Fed to Go with the Status Quo until 2024
The US Federal Reserve won’t be changing its key rate until at least 2024 following the two-day meeting that ended in Washington early Thursday morning, Sydney time.
Read MoreThe US Federal Reserve won’t be changing its key rate until at least 2024 following the two-day meeting that ended in Washington early Thursday morning, Sydney time.
Read MoreNervy markets in Asia weakened yesterday ahead of the Fed meeting statement and media conference for chair Jay Powell, as well as his updated forecasts.
Read MoreDetailed production data for January and February (combined) – especially that for crude steel – adds to questions about whether China’s current economic rebound is slowing.
Read MoreWhile bonds yields have risen on higher inflationary expectations, driven by higher commodity prices and expectations surrounding large US fiscal stimulus, the big unknown is what will happen next?
Read MoreDespite the underlying strength of the latest round of Chinese economic data, it’s important to keep in mind it is being compared year-on-year, when Covid lockdowns were first being introduced.
Read MoreWhile the Fed isn’t expected to make any changes to monetary policy at this week’s two-day meeting, Chairman Jay Powell’s comments and the latest economic forecasts will hit markets one way or another.
Read MoreMore signs the Chinese economic rebound remains in place, with producer prices up, consumer prices down, and passenger car sales rebounding to top the levels of a year earlier.
Read MoreIn his speech in Sydney on Wednesday, RBA Governor Philip Lowe shifted the focus in the central bank’s thinking over the next few years to wages and full employment.
Read MoreJapan’s economy might have expanded more slowly than first reported in February, but the size of the change was of little consequence.
Read MoreBreak out the bubbly! The economy is at its boomiest and business confidence is, well, very confident indeed, according to the latest business survey from the National Australia Bank.
Read MoreChina’s exports jumped 60.6% in January-February from a year earlier and imports were up 22.2%, faster than expected from depressed levels at the start of 2020.
Read MoreFinal data for January trade and retail sales confirmed the solid first estimates issued last month, with the trade surplus jumping to its highest ever level.
Read MoreDairy prices rose by a massive 15% in the latest Global Dairy Trade auction, driven by demand for whole milk powder and butter before the season comes to an end.
Read MoreAustralia enjoyed stronger than expected economic growth for a second successive quarter in the three months to December, according to the ABS.
Read MoreThe December quarter national accounts are out later today and will likely show growth of around 2.4% to 2.6% quarter on quarter but GDP at the end of 2020 still down around 1.8% over the year.
Read MoreThe heat went out of home building approvals in January as the Federal Government’s Home Builder program was wound back a notch or two.
Read MoreThe RBA board has again made it clear that it will not be moving interest rates before 2024 at the earliest, despite speculation about the effects of rising house prices and inflation.
Read MoreWith bond and currency markets febrile and the stockmarket starting to look a bit untidy, investors will be hoping for some calming words and data from the Reserve Bank.
Read MoreAMP Capital’s Shane Oliver’s weekly Insights column takes us on a most timely deep dive into the current state of the global bond market
Read MoreThe Reserve bank of NZ has held its key interest rate steady and left other support measures unchanged after its latest monetary policy meeting at which it appears to have backed off moves to take rates negative.
Read MoreDespite a drop in iron ore, meat and coal exports, Australia’s trade performance started 2021 strongly with a merchandise surplus of $8.754 billion in January, little changed from the $8.956 billion in December.
Read MoreAustralian house prices are on the upswing again. In this week’s Insight’s column, AMP Capital’s Shane Oliver presents seven things to keep in mind when dealing in this trickiest of areas.
Read MoreNormal service has been restored in the economy, judging by the January labour force figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics which showed another fall in the unemployment rate.
Read MoreGrowth in the UK economy slumped by record 9.9% in 2020, the biggest annual crash in output in more than 300 years.
Read MoreFor several months now American financial markets – well the more panicky and younger types – have been wetting themselves about inflation. The Fed, as it turns out, not so much.
Read MoreThe weak US December jobs report tells a somewhat more optimistic story than the headline figures suggest. ClearBridge Investments’ Jeff Schultze explains why.
Read MoreRetail sales volumes rose 2.5% in the December quarter 2020, seasonally adjusted, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Friday. This follows the 6.5% rise in the September quarter 2020.
Read MoreFrank Uhlenbruch, Investment Strategist in the Janus Henderson Australian Fixed Interest team, provides his Australian economic analysis and market outlook.
Read MoreAustralia recorded its highest ever yearly trade surplus in calendar 2020 of more than $72 billion, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Read MoreAnother boom month in what turned out to be a boom year for housing construction and finance. After COVID, who woulda thunk that?
Read MoreRBA Governor Philip Lowe sees the current record low level of interest rates of 0.10% and other support remaining in place until 2024 at least and possibly 2025.
Read MoreThe RBA kept official interest rates and the key bank lending support measure unchanged at its first meeting of the year, but surprised with news that it will boost its quantitative easing by another $100 billion in April.
Read MoreNews Monday that confirmed housing is booming with house prices starting 2021 on the up and housing finance ending 2020 very much on the up is unlikely to change thinking at the RBA for today’s first policy meeting of the year.
Read MoreLocal markets will be watching the Reserve Bank closely this week for an update on how the country’s main economic policymakers view the coming year.
Read MoreThe US shares the spotlight with China in the week ahead, with both countries reporting data that will likely set the scene in markets for the next few months.
Read MoreAMP Capital’s Dr Shane Oliver breaks down markets across the spectrum and around the globe in his weekly Insights column.
Read MoreNo concerns about rising inflation from the December Consumer Price Index data released yesterday, with the headline CPI rising 0.9% in the December 2020 quarter and by the same amount for the 2020 calendar year.
Read MoreThe optimistic outlook for the Australian economy this year from the International Monetary Fund has been supported by the first business conditions and confidence survey for the year from the National Australia Bank.
Read MoreThe IMF reckons the Australian economy will grow by enough in 2021 to regain its pre-COVID level by the end of the year before slowing in 2022.
Read MoreCOVID saw the economy in South Korea – one of Australia’s top five export destinations with products dominated by iron ore, copper, coal and meat and some grains – hit a 20-year low in 2020 as the economy lost steam amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections and lockdowns.
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