LAGARDE HINTS AT REINTERPRETATION OF ECB MANDATE

–– Repeats HICP May Not Accurately Reflect Eurozone Inflation By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – The leader of the European Central Bank hinted at a reinterpretation of the Bank’s price stability mandate and raised questions over the accuracy of the Bank’s key measure of inflation. “We have to be smart about the components that go […]

DATA FLASH: RETAIL SALES GROWTH SLOWS, UP 0.3% IN OCTOBER

–Retail Sales Ex-Motor Vehicles Rise Only 0.3%; Clothing Sales Reverse–Industrial Production Jumps By 1.1% as Utilities Production Rebounds–Business Inventories Up 0.7% in September, Business Sales Up 0.6% By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Retail sales rose only modestly in October, a much smaller increase than in previous months, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Total retail […]

BOE’S BAILEY URGES GREATER PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN COVID RECOVERY

— No Mention of Monetary Policy in Remarks to CityUK Conference By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – The governor of the Bank of England has called for enhanced private investment to finance the UK’s economic recovery, lamenting low levels of business investment that pre-date the Covid slowdown. “We live in a time where there appears […]

STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY- TESLA NEWS VS MODERNA NEWS – A TIE?

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Monday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. Was the big news of the day Moderna’s 94.5% efficacious vaccine candidate, sending that company’s stock up almost 10%, or Tesla being granted membership in the S&P 500 club beginning  Dec. 21, an […]

ANALYSIS: JAPAN FACES SLOW RIDE BACK TO PRE-COVID LEVEL OUTPUT

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – With luck, Japan’s economy has recovered about half of lost output amid the global pandemic and its momentum is lingering into the current quarter, but it is likely to lose steam in the New Year and could contract again. For an economy heavily dependent on China as a consumption and […]

TOP ECB OFFICIAL DOWNPLAYS SYMMETRICAL INFLATION TARGET, RATE CUTS

—Governing Council’s Mersch Expresses Lukewarm Support for Lagarde By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) — A top European Central banker Monday expressed opposition to a symmetrical inflation target and raised questions over the efficacy of further rate cuts, while withholding full support for the central bank’s leader. “Symmetry does not mean that we would engage in […]

JAPAN Q3 GDP RECOVERS HALF OF PANDEMIC-CAUSED RECORD PLUNGE IN Q2

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s economy for the July-September quarter surged 5.0% on quarter, or an annualized 21.4%, led by a rebound in net exports and consumer spending, but it only recovered just over a half of a record plunge in April-June amid the pandemic-triggered slowdown, Cabinet Office data released Monday showed. The first […]

STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY- DIVERSITY OF OPINION OR MUTUAL HATRED?

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Friday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. Quote of the week: “You know what’s really uncomfortable and annoying? When you die.” That’s New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, of course. The quote has been played through the day cablewise so it’s […]

JAPAN Q3 GDP FORECAST TO SHOW SOME RECOVERY FROM Q2 PLUNGE

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s gross domestic product for the July-September quarter is forecast by economists to show a 4.4% rise on quarter, or an annualized 19.0%, led by a rebound in net exports and consumer spending, recovering about half of the 7.9% plunge (28.1% annualized) in April-June caused by the pandemic. The median […]