Bank of Israel
Dollar and U.S. Stock Futures Higher as First Full Week of July Gets Underway
July 6, 2026
(132) The biggest dollar advances so far today are gains of 0.5% against the Japanese yen and New Zealand dollar, followed by a 0.3% rise versus the Swiss franc and South Korean won. The U.S. currency is also 0.1% firmer relative to the euro. In pre-open trading, the U.S. Nasdaq and S&P 500 have strengthened […] More
Bank of Israel Policy Rate Cut to 3.75%
May 25, 2026
The policy interest rate of the Bank of Israel as expected has been lowered by 25 basis points today. This was the fourth such cut since the start of 2024 but only the first since this past January. At 3.75%, the new interest rate level is its lowest since September 2o23. The central bank’s statement […] More
Holiday Interruptions and Optimism about a Deal to Open the Strait of Hormuz
May 25, 2026
(138) U.S. and British financial markets will be closed for Memorial Day and the late spring bank holiday, respectively. While many other European countries will be observing Whit Monday, the major stock markets are open. President Trump keeps dangling the prospect of a coming deal with Iran to end the war, reopen the Strait of […] More
The Sixth Jamaican 25-Basis Point Central Bank Interest Rate Cut Since August 2024
February 23, 2026
Today’s reduction to 5.50% from 5.75% was the first cut in nine months. It was agreed upon unanimously by members of the Bank of Jamaica‘s Monetary Policy Committee and, according to a released statement, justified because “the direct impact of Hurricane Melissa on inflation was less severe than initially anticipated. A faster-than-expected improvement in agricultural […] More
A Third Israeli Interest Rate Cut
January 5, 2026
At the Bank of Israel’s first scheduled review of interest rate policy this year. In light of a 25-basis point cut at the prior review in late November, analysts were not anticipating an interest rate change, but it was instead cut by a further 25 basis points to 4.0%, its lowest level since February 2023. […] More
Financial Markets React to Madura’s Capture
January 5, 2026
(158) President Trump’s efforts to replace Madura was pitched originally as a solution to the U.S. Fentanyl problem, but the deeper motive of this still unfolding narrative is a gambit to drive up Venezuelan oil production, cheapen the price of fossil fuel energy and drive faster U.S. GDP growth and the development of artificial intelligence. […] More
Some Fresh Policy Signals
May 27, 2025
Officials at Japan’s Ministry of Finance signaled an intent to dampen Japanese bond issuance in an effort to counter upward pressure on long-term yields. Governor Ueda of the Bank of Japan warned of upside risks surrounding core inflation in an apparent indication that the next BOJ interest rate hike is coming sooner rather than later. […] More
Little Respite for Worried Investors
April 7, 2025
(197) The heavy selloff of riskier assets extended dynamically into a fresh week. President Trump has shown no inclination of blinking first on his broadly based and very large tariff hikes. Reactions by other countries have been mixed. The ten-year U.S. Treasury yield eased another basis point and is now below 4.0%. Comparable German bund […] More
Dollar Slides Back to End-2024 Levels
January 6, 2025
After rising in the initial business days of January, the U.S. currency hit a big bump overnight, dropping 1.4% against the Mexican peso, 1.1% versus the Australian and New Zealand dollars, 0.9% versus the Canadian dollar and euro, 0.8% relative to the South Korean won and sterling, 0.7% vis-a-vis the Swiss franc, but just 0.3% […] More
A Better Financial Market Mood to Start Shortened Week
November 25, 2024
Markets liked Trump’s choice of Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager, for the cabinet post of treasury secretary. Tangentially, there’s more confidence that the Fed will cut rates next month, and reports of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon also helped the mood. The Russell 2000 hit a record high. The DOW is up […] More
