National Bank of Georgia
Investor Attention Focused on Today’s FOMC Decision, Updated Forecasts and Chairman Kevin Warsh’s Maiden Press Conference
June 17, 2026
World financial markets not surprisingly marked time overnight. There has been a disconnection between, on the one hand, a euphoric investment community reaction on Monday and Tuesday to Sunday’s news of an interim deal between Iran and the United States that is supposed to get signed Friday in Geneva and the parade of foreign policy […] More
National Bank of Georgia
May 6, 2026
The National Bank of Georgia raised its policy interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.25% today. That was the first increase since a 50-basis point hike to 11.0% in March of 2022, right after Russia invaded nearby Ukraine. A release statement proclaims that the decision ” is aimed at keeping inflation expectations firmly anchored […] More
A Buoyed Appetite for Risk in World Financial Markets
May 6, 2026
President Trump paused the confrontational program of militarily escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz in opposition to the Iranian-imposed blockade. He claimed progress toward a peace deal from revised details that Iran reportedly offered. The U.S. blockade will continue until a deal is finalized. Once trade is again going through the Strait without military […] More
Markets Cheered by News of 15-Point U.S. Peace Plan to End Middle East War
March 25, 2026
So far, Iran shows little sign of deescalating, and the all-import Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut to shipping traffic. Nevertheless, as of 08:15 EDT, the dollar had risen overnight by 0.5% against the Australian dollar, 0.3% relative to the kiwi, 0.2% versus the yen and Canadian currency, and 0.1% vis-a-vis the euro, Swiss franc, […] More
Awaiting January U.S. Jobs Data and Puzzling Over Other Weird News
February 11, 2026
The Labor Department’s monthly employment situation report, which will in addition include a variety of revisions to past data, is due within the hour. Analysts are anticipating an unchanged 4.4% jobless rate, marginally softer wage growth of some 3.6% year-on-year and a rise of less than 75k jobs. The U.S. FAA has grounded all air […] More
Attention Shared by Central Bank Decisions & Year-end Data Deluge
December 17, 2025
The dollar rose overnight, led by gains of 0.5% against yen and sterling. The U.S. currency also appreciated 0.2% against the Australian currency and Mexican peso and 0.1% relative to the Swiss franc, euro, kiwi and won. Gold is 0.7% stronger, whereas Bitcoin has softened 0.4%. The price of gold bounced up 1.5%. Ten-year sovereign […] More
Central Bank Rate Decisions in Poland, Sweden and Georgia
November 5, 2025
The National Bank of Poland’s policy interest rate experienced its fifth 25-basis point cut of 2025 today and has now dropped altogether since September 2023 by a total of 250 basis points. Polish CPI inflation of 2.8% in October was down from 5.0% a year earlier and a peak of 18.4% in February 2023. A […] More
GDP Reports and Interest Rate Decisions
July 30, 2025
The dollar strengthened from Tuesday closing levels ahead of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate announcement due within the hour and amid preliminary second-quarter GDP releases that showed faster growth in the United States but slower expansion in Europe. Dollar gains have amounted so far to 0.8% against the Australian dollar and South Korean won, 0.7% […] More
Federal Reserve Tops a List of Many Central Banks Deciding Interest Rate Levels
May 7, 2025
Today’s FOMC decision at 18:00 GMT (14:00 EDT) is universally expected to be an unchanged federal funds target range of 4.25-4.50%. Updated macroeconomic forecasts are not scheduled at this meeting, so the focus will be on what Fed Chairman Powell says at his press conference, which begins at 14:30 EDT and, even more influentially, how […] More
Some Reprieve in the Panic But Uneasiness Lingers
March 12, 2025
U.S. stock futures were up 0.5-1.0% about an hour before the release of U.S. consumer price figures. In currency trading, the dollar rose 0.6% against the yen despite Bank of Japan Governor Ueda dispelling any notion of imminent direct intervention. He said recent yen appreciation was grounded in fundamental economic trends. Alternatively, the dollar fell […] More
