Japan current account
Pick Your Poison: Excessive Inflation, Stagnant Growth or, Most Likely, A Mix of Both
December 8, 2022
The lagged effects of higher interest rates are biting into economic growth, but inflation remains way too high. This mix presents central bankers with a tougher decision, and financial market participants are getting whip-sawed. Compared to Wednesday closing levels the dollar is down 0.4% against the Canadian and Australian dollars, 0.2% versus the euro and […] More
Federal Reserve Tightening Imposing Strain on Global Economy
October 11, 2022
When Federal Reserve officials began to raise interest rates in mid-March of this year, they were already far behind the eight ball, especially since tightening began from an historically low federal funds target of zero to 0.25%. By the time of that belated reaction, U.S. inflation was at 7.9% and 6.3% measured by the consumer […] 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
Divergent Equities in Europe and Asia
July 8, 2013
In the Pacific Rim, stocks dropped sharply by 3.7% in Indonesia, 2.8% in China and the Philippines, 1.3% in Hong Kong, 1.4% in Taiwan and 0.9% in South Korea and India. Australian share prices closed 0.7% lower, and Japan’s Nikkei dropped 1.4%. But in Europe, equities have risen 2.3% in Germany, 2.0% in France, 1.6% […] More
