Bank of Thailand
More Central Bank Rate Cuts, Mixed Global Economic Data and a Weaker Dollar
May 20, 2020
The dollar traded down overnight by 1.2% against the peso, 1.0% relative to the kiwi, 0.9% vis-a-vis the Australian dollar, 0.6% versus the Swiss franc, 0.4% against the euro, 0.3% relative to the loonie and 0.1% against sterling. Against the yen, the dollar inched 0.1% higher, but the U.S. currency in trade-weighted terms is close […] More
U.S. Fiscal Deal Gives Stocks Only Brief Lift
March 25, 2020
Today will be a very important day to watch U.S. stocks. There has yet to be two consecutive up sessions since the market peaked in mid-February. The big overnight news was a tentative accord between President Trump and the U.S. senate on a $2 trillion fiscal stimulus, which moves next to a full-senate vote today. […] More
Rate Cuts at the Central Bank of Iceland and The Bank of Thailand
February 5, 2020
The Central Bank of Iceland as expected cut its 7-day term deposit rate by 25 basis points to 2.75%. A total of six 25-bp cuts were enacted during 2019. In a released statement, members of the Monetary Policy Committee cut their projected 2020 growth rate in half to 0.8%, observing weak exports and tighter financial […] More
Continuing Resurgence of Equities and a Moderately Stronger Dollar, Too
February 5, 2020
Share prices climbed overnight by another 1.3% in China, 1.2% in Japan, 1.4% in Singapore, 1.0% in Indonesia and 0.9% in India and New Zealand. European gains thus far amount to 1.4% in Germany, 1.5% in Spain, 0.9% in France, and 0.6% in Great Britain. In the U.S., the DJIA is 1.1% higher, currently, and […] More
Sliding Into Yearend Mode
December 18, 2019
With the yearend holidays fast approaching, it’s hard to identify overriding themes in financial markets. The dollar is mixed, with rises overnight of 0.4% against sterling, 0.2% relative to the euro and 0.1% against the yuan, no net changes versus the Swiss franc and yen, and dips of 0.3% vis-a-vis the kiwi, 0.2% against the […] More
A Steady Dollar
November 6, 2019
The dollar on balance remains near Tuesday closing levels. Gold is 0.3% firmer. The spate of recent increases in 10-year sovereign debt yields was reversed today with 3-basis point declines in U.S. Treasuries and British gilt yields and a dip of 1 basis point in the 10-year German bund yield. The Japanese 10-year JGB yield, […] More
Dollar Up and Stocks Down as Impeachment Inquiry Opens Against Trump
September 25, 2019
House Speaker Pelosi ended her previous resistance to calls for Trump’s impeachment, raising the political risks to both Democrats and Republicans. The United States and Great Britain, which led the free world’s fight against fascism in the 20th century, are now both enmeshed in constitutional crises. Equities fell overnight by 1.3% in South Korea and […] More
Central Banks and Weak European Data in the Spotlight
June 26, 2019
The Central Bank of Iceland’s 7-day term rate has been cut 25 basis points to 3.75% following a 50-basis point reduction at the prior monetary policy review last month. These moves represent a trend reversal from a 25-basis point increase last November. In a released statement explaining the decision, officials anticipate a contraction of domestic […] More
Central Bank of Malaysia Eases Monetary Policy While Bank of Thailand Passes
May 8, 2019
Bank Negara Malaysia’s Overnight Policy Rate was sliced to 3.0%, reversing a 25-basis point hike engineered in January 2018 and restoring the stance that had existed from July 2015 until that change in early 2018. A released statement notes, “there are some signs of tightening of financial conditions. The adjustment to the OPR is therefore […] More
Monetary Policy Reviews, an Intensifying U.S. Political Crisis, Trade Talks, and Some Data Surprises
May 8, 2019
Central bank officials in New Zealand and Malaysia cut their interest rates, while those in Thailand maintained an “accommodative but appropriate” 1.75% rate level. Thailand’s growth outlook was revised downward, but the inflation prognosis wasn’t changed. New Zealand’s official cash rate was lowered 25 basis points to 1.5%. Such had been 1.75% since November 2016. […] More
