FOMC: Tapering to Begin This Month at the Expected Pace

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Open Market Committee Wednesday fulfilled expectations that tapering will get underway, starting the process this month while making no reference to the timeline of eventual liftoff other than the usual goals of maximum employment and 2% inflation. The policy announcement follows: With progress on vaccinations and strong policy support, indicators […]

Japan Oct Tokyo Core CPI Posts Only Small Gain, Led by Higher Energy Costs

— Electricity Charges, Gasoline Prices Pick Up Pace of Y/Y Gains— Mobile Communication Fees Show Deeper Drop, Limiting CPI Rise By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The core reading of consumer prices in Tokyo, a leading indicator of the national average, posted the second consecutive but small year-over-year gain in October as higher electricity bills and […]

Eurozone Economic Sentiment Unexpectedly Rose in October

ZURICH (MaceNews) – Economic confidence in the countries sharing the Euro rose unexpectedly in October, up 0.8 points to 118.6 from 117.8 in September, according to the latest date from the European Commission. Economists had been expecting a pullback in sentiment according to the median forecast of 117.1 in an Econoday survey of economists’ forecasts. […]

Bank of Canada Sees Rate Hike in Mid-2022, Earlier Than Forecast Before

–BOC Brings Forward Rate Hike Timing From 2nd Half 2022 on Economic Pickup–BOC Revises Up 2022 CPI Forecast Sharply Higher, Slashes 2021 GDP Projection–Central Bank Keeps 0.25% Policy Rate As Expected But Ends Asset Purchases By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Canada left its record-low policy interest rate unchanged Wednesday but revised its […]

German Oct Business Confidence Dampened by Supply Delays

ZURICH (MaceNews) – Business confidence in Germany was hampered by supply delays, according to the latest report from the Munich-based Ifo institute. The IFO Business Climate Index fell to 97.7 in October, slightly below the Econoday median of 98.1 in a survey of economists’ forecasts. The September result was revised to 98.9, from the 98.8 […]

ECB’s Monetary Policy To Stay On Course Despite Inflation Rise – BOI

By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank’s monetary policy is expected to remain accommodative despite the “significant” but “temporary” rise in inflation across the eurozone, the Bank of Italy said in its Economic Bulletin released on Friday. According to the BOI “the significant rise in inflation is attributable to the increases in […]

Japan Sept Core CPI Marks 1st Y/Y Rise in 18 Months on Utilities

— Overall Energy Costs Up; Pace of Gasoline Markup Eases Slightly— Total CPI Posts 1st Y/Y Gain in 13 Months on Rebound in Fresh Food— Downward Pressure From Low Cost Mobile Phone Plans Lingers By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Global supply chain disruptions and reopening demand led energy and processed food costs to rise further, […]

ANALYSIS: Japan Faces Cost Inflation Amid Weak Yen, Slow Wage Growth

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Rising energy and commodities prices may help lift Japan’s near-zero inflation rate but a further rise in the costs for daily necessities would dampen already wobbly consumer spending and surging producer prices would hurt small businesses that cannot pass higher input costs on to customers amid uncertain growth prospects. Japan […]

Fed’s Beige Book Sees ‘Significantly Elevated Prices’

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Reserve’s survey of economic conditions coast to coast Wednesday found “significantly elevated prices” and some regional Fed districts in which growth slowed, hampered by labor shortages, supply disruptions and, of course, the Delta variant. Auto sales declined and some districts “noted increased uncertainty and more cautious optimism than in previous […]

BofA Global Research Fund Manager Survey:  Increasingly Negative World Growth Outlook Prompt Former Bulls To Retreat in October

By Vicki Schmelzer — Record Underweight in Bonds On Rate Hike Jitters NEW YORK (MaceNews) – World growth expectations fell more markedly in October, prompting formerly bullish global investors to retreat, according to the findings of BofA Global Research’s monthly fund manager survey, released Tuesday. Growth expectations were weighed by fears of higher interest rates, […]