVERS ITS QTR POINT CUT DESPITE ‘RISING’ ECONOMY
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Open Market Committee Wednesday delivered a bare-bones statement that aside from the expected quarter-point rate cut information contained less than usual characterizations of the economy, other than activity is “rising,” the labor market continues to be strong and inflation remains below target. The one additional nugget was that the balance […]
FOMC BEGINS WITH CASE FOR RATE CUT STILL NOT CLEAR CUT
–The Boeing 737 MAX Rate Cut? By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – If the Federal Open Market Committee wanted some cover to back out of a rate cut Wednesday it could look no farther than toward the Treasury Department which Monday declared, “Downside risks in the second half of 2019 appear to be lessening.” Of […]
US 2ND QTR GDP: TECHNICAL NOTE EXCERPTS
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following are excerpts from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis technical notes which accompany Friday’s report on second-quarter GDP: GDP increased 2.1 percent (annual rate) in the second quarter of 2019, following an increase of 3.1percent in the first. The increase in second quarter real GDP primarily reflected increases in consumer […]
ECB SIGNALS LOWER RATES AHEAD, TO CONSIDER NEW QE
By Laurie Laird FRANKFURT (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank signaled its intention to loosen monetary policy in response to the slowing euro zone economy, adding the possibility of lower interest rates to its forward guidance and pledging to examine a new round of quantitative easing. In a statement issued after Thursday’s governing council meeting, […]
IMF WEO UPDATE: GLOBAL GROWTH REMAINS SUBDUED
–Trade Tensions, Brexit Trim Tenth From Global Growth to 3.2% This Year –Growth Projections for 2020 ‘Is Precarious’ –Risks ‘Mainly to the Downsides –Chides US for Using Tariffs Vs Bilateral Trade Balances WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The International Monetary Fund’s mid-year update to its World Economic Outlook Tuesday saw only extremely modest downgrades in growth projections, […]
FED’S BEIGE BK: ‘MODEST PACE’ WITH SOME STAGNATION
–No Growth Reported for Chicago, Cleveland Districts. –Some Manufacturers, Information Firms in Northeast Cut Jobs WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Reserve’s “Beige Book” summary Wednesday of economic activity through July 8 showed “modest” advances along with stagnation in some Districts, with an overall reading that was positive although little changed. Compiled by the San Francisco […]
BANK OF CANADA SEES UNCERTAIN OUTLOOK ON GLOBAL WORRIES
By Gordon Isfeld OTTAWA (MaceNews) – Growing pressure on the global economy may not have seriously dented the outlook for Canada’s near-term growth, but other factors – such as international trade frictions and lingering squabbles over how to resolve the Brexit crisis – are continuing to contribute to growth uncertainty. “Evidence has been accumulating that ongoing […]
US JUNE PAYROLLS +224K, CONFOUNDING FORECASTERS AND IMPERILING RATE CUT
By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The carefully wrought July rate-cut scenario is now challenged by the blockbuster 224,000 surprise payrolls total for June, with Friday’s report pitting economic pessimists against prospects for renewed strength for the longest U.S expansion in history. Many forecasters who were confounded by a return to 200,000 plus payrolls growth […]
FED’S MESTER: U.S. Q2 SLOWDOWN NOT SUFFICIENT TO TRIGGER RATE CUT
By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – While U.S. growth appears to have weakened over the second quarter, the current slowdown is insufficient to trigger a reduction in interest rates, according to Cleveland Federal Reserve President Loretta Mester. “Given the current level of the funds rate and my current baseline outlook,” interest rates represent an “appropriate […]
TRUMP-XI MAINTAIN CURRENT TARIFFS, RESTART TALKS FOR 12TH ROUND
–US Chipmakers Can Again Sell to Huawei; China Can Resume U.S. Ag Buys (MaceNews) – The Osaka Castle weekend agreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping altered the immediate trade landscape significantly, held new tariffs in abeyance “for the time being” and opened the way for another round of talks while freezing […]