Central Bank of Thailand
Rate Hike in Thailand
March 29, 2023
The Central Bank of Thailand’s policy interest rate has been lifted by another 25 basis points to 1.75%, its highest level since in August 2019. When the global pandemic had been most severe, the interest rate had been at 0.50% from May 2020 until an initial move toward nomalization in August 2022. Today’s rate hike […] More
Equities and Crypto Up on this Risk-On Wednesday
March 29, 2023
Stock markets in Asia rose 2.1% in Hong Kong, 1.3% in Japan, and 1.2% in Indonesia. Among those in Europe so far, share prices are up 1.2% in France and Italy, 1.0% in Spain, 0.9% in Germany, and 0.9% in Great Britain. U.S. stock futures show an average rise of 0.8%. A 3.8% rise in […] More
Central Bank of Thailand
January 25, 2023
Officials today at the Central Bank of Thailand raised their interest rate benchmark from 1.25% to a 3-1/2 year high of 1.50%. This was the fourth 25-basis point increase since last August. CPI inflation rose to a 2-month high in December of 5.9%. That’s still down from August’s peak of 7.9% but well above the […] More
Month-End, Powell’s Speech, and a Whole Lot of Released Data to Digest
November 30, 2022
Investors are awaiting Fed Chairman Powell’s luncheon speech today at the Brookings Institution, scheduled to start at 13:30 EST (18:30 GMT). The last business day of each month typically offers a very heavy menu of released data. November saw the biggest monthly drop in the dollar in over a decade, as long-term interest rates fell […] More
Lessening Risk Aversion
February 9, 2022
The recent sell-off in bonds has taken a step back, and that has encouraged bottom-feeding in equities. Nonetheless, markets have come a long way in the first five weeks of 2022. The 30 year U.S. fixed mortgage rate rose another five basis points last week and, at 3.83%, was 56 basis points above its end-2021 […] More
More Signs of Intensifying Inflation and Another Central Bank Rate Hike
November 10, 2021
The dollar didn’t move much right after U.S. CPI data were released but had already advanced by 0.0.4% overnight on a weighted basis before then to within 0.2% of its 52-week high. Dollar gains amounted to 0.5% against the kiwi and sterling, 0.4% relative to the euro and yen, and 0.3% vis-a-vis the Swiss franc […] More
More Central Banks Cut Interest Rates, Persistent Trade Tensions, and Lower Inflation
August 8, 2019
Central bank interest rates were cut by 25 basis points today in the Philippines and Serbia. Earlier this week, rates had been reduced by central banks in India (35 bps), Thailand (25 bps), and New Zealand (50 bps). The common thread in these moves is the trade war unleashed by U.S. President Trump, the weaker […] More
