TRANSCRIPT: Fed Chair Powell Says December Rate Cut ‘Not a Foregone Conclusion’
–‘Strongly Differing Views’ About December FOMC WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is a transcript of most of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s Wednesday post-FOMC meeting news conference: … Beyond the next year or two, or so; however, most measures of longer-term expectations remain consistent with our 2% inflation goal. For monetary policy actions are guided […]
FOMC STATEMENT: Qtr-Point Cut as Expected; Ends Reduction of Aggregate Securities Holdings Dec 1
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is the Federal Open Market Committee’s policy statement released Wednesday: Available indicators suggest that economic activity has been expanding at a moderate pace. Job gains have slowed this year, and the unemployment rate has edged up but remained low through August; more recent indicators are consistent with these developments. Inflation […]
Conservative Ruling Party Leader Takaichi Elected Japan’s First Woman Prime Minister, Picks Former MOF Official Katayama as Finance Minister
By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader Sanae Takaichi was sworn in as the country’s first woman prime minister on Tuesday, shifting the gear to the right on the political spectrum and inheriting the decades-old task to achieve economic growth that comes with sustained wage hikes and stable inflation. Takaichi, […]
Japan Weekahead: BOJ Board Member Who Called for September Rate Hike Speaks amid Elevated Inflation, Sluggish External Demand
– Diet to Elect Prime Minister after ruling LDP Lost its Small Coalition Partner By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese economic and political events for the coming week. Ahead of the Bank of Japan’s policy meeting on Oct. 29-30, one of the two board members who have called for a further […]
Powell Cites ‘Significant Downside Risks’ To Jobs; Puts Less Emphasis On Inflation
– Can’t Ease Too Quickly, But Easing Too Slowly Would Mean ‘Painful” Job Losses By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell avoided giving an overt signal about what the Fed will do with interest rates later this month, but clearly leaned toward greater concern about a softening labor market than about […]
BofA Global Research: Managers Dumped Bonds in October Despite Expectations of Rate Cuts
By Vicki Schmelzer NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Global investors dumped bonds in October, despite expectations of future Fed cuts and continued concern about rising inflation, according to Bank of America Global Research’s monthly fund manager survey, released Tuesday. In October, a net 24% of portfolio managers were underweight bonds, versus a net 3% underweight in […]
Japan LDP Leader Takaichi’s Premiership Prospects in Limbo After Sudden Exit of Coalition Partner, Stirring Market Uncertainty
By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – Sanae Takaichi, who became the Liberal Democratic Party’s first female leader in early October, is facing a critical moment after the abrupt departure of its long-time coalition partner, Komeito, ending more than a quarter-century of alliance. The unexpected breakup could heighten volatility in Japanese stocks, government bonds and currency […]
Japan Weekahead: New Ruling Party Leader Takaichi to Set Policy Agenda, Seek Close Contact Between Government and Central Bank
— Bank of Japan Releases Quarterly Regional Economic Report, Survey on Consumer Sentiment, Inflation Outlook By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese economic and political events for the coming week. Now that the ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party has elected its new leader, Sanae Takaichi, the focus is on what economic and […]
NY Fed’s Williams: FOMC Has ‘Balancing Act’ Between Inflation, Employment
– Monetary Policy Still Restrictive; To Make Meeting-by-Meeting Judgment on Risks – Employment Risks Up; Inflation Pressure Lessening; Tariffs Not As Bad As Feared – Other Fed Officials More Hesitant To Cut Funds Rate Furthermore By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – After cutting interest rates mid-month to guard against “undue” weakness in the labor market […]
Japan Keeps Economic Recovery Outlook as US Trade Deal, Easing Inflation Lift Mood but Export Volumes, Manufacturer Profits Sink on US Auto Tariffs
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan is keeping its modest economic recovery scenario as a trade deal with Washington and easing inflation have perked up confidence but U.S. import duties, still much higher than pre-Trump norms, have triggered export volumes to slump in August and manufacturer profits to dip in the April-June quarter. In […]