Chinese economic data
Chinese Data Greeted With Muted Market Reaction
January 17, 2023
A large menu of Chinese data releases proved not as weak as expected, but can the figures claimed by Beijing officials be believed as accurate? The muted reaction of investors suggests not. Chinese real GDP stagnated last quarter. Analysts were looking for a quarterly contraction of about 1% and consequently weren’t expecting year-on-year growth of […] More
Better-than-Expected Batch of Chinese Data Lifts Renminbi
January 17, 2020
The dollar fell 0.3% against China’s renminbi but advanced 0.2% versus the euro, kiwi and Swiss franc and by 0.1% relative to the loonie. The dollar remained steady against the yen, sterling, and Australian dollar. The recent upturn in share prices was extended in the Pacific Basin and Europe, with gains of 0.6% in New […] More
Weakening Growth Prospects, Persistent Uncertainties, and a U.S. Holiday
January 21, 2019
U.S. markets are closed today, depriving global markets of their leadership. Martin Luther King’s birthday is being observed. The International Monetary Fund published its quarterly World Economic Update, revising projected global growth in 2019 down 0.2 percentage points to 3.5% and projected global growth in 2020 down 0.1 percentage point to 3.6%. The new growth […] More
Commodity Prices Strengthen, Dollar and Yen Fall
May 15, 2017
Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia and Russia agreed to extend their previously negotiated oil production cut to the end of the first quarter of next year. Finance ministers and central bank chiefs releases a statement after two days of talks in Bari, Italy. See review. IT made some progress combating Friday’s global cyber attack, but tens of […] More
Weaker-than-Expected Chinese Data and a Rise in Oil Prices
May 16, 2016
In April, Chinese M2 money grew 12.8% on year, down from 13.4% in March and a recent high of 14.1% in January. The 12-month increase in industrial production and retail sales slowed to 6.0% and 10.1% from 6.8% and 10.5% in March. Fixed asset investment in the first four months of 2016 was 10.5% greater […] More
Several Central Bank Rate Cuts and Data Surprises Lift Dollar
June 11, 2015
The U.S. dollar leaped 2.8% against its New Zealand counterpart and also rose overnight by 0.9% against the yen, 0.6% relative to the euro, 0.4% versus the loonie, Aussie dollar and sterling, and 0.3% vis-a-vis the Swiss franc. Chinese officials held the yuan steady. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Official Cash Rate was sliced […] More
Many Competing Stories but a Unifying Theme is Better Growth in Europe by a Slower Trend Elsewhere
April 15, 2015
ECB President Draghi is wrapping up his press conference. Policy wasn’t changed further. Focus is currently on full implementation of policy initiatives taken recently. Draghi finds the favorable impact of quantitative easing to be impressive: real interest rates have fallen as expected inflation is rising. An important new sentence in the released statement explains what […] More
European Share Prices Significantly Lower… And Oil Off Another 1.3% to $59.10
December 12, 2014
Equities have fallen 1.6% in Paris, 1.4% in Madrid, Milan and Zurich, 1.5% in London and 1.2% in Frankfurt. Stocks closed down 0.9% in India, 0.3% in Hong Kong and 0.2% in Australia but rose 0.7% in Japan, 0.3% in China and South Korea, and 0.2% in New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan. Key sovereign debt […] More
Disappointing Chinese Data and an Italian Debt Downgrade
March 11, 2013
On Friday, Fitch downgraded the rating on Italian sovereign Italian debt to BBB+ from A-. Over the weekend, China released a disappointing mix of economic figures. CPI inflation accelerated from 2.0% in January to 3.2% in February, most since April 2012. A 12.3% on-year rise of retail sales last month was the least in a […] More
Share Prices Higher Despite Skepticism about Bailout for Spanish Banks
June 11, 2012
Equities advanced 2.4% in Hong Kong, 2.0% in Japan and Spain, 1.8% in Singapore, 1.6% in the Philippines, 1.7% in Taiwan, 1.3% in China, and 1.1% in Indonesia. The German Dax, Paris Cac, and British Ftse are up by 1.7%, 1.2% and 0.7%. Australia’s market was closed for the Queen’s Birthday. U.S. stocks were essentially […] More
