New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
A Week of Transition Ends with Release of Weak Data and Fresh Investor Uneasiness
January 22, 2021
The Biden Administration has been busy reorienting American policies, but markets today are most fixated on alarming Covid trends and fresh evidence of their adverse impact on economic activity. U.S. equity futures are set to open 0.5-1.0% lower today after markets closed down 1.7% in Indonesia, 1.6% in Hong Kong, 1.5% in India, 0.9% in […] More
Central Bank Watch
European Central Bank Maintains Loose Monetary Stance
January 21, 2021
Having augmented the ECB’s Pandemic Emergency program (PEPP) of asset purchases by half a trillion euros and extending this “very accommodative” quantitative stimulus from mid-2021 to March of 2022 at its final policy review of 2020, the European Central Bank governing council left all quantitative and interest rate settings unchanged at its first meeting of […] More
Central Bank Watch
Bank of Japan Policy Left Unchanged
January 21, 2021
The Bank of Japan‘s policy board chose to retain interest rates of -0.1% on overnight money and “around zero percent” on the 10-year JGB yield. The policy of Quantitative and Qualitative Easing with Yield Control will be maintained for as long as needed to achieve the elusive goal of sustainable 2.0% core CPI inflation, and […] More
Central Bank Watch
Bank of Canada Policy Review
January 21, 2021
The Bank of Canada‘s overnight target rate was left at 0.25%. This effective lower boundary has been the rate level since a trio of 50-basis point cuts in March 2020. The rate will not be lifted before economic slack — estimated to be between 2.75% and 3.75% of GDP according to a released policy statement […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Slew of U.S. Executive Orders and Central Bank Policy Reviews
January 21, 2021
President Biden’s inaugural address yesterday called for national unity to face down the many severe challenges now juxtaposed. 17 executive orders followed to reverse several polices of the Trump era. Contrary to warnings, inauguration day was free of domestic violence. U.S. stocks experienced their greatest advance on a presidential inauguration day since 1985, when Reagan […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Ahead of Biden Inaugural, Equities and Commodity Prices Are Up, while Dollar Is Softer
January 20, 2021
Overnight dollar losses amount to 0.6% against sterling, 0.5% relative to the Australian dollar, 0.4% vis-a-vis the yuan, 0.3% versus the loonie and kiwi, and 0.2% against the euro and peso. The Swiss franc is steady, and the yen has edged 0.1% lower against the greenback. The trade-weighted DXY dollar index is somewhat above 90.5. […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Investors More Inclined to Taking a Risk
January 19, 2021
Stock markets closed on Tuesday up 2.7% in Hong Kong, 2.6% in China, 1.7% in India, 1.4% in Japan and appear headed for a rise of almost 1.0% on the U.S. open. European markets held back, with upticks so far of just 0.2% in Germany and 0.1% in the U.K. and France. Refuge currencies like […] More
Central Bank Watch
Romanian Central Bank Rate Cut
January 18, 2021
The National Bank of Romania cut its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.25%. This reduction augments the full percentage point of cuts last year (50 bps in March and 25 bps each in May and August) and takes the rate level to its lowest point in the 21st century. A released statement […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Chinese Data, MLK Day and First Central Bank Rate Change of 2021
January 18, 2021
Financial markets this Monday will lack U.S. leadership due to the observance of MLK Day. In the wake of aroused racial strains that culminated in the 1/6 domestic terrorism attack on the nation’s capitol, there is extra poignancy to this year’s observance and uneasiness that more violence may mar this day. The National Bank of […] More
Foreign Exchange Insights and Next Week
Next Week’s Menu: January 16-22, 2021
January 15, 2021
Central Banks: Many central bank policy reviews are scheduled next week, involving among others Canada, Japan, Euroland, Mexico, Norway, Turkey, South Africa, Malaysia, Brazil, Ukraine, China, and Indonesia. European Central Bank President Lagarde, Bank of Canada Governor Macklem, and Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda will be holding press conferences, and the Bank of England’s Haldane, […] More
