Bank of Thailand
Eighth Straight Central Bank Rate Hike in Thailand
September 27, 2023
The Bank of Thailand surprised central bank watchers with yet another unanimous 25-basis point interest rate hike to a ten-year high of 2.50%. The rate benchmark had been 0.50% from May 2020 until an initial 25-bp increase in August 2022, and the latest on-year increase of CPI inflation (0.9%) remained below the target corridor of […] More
Rate Hike in Thailand
August 2, 2023
In Thailand where inflation is currently also very low at 0.2% as of June, monetary officials today agreed unanimously to raise the central bank’s key interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.25%. The Bank of Thailand‘s rate had been lowered from 1.75% in August 2019 to 0.50% by May 2020 in increments of 25 […] More
Dollar Strengthens in Spite of U.S. Debt Downgrade and a Second Federal Indictment of Former President Trump
August 2, 2023
The dollar remained well-bid overnight with rises of 0.6% against the New Zealand kiwi, o.5% relative to the Australian dollar, 0.8% versus the Russian ruble, 0.3% against the Swiss franc, 0.2% versus the loonie, and 0.1% against the euro. Alternatively the dollar is steady against the Chinese renminbi and sterling and has lost 0.4% versus […] More
Investors Anxious Over Several Matters
January 25, 2023
Although down from 2022 highs in many places, inflation remains too elevated for central bankers to feel comfortable. Many data including this week’s spate of purchasing manager surveys are consistent with a contraction of GDP in this first quarter of 2023. The war in Ukraine and proliferation of mass shootings in the United States are […] More
Thailand and Mauritius Central Bank Rate Hikes
September 28, 2022
The Bank of Thailand’s policy rate was lifted 25 basis points as expected to 1.0%. That was the second such increase, the first being done just last months. At 1.0%, the rate remains 25 basis points less than Thailand’s pre-pandemic level of 1.25%. CPI inflation had climbed to 7.86% by August, but BOT officials project […] More
First Rate Hike Since Late 2018 in Thailand… More to Come
August 10, 2022
Thailand’s central bank finally climbed on the bandwagon of interest rate normalization. A 25-basis point hike today to 0.75% was the first increase since December 2018 when the policy rate was raised from 1.50% to 1.75%. By a 6-1 vote with one policymaker preferring to kick of tightening with a move of 50 basis points, […] More
U.S. CPI Heads Load of Price Data Released Today Around the World
August 10, 2022
Over ten price indices have been reported this Wednesday: German CPI inflation was confirmed at 7.5% in July, down from 7.6% in June and a 48-year high of 7.9% in May. The energy component subside to a still lofty 35.5% 12-month rate of increase, while food accelerated to 14.8% from 12.7% in the previous month. […] More
Revised U.S. and British GDP Figures, Record High PPI Reports, and a Big Czech Central Bank Rate Hike
December 22, 2021
Market activity so far this Wednesday has been less volatile than in recent days. The weighted DXY dollar index settled back 0.2% and was around overnight lows at the time of the U.S. stock market opening. The dollar has fallen 0.5% against the Australian dollar, Turkish lira and sterling but just 0.2% relative to the […] More
Dollar Strengthens on Day after Big Drop in Stocks
September 29, 2021
The DXY weighted dollar index rose 0.2% to an 11-month high overnight. Equities in the Pacific Rim picked up the baton from North America’s losing session the day before, dropping 2.1% in Japan, 1.8% in China, 1.9% in Taiwan, 1.2% in South Korea and 1.1% in Australia. However, European markets have mustered rebounds so far […] More
Expectations of Strong Growth Driving Financial Markets
May 5, 2021
The dollar rose by a marginal 0.1% overnight, gaining 0.2% against the Turkish lira and 0.1% versus the Mexican peso and euro, holding steady versu the yen, Swiss franc and yuan, and dipping 02% against the loonie and Australian dollar and by 0.1% vis-a-vis sterling. Markets remained close one more day in China (Labor Day) […] More
