TEXT: ECB POLICY STATEMENT

FRANKFURT (MaceNews) – The following is the text of Thursday’s European Central Bank policy statement: At today’s meeting the Governing Council of the ECB took the following monetary policy decisions: (1) The interest rate on the main refinancing operations and the interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility will remain unchanged […]

STATUS CHECK: “I SAID, ‘DON’T PANIC'”

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Wednesday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes: You’ve heard the recordings, read the excerpts. What’s more to say? So skipping ahead, of course once The Washington Post’s Web site unveiled the excerpts of Bob Woodward’s latest book “Rage,” complete with […]

TEXT: BANK OF CANADA LEAVES KEY RATE UNCHANGED

NEW YORK (MaceNews) – The following is the text of Wednesday’s Bank of Canada rate policy decision: The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at the effective lower bound of ¼ percent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly ½ percent and the deposit rate is ¼ percent. The Bank is also continuing its quantitative […]

STATUS CHECK: PANDEMIC LIFE RESUMES AFTER HOLIDAY

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Tuesday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes: ·        Tuesday and life resumes such as it is, with the Labor Day holiday weekend a memory, a brief respite from what has become a cautious existence behind masks, closed doors, filling the […]

STATUS CHECK: LOOKING BEYOND THE ELECTION

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) –-The following is Sunday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes: On this holiday weekend, instead of the usual recounting of the significant news of the day – of which there is none right now – today’s “Status Check” reflects on a speculative future beyond […]

STATUS CHECK: AN UNEXPECTED SILVER LINING IN A TRUMP TWEET

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) –-The following is Friday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes: A week of many parts, – some scary, some absurd, some mystifying – and yet only a very few worth holding on to, with meaning for the future. That narrows it down to Tuesday’s […]

DATA PREVIEW: IS INFLATION NOW A TREE FALLING IN THE FOREST?

By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The highlight of next week, not counting a Monday holiday of course, will be the August readings of business and consumer inflation at the end of the week–indicators that were closely-watched before the COVID crisis. But now, thanks to much more pressing issues this year, inflation was put on […]

DATA FLASH: US AUGUST PAYROLLS UP 1.371 MLN; UNEMP RATE 8.4%

-Retail, Government Sectors Lead Gain; Hourly Earnings Up 0.4% By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The August employment report showed continued payrolls improvement, though the size of those gains continues to slow and likely reflects the return of laid-off workers rather than new job creation. Likewise, the unemployment rate fell sharply in the month to […]

STATUS CHECK: A MARKETS PULLBACK AND A PRESIDENTIAL PUSHBACK

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) –-The following is Thursday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes: So severe was the day’s stocks pullback that the Nasdaq – pulled down 4.96% – was the lowest it’s been since … Tuesday a week ago. After so many record highs, how serious was […]