Report: Japan, U.S. Mull Possible Trump Visit to Tokyo in Late October
By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – Japan and the United States are in talks over a possible visit by President Donald Trump to Tokyo in October, ahead of his planned trip to South Korea for an international summit, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported. The visit would mark the first in-person meeting between Trump and the […]
FOMC Cuts Fed Funds Rate 25 Basis Points; Further Rate Cuts Projected
– Powell: Increased Downside Labor Risks Motivated FOMC to ‘Move Toward Neutral’ – SEP Projects 3.6% Funds Rate End ‘25; 3.4% End ‘26; 3.1% End ‘27 By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – After holding its interest rate settings steady for nine months, despite growing pressure from President Trump, the Federal Reserve finally lowered them Wednesday, […]
TRANSCRIPT: Fed’s Powell Says Quarter-Point Cut ‘Risk Management’ Rather Than Reaction to Actual Jobs Deterioriation
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is a transcript of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s post-FOMC news conference Wednesday: Recent indicators suggest that growth of economic activity has moderated. GEP rose at a pace of around one and a half percent in the first half of the year, down from 2.5 percent last year. The moderation […]
FOMC POLICY STATEMENT – As expected, with quarter-point rate cut followed by dot-plot expectations for two more this year
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Open Market Committee’s Wednesday policy statement: Recent indicators suggest that growth of economic activity moderated in the first half of the year. Job gains have slowed, and the unemployment rate has edged up but remains low. Inflation has moved up and remains somewhat elevated. The Committee seeks to achieve maximum […]
Japan Weekahead: Ruling, Opposition Parties Gear Up for October Snap Elections Widely Expected after Conservative LDP Picks Leader
–Bank of Japan to Stand Pat amid Political Storm Following PM Ishiba’s Resignation, Board Monitors Trump Tariff Impact on Q3 Data–August Data to Highlight Tariff Impact: Japan Carmakers’ Discount Strategy Keeps Their US Market Share but Depresses Export Values–Core CPI to Ease Below 3% on Summer Fuel Subsidies, Yen’s Relative Strength Vs. Slump in Early […]
US TARIFFS STATE OF PLAY – Punishing 50% Tariff on India Products Takes Effect; Online Shoppers to be Hit With Tariffs Friday
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – There was no last-minute reprieve for India, as of midnight ET hit with one of the highest tariff rates in the world. The implementation of a 50% rate shuts off most trade with the U.S. and there have been many accounts of sectors of the Indian economy already feeling the severe effect. […]
Fed Officials Still Divided, Unsure About When and How Much To Cut Interest Rates
By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve officials have continued this week to muse about cutting interest rates for the first time since December when the Fed’s rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee meets in mid- September, but the FOMC remains divided and unsure. Despite an uptick in inflation, labor market worries have come to […]
ISM: US Services Sector Slows on Weak Demand, Soft Hiring and Rising Costs as Tariffs Begin to Bite
–ISM Services Index 50.1 Vs. 50.8 in June, 49.9 in May, Below Consensus 51.5–ISM’s Miller: Employment Index’s Continued Contraction, Faster Rise in Prices Index Worrisome–Miller: Expansion in Business Activity, New Orders Indexes Highlight Resilience of Services Sector–Miller: Firms Wary of Impact of an Expected Fed Rate Cut as Inflation Remains High By Max Sato (MaceNews) […]
US TARIFFS STATE OF PLAY: New Reciprocal Tariffs Don’t Dispel Uncertainty, Confusion
–Trump Fires Head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics because of alleged manipulation By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – With new reciprocal levies raising America’s average tariff rate to above 18% and the latest jobs and ISM reports raising stagflation fears, the overall era of uncertainty seems to have intensified, not diminished. The environment of […]
TRANSCRIPT: Fed’s Powell Stays Away From Promises of a September Rate Cut
.WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is a rough transcript of Wednesday afternoon’s post-FOMC meeting news conference with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell: Despite elevated uncertainty, the economy is in a solid position. The unemployment rate remains low and the labor market is at or near maximum employment. Inflation has been running somewhat above our 2% […]