All eyes on Federal Reserve after shock Empire State index drop August 18, 2015 American traders will be poring over crunch sets of data this week after a key index plummeted to its lowest level since the depths of the recession in 2008-09. The Empire State index – one of several widely watched barometers of manufacturing in the US – collapsed to a score of minus 14.9 in August [...]
Strong US GDP figures set the stage for a Fed interest rate hike July 31, 2015 New figures out yesterday showed that US economic growth accelerated in the second quarter, fuelling expectations that the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates later this year. GDP expanded at a 2.3 per cent annual rate, with strong consumer spending offsetting weak business spending. Economists had expected a 2.6 per cent rise in GDP, but Millan [...]
Why the Bank of England should follow the Fed and raise interest rates this year July 30, 2015 GDP figures out earlier this week confirmed that the UK economy is growing well. In five of the past six quarters, UK GDP has risen by 0.7 per cent or more. The annualised growth rate over this period has been 3 per cent. The services sector has been the main engine of growth. Retail, distribution [...]
The Federal Reserve keeps interest rates unchanged and gives no hint of when they will rise July 29, 2015 In its statement this evening the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and gave no clear indication of when they will rise. Read more: US interest rate hike: Are emerging markets in for a bumpy ride? Analysts were listening out for a possible hike before the next meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee [...]
Chair of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen says rates will rise this year if economy remains on track causing dollar to jump July 29, 2015 The Federal Reserve has reiterated that it is on course to raise interest rates in 2015, as Chair of the Federal Reserve described the US economy’s prospects as “favourable”. Hiring has pushed the country towards maximum employment, while factors that have been holding back inflation were likely to diminish, Yellen indicated in a prepared statement [...]
Proposals to put the Fed on autopilot are a rules-based recipe for disaster July 28, 2015 Would you be happy if the cabin crew announced that the plane you were about to take off in had no pilot, and was going to be flown solely on autopilot? My guess is no. Even though flying is a fairly routine and mechanical process, you still need the peace of mind that a human [...]
Central bankers scent interest rate hikes: Federal Reserve prepares for rise with UK expected to follow later July 15, 2015 An unprecedented era of easy money, seen on both sides of the Atlantic since 2008, could be over by the end of the year, with the Federal Reserve preparing to hike rates and some analysts expecting the UK to follow suit in subsequent months. “If the economy evolves as we expect, economic conditions likely [...]
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen says US interest rates should rise in 2015 July 11, 2015 Janet Yellen has reiterated the case for raising interest rates later this year, saying the US economy recovery has solid underpinnings and is expected to strengthen in coming years. In a speech, Yellen said the labour market in America had not yet fully recovered and progress in lifting inflation to the 2 per cent target [...]
June 2015 FOMC Minutes: The Fed is worried about Greece July 8, 2015 Minutes from the Federal Reserve's June meeting show officials want to see further evidence the economy is picking up before they hike rates, and are concerned about the Greek debt crisis. The minutes from its meeting June 16-17 show officials have been pleased by positive economic developments such as strong consumer spending and signs wages [...]
Nasdaq rises to record high on Fed interest rate hint June 18, 2015 The Nasdaq closed at a record high on Thursday, rising 68 points to 5,132.95. Read more: Nasdaq hits a record high as US stocks rise The 1.3 per cent rise was triggered by encouraging economic data released by the Federal Reserve yesterday which indicated interest rates could be raised for the first time since 2008 later [...]