Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Reserve Bank of New Zealand Adds a New Feature to Monetary Stimulus
November 11, 2020
Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s scheduled policy review. The record low 0.25% Official Cash Rate was not changed. Such had been cut by 75 basis points last March and from as high as 3.50% prior to June 2015. Officials also reaffirmed its quantitative stimulus intended to buy a maximum of NZD 100 billion by mid-2022. […] More
Tech Stocks Rebound, Covid Cases Soaring, and a Holiday is Observed
November 11, 2020
On the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, an armistice was signed in Compiegne, France between World War I allies and Germany that ended the so-called “war to end all wars.” Each year on November 11th, that event 102 years ago is commemorated in three countries but by three different names: Armistice Day […] More
Firmer Tone Wednesday in Equities and the Dollar
September 23, 2020
European share prices so far today show gains of 2.1% in the U.K., 1.6% in Spain, 1.5% in France, 1.4% in Germany and 1.1% in Italy. Equities also rebounded 2.4% in Australia, 1.1% in New Zealand, and 0.7% in Singapore but dipped 0.1% in Japan whose market was closed Monday and Tuesday for holidays. U.S. […] 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
75-Basis Point Official Cash Rate Cut at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand
March 16, 2020
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand slashed its Official Cash Rate to 0.25% from 1.0%. This was the first reduction in 7 months and the ninth cut from a peak of 3.50% prior to June 2015. The action today is meant to counter the drag of the coronavirus pandemic, about which officials observed, “The negative […] More
Monetary Efforts to Counter Covid-19 Economic Damage All in Vain
March 16, 2020
The contagion news over the weekend was very bad. Italy suffered a bigger daily jump in deaths than even China had, and all evidence suggests that governments that did not test extensively for the virus at the first sign of trouble have brought upon their countries larger humanitarian disasters. The United States seemingly falls into […] More
Equity Markets Rise and Dollar Narrowly Mixed
February 12, 2020
Fed Chairman Powell will reprise yesterday’s upbeat Humphrey Hawkins testimony today before the Senate Banking Committee. He characterized the U.S. economy as “in a very good place” and said policy would react to the coronavirus impact only if such proves “persistent and material.” Recent remarks by other Fed officials such as Harker, Daly, and Bullard […] More
Reserve Bank of New Zealand Didn’t Cut Interest Rates Further
November 13, 2019
There’s already been one central bank surprise, this from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Officials there had been expected to extend their easing. New Zealand’s Official Cash Rate previously this year had been reduced by 25 basis points in May and 50 basis points to a mere 1.0% in August, but policymakers decided not […] More
A Little Bit of Everything This Wednesday
November 13, 2019
Investors have much to watch today including two separate congressional events of great interest. Public hearings on a possible impeachment of President Trump begin at 10:00 EST in the House Intelligence Committee, and one hour later Fed Chairman Powell testifies on the economic outlook before the Joint Economic Committee. There’s already been one central bank […] 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
