Tag: interest rates

European Central Bank
May 01, 2024 BY Elizabeth Anderson

Eurozone Exits Recession Thanks To Chief Economies

Eurostat, the EU’s statistical arm, reported a 0.3% quarter-over-quarter increase in both the euro area and the EU. During Q4 2023, GDP reflected a 0.1% decrease. Analysts attributed this positive uptick to expedited growth in the four chief economies in the Eurozone. Year on year, consumer prices increased by 2.4% in April 2024, mirroring the…

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Swiss National Bank
March 22, 2024 BY Elizabeth Anderson

SNB Ends the Rate-Cut Drought

This makes it the first developed nation to cut interest rates after the COVID-19 pandemic, the fall of Credit Suisse, the onset of the war in Ukraine, and persistent inflation pressures. Switzerland’s central bank explained its decision by stating that local inflation will probably remain below 2% for the foreseeable future. Despite this announcement and…

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March 20, 2024 BY PureContent

Weekly Data: Oil and Gold: Brief Review before the Fed

Below, we look at the key factors impacting economic data this week. Wednesday:  UK inflation rate at 7:00am GMT. The consensus is for a decline from 4% to 3.5% in February. If these forecasts hold true, it could mark the lowest yearly inflation figure for Britain and might lead to slight losses for the pound,…

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Bank of Japan
March 12, 2024 BY Simon Mugo

BoJ Expected To End YCC and Negative Rates Soon – Sources Say

With inflation consistently surpassing the BOJ's target of 2% for over a year, investors widely expect the central bank to elevate short-term interest rates from below zero in the upcoming week or by April. The sources noted that the transition away from negative rates is expected to coincide with the termination of the YCC policy,…

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March 08, 2024 BY Simon Mugo

ECB Policymakers Rally Behind a Potential Rate Cut in Future

Although their opinions regarding when to initiate the rate cut varied slightly, the consensus leaned towards action before the summer. Joachim Nagel, President of the Bundesbank, indicated in an interview with the German podcast Table Today that a rate cut before the summer holidays is becoming increasingly probable. Nagel's stance is particularly noteworthy since the…

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February 22, 2024 BY Simon Mugo

ECB Incurred a Massive Loss in 2023 Due to High Interest Rates

Consequently, commercial banks now receive substantial interest earnings on the vast amounts of money the ECB generated during low inflation. The ECB, the central bank for the eurozone's 20 countries, stated, "The deficit reflects the Eurosystem's roles and the essential policy measures undertaken to uphold its principal objective of price stability. This situation does not…

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ECB rate move
February 14, 2024 BY Simon Mugo

De Guindos: ECB Needs More Time Before It Can Start Cutting Rates

They emphasise that any potential policy relaxation remains more distant than market participants anticipate. Current market expectations have adjusted to anticipate 113 basis points in rate reductions this year, a decrease from previously anticipated 150 basis points, with the initial adjustment forecasted for either April or June. Speaking at a conference in Split, Croatia, de…

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February 12, 2024 BY Simon Mugo

ECB Should Start Cutting Rates Soon, Says Italy’s Fabio Panetta

Speaking at the Assiom Forex conference in Genoa, ECB Governing Council member Fabio Panetta highlighted the need for the next monetary policy adjustment to mirror the current phase of disinflation and the diminished likelihood of a wage-price spiral, noting the increasing impact of rate hikes on economic performance. Panetta, who assumed the role of Bank…

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January 29, 2024 BY Elizabeth Anderson

Possible interest rate cuts looming on the horizon

Bloomberg reports inflation dipped below the 3% mark for the first time since 2021. On the back of a 2.9% inflation rate, consumer spending remains high, but there are concerns that this inflation margin will escalate prices again.  Despite this optimism, economists warned the monthly US jobs report, job openings and consumer data, and the…

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Davos World Economic Form
January 19, 2024 BY Elizabeth Anderson

Global markets wait for ECB statement regarding rate cuts

Despite the positive survey from over 60 global chief economists, investors and industry experts are reconsidering when the cuts will come largely because the major global economies have failed to get inflation consistently under its 2% target. Last week, markets predicted a 75% chance of US rate cuts in March of this year. This week,…

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