US Federal Reserve announces unlimited bond-buying to tackle coronavirus slowdown March 23, 2020 The US Federal Reserve has pledged to buy a potentially unlimited amount of government debt and ramp up lending support to businesses in its latest massive intervention in an economy ravaged by coronavirus. “Aggressive efforts must be taken across the public and private sectors to limit the losses to jobs and incomes and to promote [...]
US stocks drop despite massive coronavirus stimulus from Federal Reserve March 23, 2020 US stocks have fallen once again despite the Federal Reserve unveiling another huge package of measures to try to boost the economy throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Wall Street’s S&P 500 was down 1.1 per cent in early trading, the Dow Jones was 1.3 per cent lower but the Nasdaq index had gained 0.2 per cent. [...]
Former BoE governor Mervyn King: Coronavirus crash worse than financial crisis March 23, 2020 Former Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King has said the impact of the coronavirus outbreak will be much worse than the 2008 financial crisis. King, who led the Bank during the crisis, also said the country should be prepared for much higher borrowing as a result of economic policies to limit the fallout from [...]
UK job security perception plunges as coronavirus spreads March 23, 2020 Britons are more worried about their employment prospects than at any time since 2011 as confidence in the economy plunges due to the coronavirus pandemic, a survey has shown. UK consumers also plan to slash their spending on major purchases at the fastest rate since 2012, data firm IHS Markit’s household finance index showed today. [...]
ECB board member: Launch common Eurozone bonds amid coronavirus March 23, 2020 A European Central Bank (ECB) board member has called on governments to consider launching a common bond so as to stave off another sovereign debt crisis amid the coronavirus outbreak. Carlos Costa, who is also governor of the Bank of Portugal, said issuing a “coronabond” would stop financial markets from targeting the “weakest link”. There [...]
Bank of England slashes rates to historic low amid coronavirus pandemic March 19, 2020 The Bank of England has slashed interest rates to a new record low and will pump £200bn into the economy through its quantitative easing (QE) bond-buying programme as it seeks to curb the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The Bank today held an emergency meeting and cut its main rate by 15 basis (0.15 percentage [...]
FTSE 100 shoots back up after Bank of England slashes rates over coronavirus March 19, 2020 The UK’s FTSE 100 managed to climb this afternoon after the Bank of England announced £200bn of quantitative easing and slashed interest rates close to zero. European stocks also turned green, having been mired in the red despite the European Central Bank (ECB) announcing a €750bn (£700bn) asset purchase programme to deal with the coronavirus [...]
Tory MPs attack Treasury’s coronavirus response and call for ‘radical’ measures March 19, 2020 Tory MPs have told the government to start paying British workers’ wages directly and to ramp up benefits payments “today”. Conservatives from across the party said the chancellor’s response to the economic fallout from coronavirus had not gone far enough and would not prevent mass unemployment. Former business secretary Greg Clark said in the House [...]
Economists: Germany must act as it ‘speeds’ towards coronavirus recession March 19, 2020 Germany, the European Union and the European Central Bank (ECB) must work together to take “massive and targeted” measures to prevent an economic collapse in the face of coronavirus, one of the country’s top think tanks has said. The Ifo Institute warned the German economy could shrink by a massive six per cent in 2020 [...]
Huge ECB stimulus programme pushes down Eurozone bond yields March 19, 2020 Bond yields have fallen across the Eurozone as investors and governments breathe a sigh of relief following the European Central Bank’s (ECB) decision to buy €750bn (£709bn) of assets in a huge programme to counter the economic effects of coronavirus. The yield is the amount the investor receives from a bond – government debt – [...]
