BOE Voted 7-2 to Leave Bank Rate Unchanged at 0.50%
BOE voted 7-2 to leave the Bank rate at 0.50%. The members voted unanimously to leave to asset purchase program unchanged at 435B pound. The members were generally positive over the economic outlook, noting that “recent data releases are broadly...
UK And EU Reached Transition Deal, Erasing Key Uncertainty Of BOE’s Rate Hike Path
Despite initial rally following the announcement of a Brexit transition deal, British pound has retraced much of its gains. Both UK and EU officials have hailed the agreement. While UK’s Brexit negotiator Davis David noted that the deal contains ‘a...
RBA Minutes Reiterated The Impacts Of Low Wage Growth On Inflation
Aussie remains under pressure although the RBA minutes contained little surprise. The minutes signaled that policymakers were encouraged by recent economic growth. However, subdued wage growth and elevated household debt have suggested that policymakers would keep the powder dry. Meanwhile,...
SNB Warned Of Franc Appreciation Against US Dollar, Kept Commitment To Intervene
As widely anticipated, the SNB kept the sight deposit rate unchanged at -0.75%, while the target range for the three-month Libor stayed at between –1.25% and –0.25%. Again, the SNB maintained the commitment to intervene the FX market when needed,...
ECB Surprisingly Removed Easing Bias, Draghi Downplayed The Implication On Future Policy
Surprising to most market participants, ECB dropped the easing bias in the forward guidance. While this had initially sent the euro slightly higher, it reversed as President Mario Draghi reinforced that the act was ‘backward looking’ and would not affect...
BOC Left Rates On Hold, More Concerned About US Trade Policy
As widely anticipated, BOC left the policy rate unchanged at 1.25% in March. The accompanying statement was more cautious than the previous one, over the trade outlook. Policymakers suggested that ‘trade policy developments are an important and growing source of...
RBA Left Cash Rate Unchanged At 1.5% As Property Markets Cooled
As widely anticipated, RBA left the policy rate unchanged at 1.5% in March. A cooling property market signals that further rate hike is less urgent. On top of the central bank’s agenda has returned to boosting inflation and employment. In...
Hawkish Powell Raises Hopes For Four Rate Hikes This Year
While mainly maintaining the FOMC’s stance, the new Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Congressional testimony before the House Finance Services Committee was interpreted as a hawkish one. Heightened speculations for three, or more, rate hikes this year were reflected in higher...
(FED) Chairman Jerome H. Powell – Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress
Chairman Hensarling, Ranking Member Waters, and members of the Committee, I am pleased to present the Federal Reserve’s semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress. On the occasion of my first appearance before this Committee as Chairman of the Federal...
BOE Sent Hawkish Signal, Rate Hike Might Come As Early As In May
The BOE left the Bank Rate unchanged at 0.5% and the asset purchase program unchanged at 435B pound. The members voted unanimously (9-0) for the decision. What caught the market attention most is the comment that the“monetary policy would need...