RBNZ Turns Dovish, Downgrading Growth and CPI Forecasts
RBNZ left the OCR unchanged at 1.75% in May. The message delivered by the central bank came in slightly more dovish than expected, sending NZDUSD to a fresh 5-month low. In his first meeting in the capacity of the RBNZ...
BoE Could be More Dovish than “Hawkish Hold”
BOE is almost certain to keep the Bank rate unchanged at 0.5% in the May meeting. Weakness in PMI data released last week aggravated concerns that recent the moderation in economic activities might persist. Doubts have arisen that whether the...
FOMC More Hawkish on Inflation, June Rate Hike a Done Deal
As widely anticipated FOMC left the Fed funds rate target at 1.5-1.75% in May. The accompanying statement also came in largely in line with our expectations – shrugging off moderation in first quarter growth and getting more confident in the...
RBA More Upbeat on Growth, Likely on Hold for 2018
Extending the streak for a 19th month, RBA left the cash rate unchanged at 1.5% in May. Benign inflation and recent slowdown in employment growth are allowing policymakers to keep the monetary policy accommodative. The accompanying statement was largely unchanged...
FOMC Preview: Focuses on Inflation and Shrugs Off Temporary Disruption on Growth
There have been both positive and negative data released since the March FOMC meeting. We expect policymakers to view slowdown in GDP growth as driven by temporary factors which should not affect the monetary policy outlook. Meanwhile, the central bank...
ECB Refrained from Hinting on Policy Outlook
In line with our expectations, ECB largely judged the recent slowdown in economic data as driven by temporary factors and moderation after periods of strong growth. The members maintained the view that risks to growth were “broadly balanced” and remained...
ECB Preview: Caution over Recent Slowdown Won’t Affect QE Schedule
Despite expectations that the ECB would only announce adjustments on QE and interest rate in June the earliest, the upcoming meeting is not a non-event. Since the March meeting, Eurozone’s economic data have surprised to the downside. It would be...
BOC Revised Lower Growth Forecast for 2018, Sent a Mixed Message
BoC has sent a mixed message in yesterday’s statement. Although the next rate adjustment remains a hike, the timing remains data-dependent and hinged on a number of uncertainties, including NAFTA negotiations and geopolitical tensions, something critical to Canada due to...
FOMC Minutes: Fiscal Stimulus During Full Employment Facilitates Inflation to Reach +2%
The FOMC minutes for the March meeting reinforced the members’ confidence over the economic growth outlook and that inflation would return to the +2% target in the medium-term. The confidence was mainly driven by the tax reform plan passed late...
RBA Aware of Recent Rise in Yields
The April RBA meeting contained little surprise. Policymakers left the cash rate unchanged at 1.5% and made few changes in the policy statement. The central bank remained upbeat on growth and employment. Yet, it remained wary of the slow growth...