Central Bank of Malaysia
Dollar, Bond Yields and Commodity Prices Up and Another Momentum Shift in Equities
March 5, 2026
As has often been the case during the Iran war, there has been other equity market reversal between Asia’s and Europe’s trading day. Stock market indices rebounded 9.6% in South Korea, 2.6% in Taiwan, 1.9% in Japan, 1.8% in Indonesia, 1.1% in India, 0.9% in Malaysia and 0.6% in China. However, markets in Germany, Italy, […] More
Slight Retreat in the Dollar and A Razor-Thin Bank of England Interest Rate Decision
November 6, 2025
The stepped down a little in overnight trading, losing 0.3% against the euro and yen, 0.2% relative to the Swiss franc and sterling, and 0.1% vis-a-vis the Canadian and Australian currencies. Alternatively, South Korea’s won lost 0.4% against the dollar and even more versus the yen. Ten-year sovereign debt yields rose three basis points in […] More
Waiting for a Clarifying Ruling of U.S. Tariff Policy and This Month’s Fed Interest Rate Decision
September 4, 2025
U.S. President Trump has asked the Supreme Court to rule very quickly and overturn the recent Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that much of his tariff policy changes had overstepped his authority. Tariff hikes are central to the president’s foreign policy and as a generator of vast federal revenues that he promises will […] More
Central Bank Interest Rate Decisions Today in the U.K., Norway, Sweden, and Malaysia
May 8, 2025
The Bank of England’s base rate was reduced by another 25 basis points to 4.25%. This was the fourth quarter percentage point decline since August 1, 2024. Although the decision matched expectations, it belies the dispersion of opinions on the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee. Only 5-of 9 members, including Governor Bailey, favored the group’s decision. […] More
Something to Watch: Dollar Has Declined on Each of the Two Days of Trump’s Presidency
January 22, 2025
Significant dollar losses on Tuesday were extended overnight. The dollar fell 0.5% against the Mexican peso, 0.4% versus China’s yuan, 0.2% relative to the euro, yen, won and Aussie dollar, and 0.1% vis-a-vis the Swiss franc and sterling. These moves may merely represent a correction from earlier euphoria over the incoming business-friendly administration and the […] More
Speculation that the Fed Cuts By 50 BPS Gaining Traction
September 5, 2024
The cooling U.S. labor market is a main focus with a series of key releases this week. Investors learned yesterday that job openings and quits dropped more sharply in July. Later in the day came the release of the Fed’s Beige Book with nine regional districts showing stagnation or slight economic contraction, and only the […] More
Chinese Trade Data and Central Bank News
May 9, 2024
U.S. stock futures point to a 0.2% dip at the open, led by a sizable slump in AirBnb. Share prices closed higher in China, and Hong Kong but lower in Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Mexico. The German Dax, British Ftse and Paris CAC are moderately firmer. Ten-year sovereign debt yields climbed overnight by […] More
Central Bank of Malaysia Eases Monetary Policy While Bank of Thailand Passes
May 8, 2019
Bank Negara Malaysia’s Overnight Policy Rate was sliced to 3.0%, reversing a 25-basis point hike engineered in January 2018 and restoring the stance that had existed from July 2015 until that change in early 2018. A released statement notes, “there are some signs of tightening of financial conditions. The adjustment to the OPR is therefore […] More
Bank Negara Malaysia
November 9, 2017
A statement released after this year’s last scheduled meeting of 2017 announces that the Central Bank of Malaysia’s overnight policy will stay at an accommodative 3.0% but includes a hint that a rate hike may be somewhere in the pipeline: Given the strength of the global and domestic macroeconomic conditions, the Monetary Policy Committee may […] More
Malaysia Gets First Central Bank Rate Hike since May 2011
July 10, 2014
Like the rate increases engineered in March, May and July 2010 plus that in May 2011, today’s tightening was an increment of 25 basis points and lifts the interest rate to 3.25%. That’s only on a par with the latest 3.2% on-year inflation rate and leaves policy growth-supportive (that is accommodative) according to a released […] More
