Czech National Bank
Czech Monetary Policy Tightened for Second Time This Year
August 5, 2021
The Czech National Bank today followed up on an initial 25-basis point increase of its two-week repo rate that was done in June. From March to May of last year the rate had been slashed by 150 basis points in three moves. Today’s increase was also by 25 bps and brings the 2-week repo rate […] More
Dollar Dips as U.S. Covid Cases Swell and Trade Deficit Climbs to Record High in June
August 5, 2021
U.S. Covid-19 cases rose to 96.0k yesterday from 92.6k on Tuesday. The United States goods and services trade deficit of $75.749 in June was a record monthly high. The first-half deficit of $428.6 billion was 46% greater than in the first half of 2020. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee again voted unanimously to […] More
Lower Dollar
May 6, 2021
The dollar settled back 0.4% on a weighted basis and against the euro overnight. The dollar also lost 0.5% relative to the Swiss franc, 0.3% versus the loonie, and 0.1% relative to the New Zealand and Australian currencies. The dollar alternatively edged 0.1% higher against the peso and sterling and held steady on balance versus […] More
Uncertain Economics, Public Health, and Politics
February 4, 2021
Investors continue to grapple with uncertainty on several planes. Covid: The trend in new cases has slowed but remains well above what was seen in earlier waves of the pandemic. Hospitalizations are down, but two potential super-spreading events loom: the Chinese New Year holiday and Super Bowl Sunday in the United States. Vaccines are being […] More
Dollar Slinks to Another 32-Month Low and Several Central Banks Leave Interest Rates As Is
December 17, 2020
The DXY trade-weighted dollar index fell below 90 to as low as 89.79. Overnight losses occurred across of broad cross-section of key bilateral dollar relationships amounting to 0.9% versus the kiwi, 0.8% relative to sterling, 0.7% versus the Australian dollar, 0.5% against the yen and euro, 0.3% vis-a-vis the Canadian dollar, and 0.2% versus the […] More
U.S. Still Counting Votes as 24-Hour Rise Covid Cases and Deaths Exceed 107K and 1.1K
November 5, 2020
U.S. Election News: Biden’s electoral college count seems likely to reach 270 threshold. Trump is suing to halt counting of absentee ballots, and street protests against such action broke out in several cities overnight. Congress most likely will remain divided with Dems controlling the House and Republicans holding the Senate, but there too ballot counting […] More
Nine-Week High in Trade-Weighted Dollar Despite Adverse U.S. News
September 24, 2020
The dollar rose overnight to a nine-week trade-weighted high of 94.55. The U.S. currency touched a three-month high of NOK 9.5974 against the Norwegian krone, two-month highs of 1.1633 per euro and CHF 0.9269, and 1-month highs of $0.6516 against the New Zealand dollar and ZAR 17.2230 versus the South African rand. Gold, which tends […] More
Romanian and Czech Monetary Policy Reviews
August 6, 2020
The National Bank of Romania enacted its third policy interest rate reduction of 2020. Following up on cuts of 50 basis points in March and 25 bps, the rate was reduced by another 25 basis points to 1.50%. In justifying this step, a released statement states that “given the transmission lags of the lower policy […] More
Investors Spooked by Faster Proliferation of New Covid-19 Cases in the United States
June 24, 2020
The year-to-date number of reported U.S. infections, 2.424 million, has climbed somewhat more than 36k in the past 24 hours and 216 thousand from a week ago. This has created doubt that economic reopening can proceed as planned, and even supporters of President Trump are starting to lose patience that he has the right stuff […] More
Czech National Bank Cuts 2-Week Repo Rate
May 7, 2020
The Czech National Bank‘s two-week repo rate was slashed by a greater-than-forecast 75 basis points to 0.25%. The Lombard rate has been lowered to 1.0%, and the deposit rate will stay at 0.05%. In spite of a 25-basis point hike of the repo rate announced February 6, the key rate is now 175 basis points […] More
