French business sentiment
Time Running Out on Several Matters
February 11, 2019
The temporary suspension of the U.S. Federal Government shutdown ends on Friday. A deal between the White House and Congressional Democrats that meets President Trump’s insistence on border wall funding is not in sight. Perhaps he should bankroll the project out of his personal wealth or establish a Go-Fund-Me campaign to raise the money. Chinese […] More
Difficult Session in Asia but European Markets Are Higher
September 10, 2018
Share prices fell 1.4% in Hong Kong, 1.2% in China and India, 1.1% in Taiwan, 0.7% in New Zealand, and 0.4% in Indonesia and Singapore. The Japanese Nikkei rose only 0.3% despite a significant upward revision of second-quarter GDP growth in that economy. Equities in Europe, by contrast, have advanced in today’s session so far […] More
Equity Market Volatility Picks Up
February 8, 2018
It’s been another difficult day for equities. Today’s session started fine enough, with gains of 1.0% in India, 0.5% in South Korea where the Winter Olympics are getting under way, and 0.4% in Hong Kong. These up-moves balanced declines of 0.4% in Japan and 1.4% in China where a considerably smaller trade surplus for January […] More
Tax Bill Aftermath
December 21, 2017
The most prominent market reaction to the U.S. tax overhaul has been the rise in long-term interest rates, although the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield settled back two basis points in overnight futures trading. The 10-year gilt and 10-year German bund yields rose another 2 and 1 basis points. Congress is not trying to avert a […] More
Dollar Strengthens
September 26, 2017
The dollar rose overnight by 0.8% against the kiwi, 0.6% versus the Aussie dollar, 0.5% vis-a-vis the Swiss franc, 0.4% relative to the euro and 0.3% versus the yen, loonie and sterling. Stocks in the Pacific Rim dropped 0.8% in Taiwan, 0.5% in Indonesia, 0.3% in Japan and South Korea, and 0.2% in Australia but […] More
Better European Data, More Leaked Allegations on Trump, and a Terrorist Bomb Attack
May 23, 2017
The German business climate index compiled by the IFO Economic Institute increased 1.6 points in May to the highest level since German unification, a reading of 114.6. Current conditions went up 1.9 points, and expectations climbed 1.3 points in the latest month, prompting IFO officials to call the business mood euphoric and the pace of […] More
Stocks Fall and Dollar Rally Pauses
August 25, 2016
Today’s shocker came from the German IFO Institute’s monthly business climate index, which dived 2.1 points in August to a 6-month low of 106.2. Current conditions (down 2.0 points to a 7-month low) and business expectations (off 2.0 points to a 6-month trough) shared equally in this considerably weaker than expected outcome. Several data reports […] More
Sharply Weaker Yen
July 11, 2016
The yen lost 2.1% against the dollar, notching its biggest daily decline in 11-1/2 weeks. There has not been reported intervention, but Sunday’s upper house parliamentary election, won strongly by Prime Minister Abe’s LDP Party, clears the way for more aggressive macroeconomic stimulus there. Half of the 242 seats in Japan’s House of Councillors were […] More
Pound Up on Reduced Brexit Fears
May 24, 2016
A new phone poll by Daily Telegraph revealed a widening margin of voters favoring Britain staying in the European Union (55% to 42%), and sterling rose 0.9% against the dollar in response. The U.S. currency otherwise climbed 0.9% against the Aussie dollar, 0.6% versus the kiwi, 0.3% vis-a-vis the euro and yen, 0.2% relative to […] More
Several Trade Reports and an OECD Semi-Annual Outlook
November 9, 2015
The dollar is mostly softer. Stocks are mostly lower, but gold, oil, and some bond yields are up. The dollar depreciated overnight by 0.4% against the euro and kiwi, 0.3% versus sterling and the Swiss franc, and 0.2% relative to the loonie and Aussie dollar. The U.S. currency, in contrast, rose 0.2% against the yen […] More
