Central Bank Watch
Unchanged Monetary Policy in Malaysia
January 31, 2012
It’s been already 8 months since the last of four Malaysian post-Great Recession interest rate hikes. The Monetary Policy Committee at Bank Negara Malaysia again left its overnight policy benchmark at 3.0%. The committee’s next two meetings are scheduled for March 9 and May 3. A statement released today after the first meeting of 2012 […] More
Deeper Analysis
January in Figures
January 31, 2012
January saw gold prices soar more than 11% and the dollar fall across the Board. Oil prices hovered around both sides of $100 per barrel and both opened and closed below that barrier. Great Britain and Switzerland did not partake as fully as some other countries in the generally superlative early 2012 performance of share […] More
Deeper Analysis
Some Downbeat North American Data
January 31, 2012
Canadian real GDP edged 0.1% lower in November. This compares adversely with analyst forecasts of a 0.2-0.3% increase and left output in November only 0.7% above that in August expressed at an annualized rate. Over the previous three months from May to August, GDP had advanced 4.4% annualized, so a rapid deceleration of economic momentum […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Month-end Data Deluge and Better Market Tone
January 31, 2012
Riskier assets were better bid on the final day of January. Stocks are mostly higher. The dollar is down. Commodities and bond yields rose. The dollar has fallen 1.2% against the kiwi, 0.7% relative to the Aussie dollar, 0.5% against sterling, the euro, yuan and Swiss franc, and 0.6% versus the loonie. The euro touched […] More
