WHITE HOUSE WATCH COMMENTARY: NECESSITY BRINGS INNOVATION AMID TURMOIL
By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Who would have guessed you can track government spy planes above Washington protests via certain Web sites, or that a bankrupt Hertz can consider issuing stock or that the ubiquity of smartphones would transform the legacy of slavery forever? We’re learning so much as 2020’s second half begins. That […]
DATA PREVIEW: WAS MAY THE TURNING POINT? LET’S FIND OUT
By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The May U.S. data have been modestly uplifting to this point, specifically the surprise payrolls gain and lower unemployment rate, improved inflation data, and a smaller contraction in manufacturing conditions. None of it came close to making up for the terrible March and April readings, but it’s a start. […]
COVID-19 CRISIS SPEEDS UP USE OF DIGITAL PAYMENTS
–Wider Use Of Central Bank Digital Currencies Explored By Vicki Schmelzer NEW YORK MaceNews) – The coronavirus pandemic has forced world central banks, already struggling to deal with cryptocurrencies, stable coins and other non-traditional monies, to up their game on the use of digital currencies and other new technologies. “COVID-19 has forced an unprecedented experiment in […]
DATA FLASH: US INITIAL CLAIMS SLOW FURTHER; MAY PPI ABOVE EXPECTED
–Initial Claims -355,000 to 1.542 Mln; 40.4 Mln Unadj Total Under COVID–May PPI Up 0.4%, But Down 0.1% Ex Food and Energy; Gasoline +43.9%. By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The U.S. jobless claims data released earlier Thursday pointed to continued improvement for both new filings and existing filings, but the levels of both remain extremely […]
FED’S POWELL: DOING ALL WE CAN; WILL IT BE ENOUGH?
–‘Dot Plot’ Shows Assumptions of No Rate Hikes Through 2022 –To Sustain Pace of Treasuries, MBS Purchases By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell Wednesday offered reassurance policymakers are not even “thinking about thinking” about raising rates and shared his worries about possible long-term post-crisis unemployment. Answering questions after the Federal […]
ECB’S SCHNABEL HINTS AT FURTHER GEOGRAPHIC TARGETING OF PEPP PURCHASES
— ECB to Deviate from Capital Key For Countries Facing ‘Severe Risks of Fragmentation’ By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank will continue to bend its rules on the geographic allocation of emergency sovereign bond purchases, deviating from its capital key to support nations in financial distress. “We raise the share of […]
DATA FLASH: US MAY CPI FALLS 0.1% BEFORE JUNE DEMAND PICKUP
–Core Prices Also Down 0.1%; Ex. Only Energy, CPI Up 0.1%.–Energy Prices Again Down Sharply; Foods Prices Rise on Food at Home–Owners’ Equivalent Rents Up 0.3%, Lodging Away from Home Down 1.5% By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – U.S. consumer prices were below the flat reading expected, as energy prices declined further, but demand is […]
DATA FLASH: US MAY PAYROLLS RISE BY 2.5 MLN, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 13.3%
–Employ Data Still Show Considerable COVID Impact Even as Data Turns Up–Food Services, Retail, Medical Jobs Lead Gain; Hourly Earnings -1.0% By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The May employment report showed further impact of the COVID-19 shutdown, but there was no question that the surprisingly positive data point to a turning point after […]
USTR LIGHTHIZER CASTS CHINA RELATIONSHIP IN ROSY HUES
–Doing OK in Adherence to Phase 1 Commitments –China Pullback in Ag Purchases ‘Not True.’ NEW YORK (MaceNews) – President Trump’s top trade negotiator Thursday cast U.S.-China relations, at least in his sphere, in unexpectedly positive terms and called reports of a setback in purchases of U.S. soybeans perhaps the result of “disinformation.” U.S. Trade […]
BANK OF CANADA’S GRAVELLE: POLICY-MAKERS ‘HOPEFUL,’ WATCHING DATA AS ECONOMY REOPENS
NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Bank of Canada policy-makers are hopeful the pandemic’s economic impact has peaked, but admit there’s much uncertainty how the recovery will unfold, BOC Deputy Governor Toni Gravelle said Thursday. Gravelle, in remarks prepared for delivery during an online meeting, said the bank will be watching economic data closely to gauge the […]