Bank of England Lifts Rates; Sends Hawkish Signals

— Decision was a “close call,” says governor, as four members argue for a steeper increase LONDON (MaceNews) – The Bank of England lifted interest rates for the second straight meeting — the first consecutive hikes since 2004 —but surprised the markets with a decidedly hawkish outlook, according to minutes of the February Monetary Policy Committee […]

KC Fed’s George: FOMC Needs to Move ‘Deliberately’ To Raise Federal Funds Rate

Funds Rate ‘Far Away’ From ‘Normal’ Monetary Policy ‘Out of Sync’ With Economic Outlook By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Esther George said Monday that the Fed needs to move “deliberately” to withdraw the unprecedented monetary stimulus adopted to counter the Covid lockdown-induced recession. George, who is voting this […]

<strong><br>FOMC Tees Up March Rate Hike Now That U.S. At ‘Maximum Employment’</strong>

– Powell Sees ‘Substantial’ Balance Sheet Shrinkage After Rate Hikes Begin – Powell Says ‘Couple’ More Discussions Needed on Balance Sheet Reduction Strategy – Powell Implies Rate Hikes May be More Aggressive Given High Inflation, Tight Labor By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – The Federal Reserve took another giant step toward removing some monetary accommodation […]

FOMC Says Expects to ‘Soon Be Appropriate’ to Change Target Rate for Fed Funds

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is the Federal Open Market Committee’s statement Wednesday of its policy stance, accompanied by a reaffirmation of its August 2020 statement that the Fed’s main tool remains changes in the federal funds rate while asset purchases diminish: Indicators of economic activity and employment have continued to strengthen. The sectors most […]

Bank of Canada Keeps Record-Low Rate But Ends Forward Guidance on Easing

— BOC’s Macklem: Taking Deliberate Steps Toward Higher Interest Rates— BOC To Keep Govt Bonds on Its Balance Sheet Until It Starts Raising Rates— BOC Revises Up 2022 CPI Forecast To 4.2% From 3.4%; 2023 Unchanged at 2.3%— BOC Lowers 2022 GDP Forecast to 4.0% From 4.3%, 2023 To 3.5% Vs 3.7% By Max Sato […]

Japan Dec Core CPI Rise Slows on Durable Goods, Hotels Amid Rising Energy

— Both Core and Total CPI Measures Mark 4th Straight Y/Y Gains— Utilities Push Up Overall Energy Costs, Offsetting Recent Pullback in Gasoline— Japan 2021 CPI Down 0.2%, 2nd Straight Annual Drop After -0.2% in 2020 By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Rising utilities and processed food costs propped up consumer prices in Japan in December […]

FOMC To Continue Monetary Normalization Talks As Bond Buying Winds Down

By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Going into its first meeting of the year, it might seem as if the Federal Open Market Committee has already scripted its monetary policy for coming months. After all, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and his colleagues on the Fed’s policy making committee have been pretty explicit about their […]

German Economic Outlook Starts the Year on a Strong Note, ZEW Report Shows

ZURICH (MaceNews) – Economic sentiment in Germany came in well above expectations in January indicating that the economy is seen improving in the coming six months, as COVID cases are seen falling by summer, the latest report from the Mannheim-based ZEW institute showed. ZEW’s Index of Economic Sentiment rose to 51.7 in January from 29.9 […]

Japan Government Keeps Economic Pickup View After December Upgrade

— Consumers Brave Omicron Scare in Year-End, New Year Leisure Season — Production Improving on Easing Supply Constraints By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government Tuesday maintained its economic overview after upgrading it last month for the first time in 17 months, saying consumer spending is picking up — despite rising Covid cases — and […]