ECB EYES NEW STIMULUS TO BOOST WEAKENING EURO ZONE ECONOMY
By Laurie Laird VILNIUS (MaceNews) -The European Central Bank has acknowledged the weakening euro zone economy, extending its forward guidance and reiterating the governing council’s pledge to deploy a range of unconventional measures should conditions falter further. The ECB kept its deposit facility rate at -0.4% at its latest governing council meeting, and vowed to […]
HIGHLIGHTS OF ECB’S DRAGHI Q&A: ‘MUST BE PREPARED’
–Markets Seem to See ‘Something Larger Than Simply Trade Disputes’ (MaceNews) – Here are some highlights of European Central Bank President Mario Draghi’s question and answer session Thursday: –Markets seem to see “something bigger than simply trade disputes.” We “have to take this reading seriously and be prepared.” –Don’t see signs of de-anchoring of inflation […]
FED’S BEIGE BK SURVEY SEES ‘SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT’
–Hardly a Mention of Trade WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The modestly expanding national economy was on course through mid May, at least before the latest Mexican tariff threats and the massive Midwest flooding, showing a “slight improvement” with the possible exception of the St. Louis and Dallas districts, the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book survey showed Wednesday. […]
FED’S POWELL MAKES THE ‘FED PUT’ EXPLICIT RE TRADE TURBULENCE
–‘We Will Act as Appropriate’ to Sustain Expansion By Denny Gulino CHICAGO (MaceNews) – In a major announcement Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell made the “Fed put” explicit, saying, “We will act as appropriate to sustain the expansion” in case of trade negotiation turbulence. He is making the remarks at a Chicago Fed conference […]
CANADIAN ECONOMY EDGES UP IN Q1
By Gordon Isfeld OTTAWA (MaceNews) – Canada’s economy edged up by a meager 0.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2019, matching the fourth-quarter growth of the previous year, with the weak performance gain coming mainly from higher household spending and investments in machine and equipment, even as exports struggled. That translates into an […]
BANK OF CANADA’S WILKINS: ALBERTA BETTER AS OIL PRICES RECOVER
By Gordon Isfeld OTTAWA (MaceNews) – Canada’s number two monetary policy leader on Thursday highlighted some positive economic news for Alberta, a province that has weathered a big share of the country`s energy woes. “In terms of oil, prices have recovered from last autumn’s decline, production has started to increase, and profitability has started to […]
ANALYSIS: FIN RISKS ADD TO TRADE, INFL WORRIES TO STYMIE FED
By Steven K. Beckner AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. (MaceNews)– Nettlesome uncertainties about inflation, trade and now financial stability are keeping U.S. monetary policy stuck firmly where it’s at for the foreseeable future. For now, the economy is doing too well for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, but those concerns seem equally likely to prevent […]
STILL FACING CANADA FINANCIAL ‘VULNERABILITIES’
By Gordon Isfeld OTTAWA (MaceNews) – Canada’s financial system continues to face “vulnerabilities” related to household debt and “imbalances” in the country’s residential markets, even as regulators continue to tighten guidelines in mortgage lending. “New measures have curbed borrowing, reduced speculative behaviour in housing markets and made the financial system more resilient,” the Bank of Canada […]
CANADIAN CONSUMER PRICES RISE 2.0% Y/Y IN APRIL
By Gordon Isfeld OTTAWA (MaceNews) – The prices of consumer goods in Canada rose by 2% annualized in April, up from a pace of 1.9% in the previous month, with seven of the eight key readings tracked by Statistics Canada Wednesday driving the overall increases. The core rate showed no change for the first time since December. […]
US CONSUMER PRICE INDEX STABLE; GEOPOLITICAL INDEX SCRAMBLED
–This Week: China, Iran, N. Korea, Venezuela – and Uber By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) –Countercurrents swirled in a jumbled whirlwind of market, trade and geopolitical uncertainties the second Friday in May yet among the exceptions is U.S inflation, which continues to be an eddy of calm in April’s report. The future as always is […]