Bank of England
Widely Awaited Bank of Japan Interest Rate Hike Comes With Mixed Baggage and Sends Yen Lower
September 18, 2026
After deliberating over two days for nearly five hours, the Bank of Japan Board rendered a 25-basis point hike of their short-term interest rate to 1.25%. The decision comes just three months after the previous increase and raises the cumulative change since last December to 75 basis points. The rate hadn’t been as high as […] More
Investors Absorbing U.S. and Euroland GDP Data and Expressing Disappointment that Fed Didn’t Raise its Interest Rate
July 30, 2026
In the wake of the Fed’s policy decision, equity markets have swung widely, and the dollar has declined, with additional overnight losses of 0.9% against the South Korean won, 0.8% relative to the kiwi, 0.4% relative to the Japanese yen, Australian dollar and Mexican peso, 0.2% versus the Swiss franc and Indian rupee, and 0.1% […] More
Trump Eating Crow After Getting Less Than He Wanted from Iran War and the Federal Reserve
June 18, 2026
President Trump signed a memo of understanding with Iran to end the war with Iran, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow for a period of 60 days to address Iran’s nuclear program and hammer out remaining disagreements. While this signing is viewed as an important step toward reestablishing the supply of energy and other […] More
Interest Rates Kept Unchanged at Bank of England and European Central Bank
April 30, 2026
both the ECB and Bank of England interest rates were left unchanged as had been expected. The ECB deposit rates has been at 2.0% since a 25-basis point cut last June, while the Bank of England’s last rate change (also of 25 basis points) was done in December to 3.75%. The Bank of England’s decision […] More
Key Central Bank Decisions, Many Data Releases, Suspected Japanese Intervention, and A Possible Resumption of U.S. Military Attacks on Iran Vie for Investor Attention
April 30, 2026
Frustrated with the continuing effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump is reportedly soliciting advice on the options for resuming military strikes against Iran, which he had hoped to avoid. The price of WTI oil briefly poked above $110.0 per barrel overnight but is quoted currently at $104.44, down 2.3% on balance. With […] More
Middle East Takes a Turn for the Worse, Forcing Monetary Authorities Around the World to Wait and See
March 19, 2026
The Strait of Hormuz remains essentially closed to shipping traffic, and Israel and Iran have escalated the race to destroy Middle Eastern energy facilities as thoroughly as possible. Brent crude briefly hit $119 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate continues to hover a bit above $97. The escalating conflict has ripped up the script on […] More
Fresh Anxiety about Coming AI Disruption Adding to Existing Worries about Trade & Geopolitical Tensions
February 5, 2026
The jittery mood of investors is generating big and sudden swings in world financial markets. While last year showcased a suspect dollar but buoyant equity markets, stocks, Bitcoin and precious metals have lately been the objects of most volatility. In overnight action up to this morning’s interest rate decision announcements by the the European Central […] More
Bank of England Cuts Interest Rate but Leaves Future Moves in Doubt
December 18, 2025
Among the many central bank interest rate announcements made today, the most surprising came from the Bank of England‘s. The rate cut of 25 basis points to 3.75% — a low not seen since January 2023 — met expectations, but following a sharper slide in British consumer price inflation to an 8-month low of 3.2%, […] More
Equities Lit Up By Surprisingly Low U.S. CPI Reading
December 18, 2025
Released U.S. consumer price data for November this Thursday overshadowed a continuing parade of scheduled central bank interest rate decisions, with the greatest impact directed at stock markets in Europe and the United States. There had been atypically high uncertainty about what the CPI release would show due to the U.S. federal shutdown-related lull in […] More
Central Banks In the Forefront
December 9, 2025
The Federal Open Market Committee’s two-day policy review begins today and is widely expected to cut the federal funds target interest rate by 25 basis points, matching the previous decisions in September and late October. A scheduled quarterly update of Fed forecasts and Chairman Powell’s press conference will be carefully gleaned for clarifying guidance to […] More
