Central Bank of Armenia
25-Basis Point Interest Rate Hikes in Australia and Armenia
November 3, 2026
The Reserve Bank of Australia‘s official cash rate hike of 25 basis points to 4.85% is the fifth such increase since this year’s first policy review in February, and the new rate level is at its highest level since the first week of December 2008. CPI inflation pringed at a 6-month high in September, well […] More
Midterm U.S. Election, Military Operation Against Iran, Two Central Bank Interest Rate Hikes, and Some Inflation Data
November 3, 2026
The never-ending U.S. midterm election campaign finally comes to a close today, or does it? Speculation is rampant that the Trump administration will treat the outcome as a heads-I-win-tails-you-lose matter. If the coin lands heads up as in 2016 and 2024 they outperform poll predictions and in this case preserve control of the senate, victory […] More
Rate Changes at Central Banks in Armenia and Angola
September 15, 2026
The Central Bank of Armenia’s refinancing rate has been increased to 6.75% from 6.50%, reversing a 25-basis point cut implemented last December. The rate had been as high as 10.75% in the first half of 2023. From a low point of -1.7% early in 2024, consumer price inflation has re-accelerated to 4.4%. Officials target medium-term […] More
Trouble City So Long As Oil Price Rise Extends
September 15, 2026
The Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices climbed by a further 2.4% and 2.8% overnight. The Middle East’s stalemate keeps subjecting interest rates to upward pressure. The 30-year, 10-year and 3-month U.S. Treasury yields are 1, 1, and 2 basis points higher than yesterday, while ten-year sovereign debt yields in other economies have […] More
Oil’s Price Floats Back Above $80/Barrel Level
August 4, 2026
Monday’s U.S. stock market rally had been triggered by another last-minute pull-back in President Trump’s threat to annihilate Iran militarily. Yet again, his willingness to give diplomatic talks one more chance was quickly met with a different narrative with Iran that direct talks between the two countries have not resumed. They are only speaking to […] More
Imploded Investor Confidence in Euroland, Some Central Bank Decisions, and the Alleged Death of Another Top Iranian Official
March 17, 2026
In overnight financial market action, The dollar has dipped 0.3% against the Australian dollar following a rise in Australia’s Officials Cash Rate. The dollar is also down 0.2% versus the Mexican peso, and by 0.1% relative to the euro, Swissy and sterling but flat against the yen following more hints from Japan’s finance minister of […] More
Softer Dollar, Stronger Equities, and an Australian Central Bank Interest Rate Hike that Was Generally Anticipated
February 3, 2026
The dollar fell most sharply overnight against the Australian dollar (-0.8%) and kiwi (-0.5%) but also dipped 0.1% relative to the Swiss franc and Canadian dollar. There’s been no net change relative to sterling or the euro and a 0.2% rise against the yen. Favorable corporate news played a big role in yesterday’s U.S. stock […] More
Softer Dollar Again
September 16, 2025
The dollar was nudged lower as the Federal Open Market Committee prepared to begin a 2-day policy review that is likely to cut the federal funds rate target for the first time since last December. President Trump’s newest governor-appointee Stephen Miran and Lisa Cook, whom he tried to prevent from participating in the decision, will […] More
Monday’s Equity Rebound Extended Into Asia and Europe but Has Stalled in the United States
August 5, 2025
Concepts like democracy, rule of law and autocracy get thrown around so much these days that there is a risk that the comparison loses significance. When assessing a developed economy’s future potential, past experience strongly suggests that democracy is the preferable political framework for creating a conducive environment for achieving price stability, faster sustainable economic […] More
Tariff Fears Back in Ascendance
May 6, 2025
If enduring dollar hegemony could be assumed, big shocks like a global tariff war would correlate with an appreciating trend driven by safety-seeking capital flows. However, America’s tariff-centric trade policy represents a revolution away from the whole dynamic of the post-WW2 international monetary system. Contrary to the previous conventional wisdom, the more investors worry about […] More
